Comments on: ordination consternation http://www.steeplesandpeople.com/blog/2006/01/18/ordination-consternation/ when faith like a child isn't enough Tue, 06 Jan 2009 09:55:45 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.1 by: pastor dylan http://www.steeplesandpeople.com/blog/2006/01/18/ordination-consternation/#comment-36 Fri, 20 Jan 2006 19:07:00 +0000 http://www.steeplesandpeople.com/blog/2006/01/18/ordination-consternation/#comment-36 really i'm speaking about two personal examples, and about 2 dozen that i was only slightly involved in. of the two, one was a female who quit the ministry 6 months after she was ordained because she had "paved the way, even if [she] never really felt called to ministry at all" (her words). the second was a fella who became a pastor, got licenced, all to perform a same-sex wedding. right after the wedding, he went back to being unemployed. (once again, this is someone i know and this is HIS take, not mine). i agree that the responsibility is also with the churches hiring these individuals, but it makes me sad that the "call" to ministry can be abused so badly. really i’m speaking about two personal examples, and about 2 dozen that i was only slightly involved in. of the two, one was a female who quit the ministry 6 months after she was ordained because she had “paved the way, even if [she] never really felt called to ministry at all” (her words). the second was a fella who became a pastor, got licenced, all to perform a same-sex wedding. right after the wedding, he went back to being unemployed. (once again, this is someone i know and this is HIS take, not mine).

i agree that the responsibility is also with the churches hiring these individuals, but it makes me sad that the “call” to ministry can be abused so badly.

]]> by: Jenny http://www.steeplesandpeople.com/blog/2006/01/18/ordination-consternation/#comment-35 Thu, 19 Jan 2006 03:16:00 +0000 http://www.steeplesandpeople.com/blog/2006/01/18/ordination-consternation/#comment-35 <I>what i LOATH is when anyone (male or female) become pastors to prove a point. fortunatley that is happening less and less.</I> Do you think this happens a lot? What kind of context are you talking about? Feminists becoming ordained just to prove that women can become ordained, or what? what i LOATH is when anyone (male or female) become pastors to prove a point. fortunatley that is happening less and less.

Do you think this happens a lot? What kind of context are you talking about? Feminists becoming ordained just to prove that women can become ordained, or what?

]]> by: pastor dylan http://www.steeplesandpeople.com/blog/2006/01/18/ordination-consternation/#comment-34 Thu, 19 Jan 2006 02:56:00 +0000 http://www.steeplesandpeople.com/blog/2006/01/18/ordination-consternation/#comment-34 now that IS interesting. and i would agree with your take of the denom. i try and take the approach that if God has ordained one to be a preacher, then he or she should preach. what i LOATH is when anyone (male or female) become pastors to prove a point. fortunatley that is happening less and less. now that IS interesting. and i would agree with your take of the denom. i try and take the approach that if God has ordained one to be a preacher, then he or she should preach. what i LOATH is when anyone (male or female) become pastors to prove a point. fortunatley that is happening less and less.

]]> by: Jenny http://www.steeplesandpeople.com/blog/2006/01/18/ordination-consternation/#comment-33 Thu, 19 Jan 2006 01:02:00 +0000 http://www.steeplesandpeople.com/blog/2006/01/18/ordination-consternation/#comment-33 Ohhhh right. I should indeed have added that bit about the woman in question declining the, um, honour. What you say about the denomination/church relationship is true, of course, though I didn't at all make that clear in my post. However, inasmuch as a denomination is, among other things, a collection of like-minded churches, you have to agree that the denomination in question shies away, in general, from the oridnation of women. There are plenty of feminists in the denomination -- my father included -- but the feminism that appears in his generation (of which the dean of academics I mentioned is a part) hasn't burst through into practical application in the denomination, yet, which sucks. And the worst part is, without existing woman pastors, there won't be more women pastors, because little girls sitting in the pews don't grow up thinking, "Hey, that could be me up there." (An aside -- turns out my mom actually wanted me to be a pastor! Too bad I turned out all rebellious and shit.) Ohhhh right. I should indeed have added that bit about the woman in question declining the, um, honour.

What you say about the denomination/church relationship is true, of course, though I didn’t at all make that clear in my post. However, inasmuch as a denomination is, among other things, a collection of like-minded churches, you have to agree that the denomination in question shies away, in general, from the oridnation of women. There are plenty of feminists in the denomination — my father included — but the feminism that appears in his generation (of which the dean of academics I mentioned is a part) hasn’t burst through into practical application in the denomination, yet, which sucks.

And the worst part is, without existing woman pastors, there won’t be more women pastors, because little girls sitting in the pews don’t grow up thinking, “Hey, that could be me up there.”

(An aside — turns out my mom actually wanted me to be a pastor! Too bad I turned out all rebellious and shit.)

]]> by: pastor dylan http://www.steeplesandpeople.com/blog/2006/01/18/ordination-consternation/#comment-32 Thu, 19 Jan 2006 00:57:00 +0000 http://www.steeplesandpeople.com/blog/2006/01/18/ordination-consternation/#comment-32 good thoughts jenny. ordination in itself is a bit ridiculous, but it tends to become a gong show at times. just a bit of clarification however... in the denomination to which you are refering (and the specific situation with the dean of students) it is the church that chooses whether to ordain or not. the denomination merely confirms theology and call. it was her church that refused to ordain her on numerous occasions - until she went to brazil. and remember, she also refused it (and rightly so). good thoughts jenny. ordination in itself is a bit ridiculous, but it tends to become a gong show at times.

just a bit of clarification however… in the denomination to which you are refering (and the specific situation with the dean of students) it is the church that chooses whether to ordain or not. the denomination merely confirms theology and call. it was her church that refused to ordain her on numerous occasions - until she went to brazil. and remember, she also refused it (and rightly so).

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