Question about female pastors

robert skynner

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Is the calling process any different for them? I've thought from time to time about becoming a pastor, but I'm not able to leave the DC metro area due to my husband's career. I was wondering how problems like that are dealt with.


There is no such thing as a calling, every christian (male of female) apparently has some function within the body of Christ. However, the so-called calling is to "ministry" i.e. to a part of the clergy class and that is not biblical, the idea of two classes of Christian the one (laity) financially supporting the other (clergy) that comes from Roman Catholicism not the bIble.
 
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MyChainsAreBroken

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I meant being assigned as pastor to a congregation. Like after graduating seminary, would I be given preference for positions near my husband's place of work? He works for the government and would not be able to change careers or easily get transferred somewhere else.
 
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TheNorwegian

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This will depend on which denomination you wish to be a pastor. Some churches do not allow female pastors, so there it is of course a difference between male and female. However, among the churches that do have female pastors, I have never heard of separate processes for males and females.
 
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Tigger45

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This will depend on which denomination you wish to be a pastor. Some churches do not allow female pastors, so there it is of course a difference between male and female. However, among the churches that do have female pastors, I have never heard of separate processes for males and females.
Point of order. This is an ELCA/ELCIC sub-forum and these points are established within the context of this sub-forum.
 
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robert skynner

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I meant being assigned as pastor to a congregation. Like after graduating seminary, would I be given preference for positions near my husband's place of work? He works for the government and would not be able to change careers or easily get transferred somewhere else.


Leadership in the Bible was male, plural (i.e. no one man bands) and unpaid (only travelling missionaries or apostles preaching to the lost received financial assistance). A single person being assigned as a one-man-band (or one woman) leader over a church, comes from Catholicism, and the reformers did not undo this error, as they did others.
 
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Arcangl86

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Is the calling process any different for them? I've thought from time to time about becoming a pastor, but I'm not able to leave the DC metro area due to my husband's career. I was wondering how problems like that are dealt with.
In theory canidacy and assignment are the same for women. In reality Women often have to deal with things that men don't have to. And as for your being married, that could cause issues with both internship and assignment. Between your 2nd and 3rd year of seminary you are required to do a full time year long internship. You have an option to restrict to certain geographic locations, but you have to be willing to not take a stipend that whole time if you do. As for assignment, for first call you are normally placed in a process similar to the NFL draft. You can put your preferences and you can even restrict to one synod, but if you do the chances of getting a call are much much less. This is especially true for women sadly. The ELCA is still dealing with serious issues of sexism, most apparent in the clergy. While my faith icon says Anglican, I was in the ELCA candidacy process and went to an ELCA seminary, so I'm very very familiar with the process. Feel free to ask any more questions you have here or in a private message.
 
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mark46

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In theory canidacy and assignment are the same for women. In reality Women often have to deal with things that men don't have to. And as for your being married, that could cause issues with both internship and assignment. Between your 2nd and 3rd year of seminary you are required to do a full time year long internship. You have an option to restrict to certain geographic locations, but you have to be willing to not take a stipend that whole time if you do. As for assignment, for first call you are normally placed in a process similar to the NFL draft. You can put your preferences and you can even restrict to one synod, but if you do the chances of getting a call are much much less. This is especially true for women sadly. The ELCA is still dealing with serious issues of sexism, most apparent in the clergy. While my faith icon says Anglican, I was in the ELCA candidacy process and went to an ELCA seminary, so I'm very very familiar with the process. Feel free to ask any more questions you have here or in a private message.
 
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Arcangl86

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Are you suggesting that a man would not be looked down upon if he insisted on being assigned to a particular area?
No I'm not. Anybody who restricts is going to have serious trouble finding a call. I thought I was clear about that. That being said, women have much more difficulty being called even if they "trust the system" and follow the proper procedures with the draft and all. A lot of times congregations will not even be willing to consider women as pastor or deacon.
 
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mark46

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No I'm not. Anybody who restricts is going to have serious trouble finding a call. I thought I was clear about that. That being said, women have much more difficulty being called even if they "trust the system" and follow the proper procedures with the draft and all. A lot of times congregations will not even be willing to consider women as pastor or deacon.
I apologize for any misunderstanding. I agree that there are congregations who would prefer not to have female clergy.
 
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Arcangl86

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I apologize for any misunderstanding. I agree that there are congregations who would prefer not to have female clergy.
There is one congregation I know of that doesn't admit they will not call women, but have like 12 pastors, all male.
 
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FireDragon76

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All mainline denominations have problems retaining clergy right now, because the system they have in installing ordained ministers is awkward for many peoples lives.

IMO, mainline churches would be much better off going smaller and having more pastors, so they can be more flexible. They could also have multiple pastors in a congregation and that would better serve peoples needs.
 
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