RESPONSES

Wesleyans need to quit sending daughters to the youth conventions

 

The following responses are included without names and with any identifying elements removed unless the writer specifically gave permission to use their writing with their name attached (some spelling corrections made)

 

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Keith,

 So powerful and so true!  While working with ________________, I once heard her say, "We're giving all our best women ministers to other denominations."  In fact, I know two very gifted women, one of which is _____________, and the other is _____________,, who are being blocked by the Church.  You are bold and I hope that the right people read this column!   You've touched a chord, and I'll be praying for God's power to move aside the obstacles keeping His daughter's from what He has designed them to do.  I once heard a woman minister say, "God is on the Warpath for His daughters."  Let's pray so.

            --WOMEN IN GRAD SCHOOL

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EXCELLENT ARTICLE!   I am one of these women! 

 

--WOMAN IN MINISTERIAL TRAINING

 

 

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Keith,

     I just read the column you wrote today and I want you to know how dead on I thought it was!  Thanks for writing this necessary article!

       --PASTOR OF CHURCH PLANT

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Keith,
Hey – I appreciated your article regarding women in ministry.  My wife and I had a good chat about it.  Being a youth pastor in my past ministry experience – I always was so excited to see young women answer a call to ministry, but it seemed like if they didn’t want to be a kid’s pastor or choir director then they didn’t have many options.  My mother is a pastor (without the title) at __________________ and she has shaped my views of women and ministry.  It would be interesting to discuss how we can promote more mentoring and ministry opportunities for women leaders.  That being said – I would like to be kept in the loop regarding ministry students(female and male) :) who would be great fits within ________(OUR CHURCH HERE________  – for internships or future staff.... So I am thinking about trying to hang at IWU sometime this spring and try to connect with you and maybe a student or two.

 PASTOR, MICHIGAN

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 Amen my friend!  Thanks for taking the big stand.  You made me LOL with the Taco Bell comment...

 --MISSIONARY

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 Keith,

Powerful words.   One must work for years to gain sufficient credibility (chips) to be heard.  And when one has accumulated those chips, she must carefully choose where to use them.  You have picked a good battleground for our church.   The issue is not a no-brainer (like opposing gay marriage) or a politicized issue (Bush in Iraq).  It is an issue that clearly defines a ‘Wesleyan” mindset, both in terms of our theological founder and our own denominational heritage.  You assume the role of a 21^st century “Luther Lee”, who articulately calls for a counter-cultural (i.e. fundamentalist culture) position in the name of scripture and tradition. If the heat gets strong, use Luther Lee.  How can a denomination laud the courage of a man who stood for Biblical justice in the face of a compromising culture in 1840 and then turn against a modern day proponent of one of the very same issues that shaped our identity as a stand-alone denomination in the Methodist tradition?  You have the division backing you, brother.

 --COLLEGE PROFESSOR

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Personally, I will commit to pray specifically that God will use Keith’s intervention to open closed minds, and melt hard hearts, in order to open our church up to God’s working through Holy Spirit anointed women.  Beyond that, this culture seems to me to be increasingly pernicious towards women in a multitude of ways.  How wonderful it would be for a church built on a calling to Christian holiness to truly side with those who pay the highest price for our culture’s voracious appetite for personal pleasure, and for success counted in material and political terms. 

 

WESLEYAN PROFESSOR

 

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C’mon Keith…why would we want women in ministry?

       …they tend to be more disciplined.  Wouldn’t you rather have a pastor who rushes around at the last minute trying to figure out what to preach?  That way he’ll really have to depend on the Holy Spirit.

       …they tend to be more intuitive.  Wouldn’t you rather have a pastor who isn’t as aware of your spiritual needs?  That way you could get away with being a spiritual infant a little easier.

       …they tend to be more committed.  Wouldn’t you rather have a pastor who is leading your church because he drifted along in the wake of a neat youth pastor role model rather than someone who was willing to pursue her call while fighting through the prejudice against her gender in ministry?  That way a whole bunch of other low commitment kids could wander into the profession.

       …they tend to be…women.  Wouldn’t you rather have a male pastor who is unable to identify with more than half the people of his congregation (the women)?  OK, OK…a female pastor won’t be able to identify with the men in her congregation…but maybe it’s time for the guys to be on the losing end.

 

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