Female Ushers

[PreachersWife2004]

We've been talking about females in the role of pastors, but what about female ushers?

I'm a little mixed on it, but I don't see anything wrong with it provided everyone has a basic understanding of the role of man and woman and that whole pesky little thing about authority. I'd probably get a little upset if a female usher had to exercise authority and tell someone to sit back down because they couldn't come to the communion table (closed communion and all that aside).

We have a female usher at our church - it was a bit unsettling as it's the first time I have seen it in practice other than women's retreats and I guess it was her second Sunday ushering and that some people referred to her as the head usher, which made no sense whatsoever.

What do you guys think?

 

[Cris413]

I don't think there is anything Scripturally opposing femal ushers...not that I'm aware of anyway.

I'm not sure how the position of usher works in service at other churches...but in our church...it's not only about leading people to their seats and such...but also keeping order in the sanctuary and making sure the church grounds as a whole are safe and peaceful.

For example...keeping people from coming in off the street with the sole purpose of being disruptive and such...or if someone inside the church becomes disruptive...it's the usher's responsibility to to handle it in a calm and respectful manner as quickly as possible.

I'm not saying women aren't capable...just that a man might be better equipped in certain situations.

Praise God...those situations are few and far between...but they do happen.

 

[green wolverine]

My church [Christian Reformed] has women deacons who help take up the offerings and that doesn't bother me.

I would have a problem with a woman elder or pastor.

 

[MrJim]

Ours is such a tiny group I've never seen need of an usher having to call someone down--I usually sit in the back; if something got outta hand I would be right there in a second-guess I'm one of the biggest guys in our congregation...our ushers collect the offering, there are chicks that do it sometimes, usually one of the regular usher's daughter or something like that. Where I go is a bit liberal; they have some women elder/deacons (American Baptist) and they also serve the communion.

I help in the nursery~what about guys doin' that?

 

[NorrinRadd]

I obviously have no problem with it.

 

[Cris413]

Ours is such a tiny group I've never seen need of an usher having to call someone down--I usually sit in the back; if something got outta hand I would be right there in a second-guess I'm one of the biggest guys in our congregation...our ushers collect the offering, there are chicks that do it sometimes, usually one of the regular usher's daughter or something like that. Where I go is a bit liberal; they have some women elder/deacons (American Baptist) and they also serve the communion.

I help in the nursery~what about guys doin' that?

I think it's GREAT you help in the nursery.... We have a couple men who serve in the Children's Ministry. Mostly they teach the older kids...but they are certainly willing to step up with the young ones as well....

 

[dies-l]

I help in the nursery~what about guys doin' that?

We need more men in children's ministry, especially with the rise in the number of children without healthy male role models at home. I am in youth ministry, but I have been thinking lately about helping out in our children's ministry as well.

 

[CyberPaladin]

I have no problem with women being ushers I used to be an usher and so when I think of an there is only one responsibilty the have collecting the offering. The Churches I have been at communion has always been handled the pastor/ elders not the ushers.
As far as secuirity goes maybe churches I have gone but we haven't needed security and I would probably endup doing something someone anyways since I sight way in back and on the certain aisle.

 

[MrJim]

I have no problem with women being ushers I used to be an usher and so when I think of an there is only one responsibilty the have collecting the offering. The Churches I have been at communion has always been handled the pastor/ elders not the ushers.
As far as secuirity goes maybe churches I have gone but we haven't needed security and I would probably endup doing something someone anyways since I sight way in back and on the certain aisle.

Guys like us are always on lookout for trouble

 

[Zecryphon]

We've been talking about females in the role of pastors, but what about female ushers?

I'm a little mixed on it, but I don't see anything wrong with it provided everyone has a basic understanding of the role of man and woman and that whole pesky little thing about authority. I'd probably get a little upset if a female usher had to exercise authority and tell someone to sit back down because they couldn't come to the communion table (closed communion and all that aside).

We have a female usher at our church - it was a bit unsettling as it's the first time I have seen it in practice other than women's retreats and I guess it was her second Sunday ushering and that some people referred to her as the head usher, which made no sense whatsoever.

What do you guys think?

