I was never much bothered with the feminist movement when I was younger. I actually didn’t see the point. The reason why was that my mum, Irma Dymke, role modelled to my sister and I that we could do anything. To be confident, have opinions and to stand alongside anyone as equals. I didn’t realize it at the time, but mum was a trail blazer. And as far as I was concerned there was no need to be feisty about women’s rights. I thought we had them anyway. What an interesting surprise I was in for!
Sure, I would have loved to have been a Pastor. But the culture at the time was such that I didn’t even think that was a possibility. I also wanted to be an actress, but my mum struck that one out too. So, I studied to be a Lutheran teacher who taught drama. Ta Da!
My life’s journey was such that I didn’t actually end up remaining as a Lutheran teacher for long, until returning to it many years later once my life settled down. Now I could get back to (what I thought) was my vocation. What do they say? ‘If you want to make God laugh, tell Her your plans.’
It was only on returning to the Lutheran container, both personally and professionally, that I became aware that after 20 years absence, nothing much had changed. For a start, I was the only woman on senior staff of a large Lutheran secondary school. Really? I had come from an environment where women were leaders in the field. Maybe it was just this particular context, but I was rather surprised. Furthermore, I was gob smacked (read shattered) to be structured out of my position, (“nothing to do with performance” I was told), so that the senior staff then had no women!
I visited Sumatra a few years ago on an educational exchange and took the opportunity to visit an ALWS project I had been supporting in North Sumatra. It was a sewing project for women to build independence and income. Accompanied by my now good friend Ridwin Purba, Lutheran World Federation Education Secretary in Indonesia and the Woman Pastor in charge of the project, I turned to them as we strolled and commented, “We don’t have women Pastors in Australia.” They both stopped dead in their tracks and said with disbelief, “Why?!” I looked back at them and saw the hole. I didn’t really have an answer. Why indeed?
This was the beginning of me really looking around the church in general and taking more careful note of what was happening. Call me a slow learner. I was aware of friends who had studied for the Ministry and not been able to be ordained, despite exceptional skills. I did notice when my son in law was ordained that it quite odd to see just men up the front in their robes when I had been so accustomed to see women in leadership. However, it was only when I was personally affected in my vocation that it really, really hit home. I guess we are all self-centred – or maybe it’s just me. Until it affected me personally, I didn’t really get it. I am aware this is not the case in other Lutheran Education settings – that’s the area my mum was a trail blazer in – but it was my experience, and I learnt from it.
I’m very sorry for that. I am very sorry for my lack of awareness and empathy. I am very sorry I did not hold the hands of my sisters more closely and speak up more loudly. I’ve woken up.
I was fortunate to travel to Europe on a fellowship in the last couple of years. One day we rested our weary feet and popped into a café for a coffee in Finland. I was gobbling up the tasty cake when my husband dug me in the side and said, “Look!” At the table by us I had noticed without looking a big table of 12 robed Pastors. When I looked more closely – they all bar one, were women. The ordination of women to ministerial or priestly office is an increasingly common practice across the world in what has been a traditionally male dominated profession. Why not here? Are we still a religious ghetto sheltering from the world?
I watched recently a program called The Leadership through the Melbourne International Film Festival while in lockdown in Melbourne and to my delight it was about the support and training of 76 Women scientists who had a 20-day trip to Antarctica. The purpose was to assist women to take greater leadership in their fields, to identify the challenges and to uniquely contribute in the field of their expertise. These women are the first of a program that aims to train 1000 women across the world with the clear aim of science and the world being better for it. We all know that our world has many challenges and needs our best combined efforts. Look at the countries where a woman is now in charge.
As a teacher educator I too have been involved in much leadership training assisting women and men to be the best they can be. The challenges of education are many and once a male dominated field now has many more women than men contributing to our young to be educated and to mature.
Our church like the world is facing many challenges and needs to draw on all of the resources at its disposal. Within our Lutheran circles we already have many women who want to be trained into key leadership roles within our church. This would assist with the shortage of Pastors in our church, end discrimination simply based on sexism, provide opportunity for women in our church to bring their leadership skills and to not go to other churches that accept their important contribution. I have one family member who left the Lutheran church because of the lack of lay leadership and service possible. Amazing gifts and talents which the Anglican church is now the beneficiary of. How sad for us all.
If we are all equal in God’s eyes, then surely, we can encourage all to use their talents so that the Church (the Body of Christ) can flourish. Women are needed more than ever to confront the challenges that the Church is now facing.
I’m a bit older now, and wiser, and more aware. And I am not afraid to speak out anymore. I have realized that the world my mum carved out for herself and for us is not the experience of everyone. I see and know passionate women want to make a contribution and build the church up by being Pastors. I hear the theological arguments and I just don’t get it. Women were so instrumental in the early church. Yes, women and men are different. But partners together. The church that I love, the Lutheran church, has been one I have been tipped out of at times, but it is not one I want to leave. The world is crying out for the love and grace and peace that Jesus offers. Surely it should be all hands-on deck.
