Female Preachers: Right or Wrong???
My church of 12 years (in DC) just installed its first female rector in it's 175-year history. Rev. Glenna Huber is also Church of the Epiphany's first Afro-American "rector" -- as we call the head pastor in the Episcopal(ian) Church. Rev. Randolph Charles retired in May 2015 after 21 years on the job. The Episcopalian Church -- which, by definition, revolves around the bishops -- goes through what is intended to be an 18-month long process for choosing a new rector. In our case, it took over two years. Epiphany -- named for the three wise guys who went to see baby Jesus -- has a stated mission of serving the downtown poor of our nation's capital; and, that has been the reason that some "Christians" [sic], over the years, have decided not to become members after visiting. It may also factor into why it took so long to find a new rector. I'm baffled by how those who worship a homeless carpenter hate the homeless. (Maybe it's because not all homeless people are carpenters. Who knows???)
Who wants to lead a church that opens its doors at 6:30 AM every Sunday morning, has events that include Bible study and NA/AA meetings beginning at 7 AM, has a worship service (liturgy/ Eucharist) which is attended primarily by homeless people beginning at 8:00 AM and feeds the homeless from 8:45 until 9:30 or so???
ANSWER: Rev. Glenna Huber.
Rev. Glenna, who comes from Tulsa by way of Atlanta, became Epiphany's rector in August 2017 and we held her installation service on Saturday, December 9th. Of course, Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde was there to welcome and install Rev. Glenna. It was the first such service that I've ever attended.
Rev. Glenna is an interesting and down-to-Earth person. She can be firm, as I've seen her demonstrate during a meeting about the unacceptable behaviors of some of the people who attend the early service. I like how that, when I treated her to lunch at Potbelly's a few months ago, she told me, "Eric, I know that some people aren't going to like what I do in my first few months; but, that's okay..." During the reception that followed her installation service, a retired bishop who knows her from her days at a church in Baltimore (where she currently resides) leaned toward me and whispered, "She's my favorite little smart a**". (Yes, that's exactly what he said. I can appreciate his point -- and the high amount of "anal intellect" he refers to.)
On Friday, December 8th I attended a meeting of homeless advocates which took place on the second floor of Epiphany. After the meeting ended, I engaged in small talk with a couple of men, during which time I asked them if they were going to attend Rev. Glenna's installation service the next day. The conversation took an interesting turn. Both men told me that they refused to attend a church where women preach. They told me what I already knew about scriptures that assign gender roles and forbid women to preach. I grew up in the church, attended Christian school from the middle of eighth grade through high school (graduating in 1987) and can name all 66 books of the Bible in rapid succession. I continue to impress people with my knowledge of Scripture. So, I can type 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 by heart:
As the conversation continued, I made a point that I'm not sure that I explained well enough and which may have gotten lost in the sauce, given the high level of energy and the considerable degree to which we talked over each other (boisterously, not angrily). I sought to explain that I'm willing to give a woman a chance to show that she can lead with an emphasis on rationale (reasoning) and conceptual thought (compartmentalization) -- not with an over-emphasis on emotion.
It's worth noting that I see a high degree of ignorance and all-out stupidity in the portion of the worldwide church that I've been privy to. Many churchgoers still haven't figured out that Jesus is the Son of God who sits at God's right hand -- not the same entity. They can't seem to wrap their heads around the weakness of translation that led to Jesus saying, "I and my Father are one" rather than saying "I and my Father work in unity (tandem) with each other". Jesus also said that God the Father knows when Jesus will return, while Jesus himself doesn't know. The Spirit (of God) led Jesus into the wilderness to tempted of the Devil who, according to the book of Job, obeys (works for) God. God wouldn't tempt or test Himself. Furthermore, Jesus prayed to God and I don't believe God talks to Himself -- especially when saying, "My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken me???!!!" Can one forsake themselves??? If so, would they need to ask themselves "Why???" ??? I could fill a book with the stupid things that many churchgoers believe and the easy-to-understand things that they haven't nailed down after decades of attending church.
