There once was a young girl who was asked the question at a children’s address of what she wanted to be when she grew up. Instantly an idea popped into her head and she raised her hand to speak. “I want to be a pastor,” she said, and was met by a very awkward silence. Parents tell their children that they can be anything that they want when they grow up. But how are we supposed to tell our young girls that even if they feel the need to be a pastor and want to be one when they grow up, that they can’t within the LCANZ? And what is that saying to girls and women who feel a calling from God to become a pastor?
Despite the women’s rights movements that occurred in the late 19th and 20th centuries, there are still organisations in modern society where women are excluded from roles of leadership. One of these organisations is the Lutheran Church of Australia and New Zealand (LCANZ), where women are not allowed to be ordained as pastors. It is also uncommon for a lady to study and obtain a bachelor’s degree in Theology and Ministry at ALC (Australian Lutheran College). The debate of women’s ordination has been brought up 4 times at multiple Synods and has been voted against every single time. The majority of Synod, however, has voted in favour of the decision each year but did not meet the two thirds or 66% quota needed for change. The church is supposed to be a place of inclusiveness and an environment where we all can meet together freely to worship God together. It’s a place where “Love comes to life”. But how can it be all these things when these same morals are not reflected in the way that we spread and preach the gospel?
In 1893, New Zealand became the first country to allow women to vote. In 1902, Australia became the first country in the world to allow women both the right to vote and also stand as representatives for Commonwealth Parliament. It is great that our country is seen as a leader of women’s rights, but in the LCANZ, that is not the case. Nearly every country in the world that is home to a Lutheran church has at least one congregation that ordains women as pastors. In Australia and New Zealand, not one congregation ordains women! Somehow, we were smart enough over 115 years ago to allow women to vote and to lead the world in that change, but when it comes to the church, we are still stuck in the past! According to a LWF (Lutheran World Federation) survey sent to Lutheran churches all over the world questioning why they ordain women, one of the responders replied with this comment: “Women and men have the same rights to positions within the church; formally speaking, there is gender equality within the church; the church follows the state equality law; it is inclusive and respects gender equality; there is no difference between women and men. Ordination enables women to hold any position in the church.”
Christianity’s history is full of women preachers, disciples, martyrs and prophets. The fact is that Paul, formerly known as Saul and an ex-persecutor of Christians, worked with many women believers to start up the first Christian churches throughout the Roman Empire. The good news of the resurrection story was also first spread by women! Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of Jesus and another woman also called Mary where the ones who discovered the tomb empty. If those women had not gone to the tomb in the first place and run back to where the remaining 11 disciples were – they were hiding in a locked room fearing persecution – it would have taken a lot longer for anyone to realise that Jesus had risen. Jesus has allowed women as well as men to spread the gospel among the nations. If that is so clearly stated in the actions and messages of the Bible, then why is the LCANZ unwilling to ordain women? Genesis 1:26-28 says ‘And God said, “Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness …’ So God created man in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.’ God made both male and female in his image so that we both can spread the gospel and the good news of Jesus Christ. The whole bible is full of this same message and only two verses (1 Timothy 2:11-15 and 1 Corinthians 14: 33-37) have been taken out of context and used against the ordination of women. The LCANZ put together a theological committee to study these two verses and they came to the conclusion that as “[the verses] do not specifically address the issue of ordination, they cannot be used to support the exclusion of women from the pastoral office.” When reading these verses, it is clear that they are specific to the time, place and cultures of when they were written and so do not apply to the modern day and definitely do not prohibit women from becoming ordained.
I can remember attending a family friend’s baptism a few years ago in Melbourne. They were having the baptism at a local Anglican church and the pastor who was baptising little Hugo was a lady! As soon as I saw her standing up the front in her special robes, arms outstretched and her beaming face, I felt instantly at home. I admired her and still admire her so much today. When we had finished the service, I asked mum and dad why the church that we went to didn’t have a lady pastor and dad began the task of trying to explain to me the confusing regulations of the LCANZ. Mum asked me what I liked about the service run by the lady pastor and I said that she always had a smile on her face. Which was true. That was the first thing that I noticed. The full smile that was to be shared with everyone, just like the love of God and the good news of the Gospel. Women have so much to bring and offer to the role of a pastor in a church. Just think about this. The churches within the LCANZ have been led by men for the whole time it has been an organisation. If women were ordained and accepted as pastors, the church would have a complete perspective on how the gospel is preached by anyone, to everyone. Isn’t the church a place where all people are supposed to meet together freely and let their voices be heard? Where every single opinion is valid and respected?
Should the LCANZ allow the ordination of women as pastors? Absolutely. 100%. Does the Bible allow women to preach and be ordained? You bet it does. Do other Lutheran churches around the world allow this? Yes, they do and they have no problems with it. In fact, their churches are flourishing because they are listening to everyone, presenting different perspectives, which therefore allows for everyone’s voices to be heard. Isn’t that the main mission of the church? To provide a place of inclusiveness where the good news of Jesus Christ is spread; a place where “Love comes to life”? Then what are we doing?
(A modified version of this submission was written as a Year 9 persuasive English essay)
