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Consultation celebrates 50 years of clergywomen

BY LAUREN LAY
SPECIAL TO THE UMCONNECTION

On Aug. 13, between 75 and 100 clergywomen from the Baltimore-Conference, including myself, traveled to Chicago for the 2006 International United Methodist Clergywomen?s Consultation.

The centerpiece of the consultation, put together by the General Board of Higher Education and the Rev. HiRho Park of the Baltimore-Washington Conference, was the national celebration of the 50th anniversary of the granting of full clergy rights for women.

We gathered with clergywomen from around the world to live out and explore the theme 'Celebrating our Courageous Past, Claiming our Bold Future.' Even before the consultation got underway, the excitement was palpable.

Colleagues greeted one another enthusiastically at the BWI airport. As we arrived at the Hyatt Regency McCormick Place, some of us couldn?t help humming the tune, 'The Women Must Be Gathering,' a sort of theme song of many of the first clergywomen of the Baltimore Conference.

More than 1,500 clergywomen made for a rowdy group of joyful noisemakers. Worship was intense and beautiful and eclectic. Five bright banners proclaimed, in image and word, the anointing of God?s Spirit upon us. Contemporary and ancient music (some with lyrics particular to this gathering), drumming, liturgical dance (some presented by our Baltimore-Washington Conference sisters), pageantry and powerful preaching brought forth tears, laughter and hearty shouts of 'Amen!'

At the five-day consultation we heard sermons from bishops, participated in several of the more than 42 workshops, and celebrated at a banquet the anniversary of full clergy rights for women.

Some clergywomen also signed a declaration encouraging the ending of the war in Iraq, bringing the troops home by Sept. 21 and establishing a concrete peace plan.

During the consultation, participants were urged to sign a 'bloody knuckle petition' from supporters of full inclusion of gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender people in the church. The petition came in response to a sermon by retired Bishop Judith Craig who spoke of the continued knocking of groups of people who want to enter the church.

Several things became clear to me, and many of my fellow clergywomen, at this consultation.

First and foremost, we owe a debt of gratitude to those who came before us. We stand on the shoulders of women who were true to God?s calling on their lives. Their persistent knocking on the doors of the church reshaped the church, which is still in need of reshaping.

Secondly, passion for the ministry can only be lived out if we make room for passion in other areas of our lives. The powerful witness of the women bishops as they spoke of their 'hobbies' was notice to all those who claim they don?t have time for frivolous ventures.

Just as Bishop John R. Schol, at our annual conference, introduced the concept of 'dawdling' as a valid way to renew ourselves, the women bishops shared their unique ways of spending quality time away from the stressors of the ministry.

Reading for pleasure (sermon preparation tools and professional journals don?t count), gardening, running, photography, conversation, grandchildren, sailing, knitting and racquetball were shared as examples of ways to let your hair down.

Thirdly, it?s all about relationships. Who we are as children of God is played out in how we interact with one another. We are not meant to do this thing called ministry alone. Each colleague has a story that can inform our ministry. We pray that the relationships we establish have positive and enduring impact for the Kingdom of God.

And finally, the Baltimore-Washington Conference boasts a beautiful array of clergywomen. The clergywomen of this conference made a bold statement in purple as we moved through the consultation. One participant told an airport waitress that we were members of a synchronized swim team when she was questioned about the matching polo shirts. We possess the shared history of a courageous past and the hoped-for vision of a bold future.

When a high-energy gathering comes to a close and the participants scatter, it is easy to lose sight of the learnings gleaned there. I pray that the enthusiasm found at the 2006 Clergywomen?s Consultation that brought forth thunderous applause and tears of joy may be exhibited in all of our churches as we move with intention into our future. This is the call to ministry that God has laid upon our hearts. The excitement should be palpable.

The Rev. Lauren Heather Lay is pastor of Idlewylde UMC in Baltimore.