One Woman was born in the 1940’s. Her father was a Lutheran pastor and the family were all encouraged to assist in the mission of the church. In the same country town there was a female pastor. One Woman and her friends worshipped at the woman pastor’s church from time to time as well as at the Lutheran church.
One Woman grew up, studied theology at a seminary and attended teachers’ college, university and a conservatorium of music to qualify as a teacher. She hoped to be a missionary.
In the early 1960’s she and her fiancé were called to be teachers in PNG. They were sent to Melbourne to study linguistics so they could learn and translate the languages of the people. Then they married and flew to PNG. One Woman loved her job. The PNG government paid the mission the wages for any qualified teachers. However, on pay day her husband received wages but she did not. When she queried where her salary was, mission officials told her that she was just a wife and wives don’t get paid. The government money was retained in the mission funds. On the one hand she was dumbfounded but on the other hand she was young and believed that God had brought her to this place. She taught full time for 2 years and met other women who were not being paid for their professional work.
When One Woman and her husband decided to start their family, obstacles fell in their way. They poured out their hearts to God. One Woman prayed to the Lord that, just like Hannah in the Old Testament, they be granted children who would be in the world for God’s purposes. One Woman and her husband were blessed by God with two children born in PNG and one in Australia.
One Woman and her husband and family returned to Australia in the late 1960’s, soon after union had formed the LCA. She was confidant that women would soon be ordained and joined some discussion groups to encourage and support each other. Women couldn’t be synod delegates. Discussions went well for a while but changed towards the end of the 20th Century. Attitudes of some were becoming restrictive but One Woman felt encouraged by the men who were ashamed at the negative treatment of women.
In Australia, One Woman worked in state, Lutheran and Catholic schools. In the 1980’s the Lutheran church called her to be a member of a church and school planting team in a city. With the mission field ripe, this was no time to opt out of leading worship just because she was a woman. The Holy Spirit was calling women. God led One Woman to join the other people working for women to be ordained in the LCA.
One Woman participated in the drafting of synod proposals. The proposals were defeated by a minority. One Woman was extremely distressed to discover the politics involved in keeping ordination for men only. She hopes this can be changed.
God called the son of One Woman to be a pastor.
God also called the daughter of One Woman to be a pastor.
There was a period of openness and expectancy but it changed towards the end of the 20th Century.
The Holy Spirit is calling us all and One Woman delights in worshipping with congregations led by a woman. She hopes that her daughter and other women will be accepted for ordination in the LCA.
When One Woman and her husband returned to Australia in the late 1960’s there were about 200,000 members in the LCA. Now there seem to be about 35,000. One Woman hopes this can be changed when women are ordained.
Holy Spirit guide us!
