by Randall Balmer | Sep 21, 2023 | Feature-, Opinion
The act was brazen and according to the canons of the Episcopal Church, illegal. On July 29, 1974, eleven women gathered at Church of the Advocate in Philadelphia and were ordained to the priesthood. Or were they? At the General Convention in 1970, women were seated...
by Paul Lewis | Mar 27, 2023 | Feature-, Opinion
The Presbyterian Church USA recently assigned a text for an ordination exam that created an uproar. The text in question was the story, “The Levite’s Concubine,” found in Judges 19. In this story, one that echoes Sodom and Gomorrah, a Levite and his concubine are...
by Mitch Randall | Jan 16, 2020 | Opinion
The United Methodist Church is expected to split into two denominations. Church leaders announced the potential split after years of attempting to find common ground on the issues of LGBTQ ordination and the church’s response to same-sex marriage. The split will...
by Sian Murray Williams | Jan 18, 2019 | Opinion
When Googling images for a PowerPoint presentation on “Baptist Women in Ministry” some years ago, I was a little startled to see the first image that popped up was a poster for the film, “Attack of the 50ft Woman.” It was an image that would doubtless have empowered...
by Merianna Harrelson | Dec 20, 2018 | Opinion
The fifth anniversary of my ordination was Dec. 7. I remember this mile marker every year because so many women have sought and fought for ordination for themselves and for generations of young Baptist women who would follow them. Even more, I think it’s important to...