Jackie Macadam hears from women who will take part in a conference celebrating their contribution to the world church this month.

WOMEN IN THE WORLD CHURCH

THE contribution of women to churches across the world will be celebrated at a conference in Edinburgh this month.

The ‘Women in the World Church’ conference will bring together ordained and lay women from Church of Scotland partner churches across the world, including Nigeria, Lebanon, Pakistan, Egypt and Jamaica.

The conference comes as the Church of Scotland nears the 50th anniversary of the decision to ordain women ministers, and follows its World Mission Council’s focus on women in the world church at this year’s General Assembly.

Between September 14 - 18, the women will participate in a conference for World Mission Presbytery Conveners, a Round Table meeting where the overseas delegates and Scottish women will share experiences in a day conference jointly organised with the Centre for World Christianity at the University of Edinburgh.

This conference, on Saturday September 16 will include the Duff Missionary lecture with Professor Kwok Pui Lan, an influential feminist theologian, as the Keynote speaker. She will speak on ‘Women, Mission and World Christianity’. There will also be opportunity for the delegates to be hosted by a Scottish congregation and participate in worship with them.

Other notable speakers include the Rev Rola Sleiman, first ordained female minister in the Middle East and a pastor of the National Evangelical Synod of Syria and Lebanon; Dr Nosheen Khan from the Church of Pakistan; Professor Dr Isabel Phiri, Deputy General Secretary of the World Council of Churches and Nuam Hutzaw, a Burmese student studying at the university.

Ms Sleiman, who made the headlines earlier this year when she was first denied then granted a visa to attend the Church of Scotland General Assembly, but then turned back at the airport, said: “Lebanon is considered an advanced country in comparison to surrounding countries (but) we are still in the Middle East and that is a patriarchal society. Women face many challenges to prove ourselves.

“My journey has not been a road of roses: I have been serving in the Synod for around 20 years, and my beginning had a lot of challenges and obstacles. It took a lot of silence, patience and effort to reach where I am now.”

She said she hoped the conference would be a chance ‘to exchange experience and share some of the obstacles we face, learn from other women and be inspired by some’.

Dr Khan is president of the Gujranwala Theological Seminary, and in 2015 became the first Pakistani Presbyterian woman to be ordained. However, she says there is still no chance for her, and the three women who followed her, to work as a pastor: “I feel so blessed to be enrolled as a pastor in my presbytery and General Assembly, but still it’s a long way to go. My prayers and my struggles to strengthen the women in the Church in Pakistan will never end till my last breath.”

Jessie Fubara-Manuel, an ordained elder of the Presbyterian Church of Nigeria, said: “In Nigeria, while a few women have risen to positions of authority in society in the spheres of politics, religion and economics, women are still powerless to effect change and are seen primarily as mothers and home-keepers. Actions and inactions of women and men are informed by patriarchal norms and interests. Women work twice as hard compared to men but get much less recognition. Even within the PCN, male clergy are most likely to be posted to pastor bigger churches even where there are more qualified female clergy who are also more suitable.

“I like to see myself as an example to other women. I believe in myself to stay true to my identity as a woman created in God’s image endowed with gifts to bless God’s world. I constantly challenge the misconceptions about being female and affirm the sufficiency of womanhood. I am a mentor to young women, especially women with disabilities, to look beyond societal limitations to tapping into God’s abundant life.”

Photo: iStock

The Rev Annabell Lalla-Ramkelawan, of the Presbyterian Church in Trinidad and Tobago (PCTT), brings together many of the issues women face around the church, whether at home or internationally, in her reflection on her journey to ministry.

She faced particular challenges as a woman of East Indian descent and unmarried, as she sought to live out her calling to ministry in Trinidad and Tobago.

Having finished her studies, she was appointed to serve the five congregations of the Pastoral Region located in the central part of the island, where she got a rude awakening as to the social and cultural norms of people. She said: “I still vividly recall that Tuesday when the elder from the Felicity congregation came into my vestry and in a loud and angry tone said to me, ‘I will never take communion from you! You should not be in the pulpit! It is not the place for a woman!’ I was in a state of shock!

“In response to his harsh criticism I responded: “All I ask of you is to see me as your Minister and give me that due respect. When I leave this Pastoral Region you will cry.” I served that Pastoral Region for seven years. The last Sunday I conducted worship, words of appreciation for my ministry in the community and the church were expressed. The membership of the congregation confessed that they never believed that a woman minister could have done the work I accomplished and give the pastoral care they received during my ministry. On this occasion, the same elder who had denounced me embraced me and cried because I was leaving the Pastoral Region.” She also found challenges in the institutional church structures, but through an inner strength gained from her faith persevered and found ways through. “Serving on the many Boards and Committees of the Synod was also no easy journey. I was made to feel that I did not know what I was saying or my contribution was nonsensical. At one Synod meeting, the Moderator would not allow me to speak on a matter concerning women in ministry.

He allowed all the men to have their say. When I could no longer sit still, I called the then Moderator a male chauvinist and threatened to stand on the table if I was not allowed to speak. At the end of the debate my contribution was able to sway the votes in favour of women in ministry.” She has helped change the PCTT, and noted: “One of the high points in my ministry was the day I was selected to serve as the Moderator. I felt that my service to my Lord and Master had not gone unnoticed. Today, the PCTT is able to see women as persons whom God has called and chosen. There is no gender in God’s eyes; we were all made equal.”