Women in ministry: first contact

In my post on Julia Baird's article on Piper I mention the problem that the Sydney Anglican diocese has with women ministering as rector.

My interest in women's ministry was piqued in the mid 80s when a friend at the time, Delta, I'll call her, expressed to me her frustration at being discouraged in her ministry calling by the men who were administering the Baptist church she was part of in south-west Sydney.

I felt for her then, but was puzzled why she would face such a barrier, as in the Churches of Christ in which my family had been long involved, there didn't seem to be a problem. There were women in respected ministry positions, including teaching at the Woolwich Bible College. None as the paid pastor, tho, as far as I knew then.

Later on I became involved with Men Women and God, convened, from memory, by Gerald and Rosemary Christmas. They hosted a memorable speaking tour by David Scholer, a great advocate for the complete ministry equality of males and females. I obtained a copy of his lecture notes from Fuller, where he taught.

In a previous post I mentioned my efforts in the debate on this matter in the Presbyterian church, in which I started my Christian life and so felt something for it; I don't think they came to much, although John Bracht, the minister, was encouraging. He later left for the Baptists over the Presbyterian intransigence on the matter.