As women continue to struggle to break the glass ceiling in their professions, female clergy say some women are coming up against a stained-glass ceiling as they answer the call to work in ministry. While many religions have been ordaining women since the 1960s, many women are finding that after they graduate from seminary, they cannot find jobs. Currently only 11% of protestant churches in US have women pastors.
Women Are Reaching New Heights In Faith Community
As the spotlight shines on the disparity in ministry positions, some important events did happen over the summer for women seeking leadership positions. From gaining the right to become bishops in the Church of England to leading the Council of Christian Colleges and Universities, women are reaching new heights within faith communities. Religion News Service reports that women pastors are also now leading three major Christian churches in New York, Washington, D.C. and Chicago, potentially paving the way for more women pastors — and their voices.
The three women who were recently appointed to their leadership positions are Rev. Shannon Johnson Kershner, the first woman to become the sole senior pastor at Chicago’s Fourth Presbyterian Church; Rev. Ginger Gaines-Cirelli of the Foundry United Methodist Church in Washington, D.C., and Rev. Amy Butler of Riverside Church, an interdenominational Christian church, in New York City.
Hopefully these landmark changes will have an impact, because according to a 2009 report from the Barna Group recently published at Bustle.com, women clergy, not only have a hard time landing positions, they have had historically low retention rates. As a result, they are more likely to leave their congregations because of a lack of support from higher-ups.
Rev. Amy Butler, the new pastor of Riverside Church, was recently featured on PBS Religion & Ethics Newsweekly. Her story is typical of many women seeking leadership positions in religious organizations. Butler graduated from Baylor and couldn’t find a job as a pastor, so she managed a homeless shelter for six years in New Orleans. It was there that she learned how to minister to others.
Growing Commitment To Gender Equality in Religious Groups
While Butler’s journey, and the other advancements for women in ministry have been celebrated as signs of growing commitment to gender equality in religious groups, they also highlight how polarizing the issue of female leadership continues to be. Here’s hoping that as women span out to lead in all areas of business and life, an empowering and collaborative spirit grows and empowers all of us, in religious and secular life.
Find out more about Butler’s Journey at PBS.org.
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