I'm surprised to hear of that in a confessional Lutheran church, particularly a WELS church. Doesn't an usher have some authority over you in a sense as they are leading you to your seat and telling you when to stand and get in line for Communion or telling you that you can't partake because you're not Lutheran or the right kind of Lutheran for that particular church? I'm looking at this from a Lutheran perspective because we have the Book of Concord as well as the Bible. I agree with Cris that I don't see it prohibited in scripture as I don't see the role of usher described anywhere in scripture. So this is kind of a grey area I would imagine. I guess it's up to each church to decide for themselves whether or not they put females in that role. Female greeters I've seen, but not ushers.

 

[PreachersWife2004]

Yeah, Zec, it does seem a little surprising. It's the first time I've seen it done outside of the women's retreats. Matt talked with the council and elders and it's something they've done for awhile with the understanding that the female usher is not determining who is communing (the only real authority an usher has). There are several men on the board of ushers who would act as "bouncers" if needed.

When an usher is ushering you to your seat (most churches only have to do that on special holidays when the church is full, though) or telling your pew when to go up for communion, that is simply maintaining order and not having any authority over anyone.

Really, it's true that each church kinda has to judge for themselves. At my home church, where I grew up, having a female usher would certainly raise some eyebrows so they just don't do it. They use them as greeters instead. Which is basically the same thing.

I'm surprised to hear of that in a confessional Lutheran church, particularly a WELS church. Doesn't an usher have some authority over you in a sense as they are leading you to your seat and telling you when to stand and get in line for Communion or telling you that you can't partake because you're not Lutheran or the right kind of Lutheran for that particular church? I'm looking at this from a Lutheran perspective because we have the Book of Concord as well as the Bible. I agree with Cris that I don't see it prohibited in scripture as I don't see the role of usher described anywhere in scripture. So this is kind of a grey area I would imagine. I guess it's up to each church to decide for themselves whether or not they put females in that role. Female greeters I've seen, but not ushers.

 

[MrJim]

If I'm reading this correctly ushers determine who is allowed communion?

 

[Zecryphon]

If I'm reading this correctly ushers determine who is allowed communion?

Well my new church is so small, maybe a hundred people there, that I don't think we even have ushers. It seems the elders handle the responsibilities of the usher as well. Who can partake of Communion is decided by the pastor, but if you can't talk to the pastor before the service, I would think the elders would step in, not the ushers.

 

[PreachersWife2004]

If I'm reading this correctly ushers determine who is allowed communion?

Well my new church is so small, maybe a hundred people there, that I don't think we even have ushers. It seems the elders handle the responsibilities of the usher as well. Who can partake of Communion is decided by the pastor, but if you can't talk to the pastor before the service, I would think the elders would step in, not the ushers.

It has been known to happen occasionally that an usher would have someone try to approach the table and the usher knows that the person is not a member of the church, nor of the WELS. In that case, it is an usher's duty to inform that person that they cannot approach the table and then they are to direct the person to speak to the pastor after the service.

It is a rare thing, but it does stop any uncomfortable moments AT the table. My husband has actually skipped over people because they did not speak to him beforehand and he wasn't sure where they were members. Afterwards, if it's cleared up that they were guests from another WELS church, he gladly communes them. And he's very discreet about it, but having the ushers handle this ahead of time is much more preferred.

And, in most WELS churches, ushers are generally men who have been confirmed and are communicant members. Head ushers, if a church has them, are generally elders and they are usually the one who would handle a matter such as I described above.

 

[MrJim]

It's a closed communion then? Sort of like Catholic, Orthodox, & plain mennonite?

 

[JimfromOhio]

Female ushers are acceptable because it is not related to authority or teaching over men.

 

[PreachersWife2004]

It's a closed communion then? Sort of like Catholic, Orthodox, & plain mennonite?

Yes, WELS (and generally those in fellowship with us) practice closed communion.

 

[edie19]

doesn't come up for me - we don't have ushers

when I attended a church that did have ushers they really had no control over where folks sat - we still sat where we wanted, the usher just accompanied us

 

[Secundulus]

In today's Churches I cannot see how this would be a problem

In the early Churches though the ushers also acted as the door guards to prevent any intrusion by non-Christians during communion. There, for obvious reasons, male ushers were appropriate.

 

[Sketcher]

When I think of exercising authority over men, I'm thinking of stuff like hiring and firing staff, excommunicating people, that sort of thing. It's not the role of ushers.

However, for the purposes of keeping troublemakers out, like the homosexuals who caused trouble recently in Michigan, and the pastor who was shot by a crazy while preaching, you're probably going to want males in reasonably good shape who are both cool headed and alert.