“O how careful ought we to be, lest through our by-laws of church government and discipline, we bring into disrepute even the word of life. For as unseemly as it may appear now-a-days for a woman to preach, it should be remembered that nothing is impossible with God. And why should it be thought impossible, heterodox, or improper for a woman to preach? seeing the Saviour died for the woman as well as for the man.
“If the man may preach, because the Saviour died for him, why not the woman? seeing he died for her also. Is he not a whole Saviour, instead of a half one? as those who hold it wrong for a woman to preach, would seem to make it appear. Did not Mary first preach the risen Saviour, and is not the doctrine of the resurrection the very climax of Christianity?”
Jarena Lee is an inspirational woman. Born a free African-American in 1783 New Jersey, Lee grew up among the hard-working poor. She became a Christian under Bishop Richard Allen at Bethel AME in Philadelphia. After her conversion, she felt a strong call to preach, but when she spoke of it to Allen, he confirmed that church tradition did not allow women in ministry, so Lee didn’t bring it up again. Within a year after her husband died, Jarena heard a terrible, terrible preacher, whom she kindly and diplomatically discerned had “lost the spirit.” Her call to preach rose up within her again, and before she realized what she was doing, she had pushed Brother Williams out of the pulpit and was finishing his sermon, doing a much, much better job.
After that, Jarena Lee defied the odds, itinerating as a black female preacher in a time when neither blacks nor women were safe in American society. Lee even travelled to slave-holding Maryland to preach, boldly proclaiming the Gospel of repentance…a Gospel which included abolition of the evil institution of slavery.
Since then, the church has experienced leaps and starts regarding broader recognition of leadership in the church beyond straight men. Some denominations and congregations are far more open to discerning gifts of ministry in women, as Jarena Lee emphasizes: the first preacher of the gospel was a woman.
It would still take almost 200 years before Methodism agreed to full clergy rights for women in 1956. I would encourage you to read this article from the UMC on why we ordain women even when some verses of scripture seem to forbid it. It would be good for us to hold those scriptures up next to the many places in scripture where women are given prominent roles, not least of which being Phoebe, whom Paul entrusted to deliver, read, and clarify (i.e. preach) the Letter to the Romans (see Romans 16, and Gaventa, When In Romans).
We still have so far to go when it comes to trusting the Holy Spirit’s calling and equipping. Today’s comic is inspired by an old 1980’s GI Joe PSA about boys not letting a girl skateboard with them, and learning not to judge others. I’ll leave you with this:
“Welcome one another, therefore, as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.” – Rom. 15:7
PS – Special shout out to Dr. Scott Ryan, Claflin University, for the inspiration.