Ordained women in Province VIII gather for first time
Episcopal News Service. October 8, 2009 [100809-03]
Hailey McKeefry Delmas, Episcopal Church Chaplain at Stanford Hospital and Clinics
Close to 100 women ordained in the Episcopal Church and serving in Province VIII gathered recently to rejoice in the work of women in the church during the province's first-ever Imagine Conference.
"Sisters, always remember, the power behind you is greater than the task ahead of you," retired Diocese of Massachusetts Bishop Suffragan Barbara Harris told the gathering, attributing her word to a charge given by the preacher at her consecration as the first woman bishop in the worldwide Anglican Communion.
The gathering, which was held from Sept. 28-Oct. 1 at the Mercy Center in Burlingame, California, was inspired by the first Imagine gathering, which occurred in Kanuga Conference Center in North Carolina in 2006, said the Rev. Julie Wakelee-Lynch, a priest in the Diocese of California (http://diocal.org) and an organizer of the conference.
"The conference for me was about women of the three orders coming together, and not always knowing, and certainly not caring, who was in what order," said the Rev. Nancy Crawford, deacon at St. Mary's Episcopal Church in Eugene, Oregon. "Prior to this conference, I could not have imagined that I would ever be on a first name basis with one of the most respected and revered women of our church, the Rt. Rev. Barbara Harris."
The conference attracted participants that included members of all three ordained orders of ministry (including 4 bishops, 67 priests and 19 deacons) from 13 dioceses and six states. The participants represented a mix of orientations, cultures and races, with ministry spanning as little as months and as long as decades. The conference drew women working in urban, suburban and rural settings; and serving in churches, school, hospitals, private practices, non-profit organizations, and elsewhere.
As attendees gathered, a huge timeline collage began to develop as those who wished to added photos, bulletins from worship services, letters, buttons, bumper stickers, T-shirts, article clippings and other memorabilia (as well as hand-written dates and accomplishments) to the visual reminder of the breadth of female-led ministry.
The gathering included communal worship, shared meals and a variety of opportunities to listen, share and celebrate the diverse ministry experiences of the participants.
"Women gathering to share their true selves in a group without men helps to provide a place of safety for a greater sense of honesty," said the Rev. Mary Blessing, vicar at St. Philip the Apostle Episcopal Church in Scotts Valley, California. "It also gives us a chance to support one another as 'sisters' -- recognizing we each have a unique relationship to Christ and our ministry to the Body of Christ -- yet also feeling an abiding commonality from the feminine perspective."
Conference participants said they were taking home nuggets of wisdom. "Two quotations that will stick in my mind are 'Are we enabling an institution or participating in a movement' and 'We need to be effective, not efficient,'" said the Rev. Kathy Crary, interim priest at St. James' Episcopal Church in Fremont, California.
As an opening conversation, using a model for community dialog and visioning called the World Café, participants gathered in small groups and shared the joy, the challenge and the hope for their ministry.
"That was the most meaningful part for me: listening to the women who went before me, their incredible life stories, and the generosity of how they were willing to share their wisdom," said the Rev. Melanie Donahoe, rector of Church of the Epiphany (http://www.churchoftheepiphany.org) in San Carlos, California.
During the first full conference day, three women, each a veteran in her respective order, were invited to reflect on these same questions. The panel consisted of Harris (bishop), the Rev. Carmen Guerrero (priest), and the Rev. Phina Borgeson (deacon).
The Rev. Paula Nesbitt presented research on Episcopal Church clergy women gathered by the Church Pension Fund, including that published here.
"I learned that for our women priests the stained glass ceiling is cracked, but not broken," said Crawford. "The women present were smart, spiritual, and had a multitude of gifts to give to Episcopal churches throughout the country. It is a shame that they continue to be considered for associate positions or missions, but passed over for the parishes that would give them equality in pay and advancement opportunities with the male counterparts."
Two Eucharist services, which included sermons by Harris and Diocese of El Camino Real Bishop Mary Gray-Reeves, gave voice to the general feeling that women have unique and important perspectives.
"The defining moment for me was being in the chapel, full of women's voices singing, and then one woman, a bishop, who made the extra effort of inclusion by giving the invitation bilingually, and went on to challenge us in powerful ways," said the Rev. Stina Pope, a priest and personal coach in the Diocese of California.
Participants crafted the final day of the conference themselves using the Open Space Technology format in which individuals identify and lead small group conversations on topics that interest them. Offerings ranged from healing to knitting and everything in between and proved a fruitful forum for sharing.
"Women [clergy] need to come together alone to remember our mother tongues, to walk away from the dominant paradigm for a while, to remind each other that we have the power and abilities we need to live in both [the male and female] worlds almost simultaneously," said the Rev. Sue Thompson, vicar of St. Edmund's Episcopal Church in Pacifica, California.