The Color Red

Last week we attended the Annual Conference of the Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church in Lakeland, FL. I wrote a little bit about the conference in last week's weekly email as we were there experiencing the fellowship, worship and encouragement found in many wonderful speakers and reports. It was a wonderful week that left us exhausted yet filled with hope and a renewed energy for ministry!

One of the celebrations we took part in was our annual Clergywomen's Lunch (well, it used to be a breakfast, but this year we switched to lunch). My covenant group has been organizing and hosting this celebration for the last five years - and the last two years Ralphie and Nick have been providing the decorations and table activities. I am so grateful to them and to Liz for all their help! This was our last year as hosts and we are excited to turn it over to another covenant group next year!

This year's theme for our lunch was Elevate-Her: Celebrating 70 years of Women's Ordination. Ralphie and Nick created little elevators for each table and we were invited to make a Lego person that looked like us and take turns "elevating" one another on the table elevators (which actually rose like elevators) - symbols of our Biblical call to encourage one another. 

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. (1 Thessalonians 5:11)

Our speaker was Rev. Stephanie York Arnold, General Secretary of the General Commission on the Status and Role of Women (GCOSROW). Rev. York Arnold looked back over the last 70 years in the United Methodist Church and reminded us of the women who have come before us to pave the way for us, the current clergywomen in the UMC and those who will come after us. However she also pointed out that we still have much work to do to achieve complete equality with our male counterparts and to eradicate the unequal and even harassing treatment many clergywomen still encounter in the church today. Everything from snide remarks about our appearance and the fact that our salary rates are significantly lower than our male counterparts to outright sexual harassment and assault. YES! These things are real and they do happen in the church.

Today, another denomination, the Southern Baptist Convention, voted in favor of a proposed constitutional amendment that solidifies the denomination's ban on women serving as pastors, overseers and elders. This same amendment failed last year. This is an indication of the terrifying movement of our society to limit the role of women in both the secular world as well as the church. I am very confident Jesus is weeping today. Any Christ follower who cannot see in the Gospel message, that Jesus encouraged women in ministry and full inclusion in all of the missions and movements of the church, at a level equal with men, is either blind or simply refuses to accept the New Testament truth of embracing the gifts and callings of all people as Jesus exemplified. I am thankful for the Christ-centered theology of the United Methodist Church and other denominations with similar doctrine.

In the pictures of our Clergywomen's Lunch you will notice a lot of red! You will also see the picture above of one of my feet in a red shoe. In the United Methodist Church, wearing red shoes is a tradition that honors the boldness, courage, and legacy of women in ministry. Clergywomen wear them beneath traditional black robes to celebrate milestones, such as the anniversary of full clergy rights for women or ordination. The tradition is sometimes linked to a story of a woman named Abigail Harkness, who was shunned and cast out of the Quaker Church for wearing a "worldly" red coat to church. She refused to apologize, and moved to the Methodist tradition. Our red shoes, just like Abigail's coat, represent courageous, non-conformist faith. 

You will also see below, a picture of all the clergywomen from the Annual Conference in attendance at the Clergywomen's Lunch this year. I am so grateful to be a part of a church that honors the gifts of all who are called to ministry! Let us pray for the full inclusion of all those called to ministry and mission to spread throughout the Kingdom of God!

Grace and Peace

-Pastor Madeline

P.S. Here in the Florida Conference, the Bishop's Cabinet is made up of six district superintendents, the assistant to the Bishop and a few other key leaders. I am so encouraged to report to you that five out of the six current district superintendents are women (both African American and Caucasian) and the one male DS is a person of color! 

 There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. (Galatians 3:28)