Report on women ministers shows 'emerging issues' are unfounded By Paula R. Kincaid The Layman Online Thursday, May 8, 2003 The 215th General Assembly will consider a report on women in ministry that invalidates two of the major reasons for the study that led to the report. The study, which was conducted by the Advocacy Committee on Women's Concerns, is titled "Clergywomen's Experiences in Ministry: Realities and Challenges." The report, a response to a referral from the 212th General Assembly, shows that two of the three "emerging issues" listed in the original referral were unfounded, yet still "calls upon the church at every level to raise awareness about gender-discrimination in the church." The referral from the 2000 General Assembly directed the advocacy committee, in collaboration with other denominationally-related groups, "look at the emerging issues related to clergywomen serving in parish ministry, including the decreasing numbers of clergymembers available for service, proportionately lower numbers of women serving congregations, and the increasing numbers of clergywomen leaving parish ministry." According to PCUSA statistics, however, the issue of "decreasing numbers of clergymembers available for service," is not true. The ACWC report says statistics from the Office of the General Assembly "indicate that the number of clergywomen in service is in fact increasing each year." The final issue listed in the referral, "the increasing numbers of clergywomen leaving parish ministry," also seems to be unsubstantiated. The ACWC report says that "current statistics indicate the following: the number of clergywomen and clergymen in active service in various positions, the number retired, and the number classified as 'at large' members of presbyteries. They simply do not show the number of women, or men for that matter, who leave ministry." "ACWC suspects that the truth about numbers is that they are increasing in some presbyteries and decreasing in others, and that the climate of acceptance and support for women is stronger in some presbyteries than in others," the report says. Recommendations for the church "Clergywomen's Experiences in Ministry" includes 11 recommendations, ranging from "encouraging congregations to call clergywomen from various racial ethnic backgrounds as well as Caucasian clergywomen," to requesting presbyteries and congregations to review policies and practices in relation to clergywomen, including salaries, pension and other benefits. The advocacy committee also recommends that the assembly direct the committee to "research current programs and support for clergywomen, particularly racial ethnic and single clergywomen." Other recommendations include asking various PCUSA committees and congregations to emphasize the importance of integrating self-care and care of family with the demands of the ministry, and asking seminaries to develop courses on the importance of holistic health as it relates to the demands of the ministry. The report is based on an ACWC survey mailed to 3,853 Presbyterian clergywomen. By July 2002, ACWC had received 1,404 responses – a response rate of 36.4 percent. ACWC also held a consultation at the 2002 General Assembly where clergywomen were invited to share their experiences and concerns. The 3,853 women who were sent surveys served the denomination in the following positions: 1,000 pastors and co-pastors, 607 associate pastors, 175 supply pastors, 242 interim pastors, 247 chaplains, 150 PCUSA executives, 129 in schools, 63 counselors, seven tentmakers, 122 other church professionals, 303 retired pastors and 808 "at large" presbytery members. Survey respondents averaged 50 years old, with 68 percent married, 15 percent divorced, separated or widowed, 15 percent single and 2 percent partnered, and 74 percent with children. Also included in the characteristics of respondents was that the length of the average search process for all women of color was longer than that of Caucasian women. That statement was reversed, however, when dealing with the length of the search for a first call. According to the survey, "African American and Hispanic women received first calls more quickly than Asian American and Caucasian women." Difficulty with statistics According to the report, the advocacy committee reviewed statistics provided by the Office of the General Assembly, Churchwide Personnel Services and Research Services, and "soon discovered a major difficulty in the task: the management of statistics. There is an inevitable fluidity regarding numbers where clergy are concerned; and, in a politically charged climate, statistics can be manipulated. The ACWC believes the PC(USA) has been living in an especially politically charged environment since the 1993 reimagining conference." The committee identified a second difficulty with the assembly's directive in differentiating between "emerging issues" and issues clergywomen have faced since 1956, when women were first ordained as clergy. Comments from clergywomen Comments from clergywomen are used anonymously in the report. Reponses to the question on why do clergywomen leave parish ministry include: "I left my first Associate Pastor job because … [the newly hired pastor] was constantly putting me down in front of staff, session and members. I was humiliated, and discriminated against by this man." "Advised to do so by center on ministry psychologist - to get out before the senior pastor destroyed me. Was told by COM I needed to find a Senior Pastor who was secure enough in his own identity and ministry not to be threatened by mine and how I approached my ministry." "Head of staff was destructive and controlling." "Conflict with session – very toxic situation. They did not handle my remarriage well. Became possessive of my time, micromanaging, several 'clergy killer' type persons." "Sexual harassment case of a close colleague at same church; handling of it by presbytery and church." "Patriarchy and resistance to my ordination." "I was unprepared to cope with the attitudes toward women in ministry that I experienced in the church." "I dropped out of the call process for installed positions because larger churches (above 300) were not calling women as senior pastor/head of staff." "In my first call, I was asked to leave because I used inclusive language in worship and prayed for peace during the Gulf War. In my third call, I was asked to leave because I used inclusive language in worship and attended the 4th World Conference on Women in Beijing. In my sixth position, I was asked to leave because they did not want an interim pastor, especially one who was female." "I am considering leaving soon if certain things don't change. But personnel is willing to work with me. I am working 60-65 hours/week with little administrative help, and I can't see keeping this pace without further repercussions to my health – physical and emotional." "Being the only female pastor in a small rural town (conservative town) was very difficult, particularly on a social level." "Burnout: I always felt on the edge of burnout-feeling I had to work twice as hard as a male pastor, plus wanting to be an active mother, spouse and friend." "I was asked to take a pay cut to meet budget; 'one woman needs less money to live on!'" "I responded to a G.A. call to participate in dialogues on homosexuality. As an out lesbian, I knew that would end my career in parish ministry." "I resigned from another call because people met me in the parking lot to say I would be in trouble if I let a lesbian be nominated for session." "Left because of divorce – not my choice – voted while I was on vacation." "Didn't want to bring a congregation through my divorce … felt vulnerable due to sexual identity."

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