The Response...

This is my article for our monthly church newsletter for May. This is my (hopefully) classy response to the "Jezebel" email our senior pastor received a few weeks ago. Even though these people did not have the guts to send it directly to me, I felt that I could not just sit by and keep silent about the issues and ignorant statements that were brought up about women in the pulpit. So here is what will appear in our next issue. Even if these people never see this, I feel that it's appropriate for the situation. I hope I can stand up for female pastors everywhere and speak for all of us with these words.


With Easter season upon us, I cannot help but rejoice and remind myself of why I am a Christian, why I am a pastor, and why I am a United Methodist. The people of the United Methodist Church have a deeply rooted history in the United States, and the church prides itself with the motto, “Open hearts, open minds, open doors.” Throughout my seminary training, I was fortunate to have some of the most wonderful professors who taught us about the history, theology, and polity that is the United Methodist Church. Throughout the centuries, the church has gone through many changes and has faced many challenges that have been overcome, such as issues surrounding the inclusiveness of African Americans and the ordination of women. These two groups are now overwhelmingly supported and included in both the laity and clergy of the United Methodist Church, and that is something to celebrate, my friends. I believe that at the heart of Christianity lies Jesus’ message of love and inclusivity. Jesus himself included “the outcasts” of the time among his followers, including “sinners” and women. He appointed them to do miraculous things and to preach the good news. And as you heard on Easter morning, it is indeed women who rejoice at the empty tomb first, and to whom Jesus first appears. Then we see even Paul himself throughout his letters sending women out into the mission field to preach the gospel and to be an example of Christ to others. And let’s not forget the famous quote from Paul’s letter to the Galatians: “There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male or female, for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.” Christ has made us one through his life, his death, and his resurrection. We are all brothers and sisters in Christ, and we are bound together through him. In our modern times today, I would hope that the people of the church, especially those of us who are United Methodist, will acknowledge the equality and capability of all human beings. I am proud to be a pastor in a denomination that celebrates both men and women in the pulpit and acknowledges that while men and women bring different gifts to the ministry, that both genders are capable of being effective ministers of the gospel, providing pastoral care, and conducting the business of the church. So let’s continue to celebrate and profess together that we are part of a denomination that strives to have “Open hearts, open minds, and open doors” and to live by that motto.