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BY LINDA WORTHINGTON
UMCONNECTION STAFF

Some 20 clergywomen sang in a special choir, celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Commission on the Status and Role of Women (COSROW) March 10. They raised their voices in the song "Nothing for the Journey" written by one of their own, the Rev. Kay Albury, a Guide in the conference.

"It took too long to recognize men and women as equal," said Bishop John Schol in his opening remarks. He gave the group a history lesson on "first" women from the 1700s to the present day and pointed out that after July, 60 percent of the Baltimore-Washington Conference Cabinet will be women. (To read Schol's speech, click here.)

Bishop Peggy Johnson was the event's plenary speaker. In her remarks, she shared about her faith journey from growing up in Lansdowne UMC, being ordained in 1981, when she was eight months pregnant, being one of three women graduates among 200 men from Asbury Theological Seminary, becoming the pastor most associated with the Church of the Deaf, to her election as bishop in 2008.

With a series of pictures, Johnson illustrated many treasured memories, including meeting many "firsts" such as Emma Burrell, the first woman ordained in the conference, in 1979; and the Rev. Marjorie Matthews, who was the first United Methodist female bishop. She also lifted up Bishop Susan Morrison; Bishop Leontine Kelly, the first black female bishop, and the first European bishop, Rosemarie Wenner.

Johnson closed her remarks to the attentive audience with "advice for the journey." She advised:

Attend to the spiritual disciplines of our faith.
Take time to nurture friendships.
Speak truth in love.
Laugh every day.
Encourage younger sisters.
Listen to your memories – they usually have something to tell you.
Put family ahead of church.
Bring the gift of being a woman in ministry to the body.

"And finally," she said."Eat chocolate."

The theme of the COSROW conference was "We've Come a Long Way Baby, but…." The more than 80 participants were given the choice of two of five 45-minute workshops. Many chose to learn about the legislation affecting GCSRW that will be before the General Conference meeting in Tampa April 24-May 4.

The Rev. Terri Rae Chattin, who heads the BWC delegation, gave a brief overview of how General Conference operates and covered three major issues – the proposal to restructure, which would put the General Commission on the Status and Role of Women with eight others into a single body; the proposal to have a "set aside" bishop who would not have an episcopal area while in the position and would be the ecumenical representative for the denomination; and doing away with guaranteed appointments for clergy. She pointed out that historically these guaranteed appointments were intended to ensure clergywomen and black clergy were treated fairly.

In a concurrent session, the Rev. Sally Dolch from the Peninsula-Delaware Conference and a well-known spokesperson on sexual ethics, led the workshop, "Do No Harm: GCSRW and COSROW Responding to Sexual Ethics."

"Ministry is a sacred trust," Dolch said, for both clergy and laity in ministerial roles. Sexual misconduct is a violation of that sacred trust and is against church law.

"The Book of Discipline has 17 paragraphs related to sexual behavior," Dolch said, "and the term ‘sexual' is used 33 times."

According to Dolch, many church people sweep issues of sexual misconduct aside or deliberately ignore them. However, GCSRW found that half of United Methodist clergy (male and female) have witnessed or experienced sexual harassment at church. Thirty percent of laywomen report having been sexually harassed at church. Those who experience sexual misconduct or harassment say it negatively affects their view of the church and their Christian faith.

At the BWC annual conference session in May, members will be voting on a resolution rewriting the conference sexual ethics policy.

Other workshops were on "Domestic Violence," led by Sumayya Coleman; "Young Women in Church Leadership" led by the Rev. Cynthia Moore; and "Men Supporting Women," led by the Rev. David Roberts.