The area of Scripture that I find most important for people to wrap their heads around is that which speaks to God's harshness -- past and future, Genesis to Revelation. In Bible study I tend to grab any verse in that week's lectionary that lends itself to discussion of God's judgment. Then I run with it. Though a few attendees have seemed to be uncomfortable with these mentions of God's judgment, I'm noticing that some of the newer church members are amenable to this topic -- not all of them attending Bible study though. One week I read a scripture from Jeremiah where God said that He would cause the Israelites to eat their own children. A regular attendee asked me several times, "Did God tell them BEFOREHAND that He would make them eat their own children???" Each time I told her "Yes". On another occasion, two women who were visiting from a different church sat down to breakfast with me. As I segwayed into discussion of God's harshness, one of the women said that she'd recently read a troubling scripture where God ordered the killing of children. The other woman looked puzzled and said, "What are you talking about???!!!" I said that it must be a verse from Deuteronomy chapter 20 where God said, "...In the cities that are near unto you, you shall kill EVERY man, woman, child and beast". She said, "Yes, that's it".
A woman who followed Glenna to Epiphany from another church agreed with me that "to fear God" doesn't just mean "to respect or reverence Him", but that it also means "to be afraid to offend Him (lest one end up in Hell)". One of the interim rectors sat down to breakfast with me one day (having done so several times). On this particular occasion I noted that, during my then 10 years at Epiphany, that we always skipped any part of the common lectionary that refers to God's judgment and I asked her if talking about the book of Revelation was not part of the Episcopal ethos. She said, "No, it isn't". I find that to be both disappointing and irrational, though Epiphany is my church home for the foreseeable future -- with me having 12 years in already. (Some clergy try to soften the blow when talking about God's judgment by saying that "judgment" refers to a lot more than putting people in Hell and then into the Lake of Fire. I'll leave that one alone for now.) All in all, this important area of scripture -- God's judgment -- might begin to get more mention in coming months. Hooray!!!
A few months ago (maybe in June) I visited Mount Calvary Baptist Church, having done so at least once prior. A woman preached that day. She read from Revelation chapters 6 through 8. I was impressed by how willing she was to speak about God's future harshness. She increased my hope that female preachers can rise above emotion and have the hard conversations about the less attractive scriptures. She didn't strike me as a firebrand. She didn't preach the most intense Hell fire and brimstone sermon. But all of that show isn't necessary for me. She read scripture after scripture about the end times and expounded on each one. I was exceedingly pleased to hear what she was saying, as I'm grossly offended by those who want to make God out to be a sweetheart and a pushover. Oddly enough, many male preachers are sweeter than women and avoid preaching about Judgment Day, the Great White Throne of Judgment and the like. So, I'd say that a woman who will discuss such matters is more qualified to talk about God than a man who preaches about a soft god. Maybe this gender role reversal has something to do with why God will "pour out His Spirit on ALL flesh in the last days" -- because some women are more fit to spread His Word than some men. I don't know; but, it's a possibility worth exploring.
I should add here that my mother, Joanne Sheptock (80), has preached a number of sermons -- always as a guest speaker. Having a family member who does a certain thing doesn't make it right. I get that. If it did, then the fact that one of my 35 surviving siblings robbed a bank and another robbed a store and stabbed a clerk would make it right for me to rob and stab people. Of course, that's not the case. I, therefore, need a stronger line of reasoning to justify supporting something that God's Word speaks against.
I often imagine a hard God confronting me about why I stated support for something that His Word speaks against. I envision myself invoking Isaiah 1 :18 "Come, let us reason together saith the Lord..." and explaining that I live in a society that values male-female equality. I'd go on to say that, without knowing for certain that He's got my back, I am relegated to keeping the law of the land -- even unjust laws. What I believe would be my strongest argument in this conversation with God is the fact that He has given men the ability to reason and has set men in authority for that reason. It therefore stands to reason that, if a woman were to demonstrate an ability to reason, then she too would be allowed to exercise authority. My line of reasoning would end with a statement of how I support a woman exercising authority ONLY if she is given to reasoning and does it well. The chief measuring stick that I use for how well she reasons is her ability to have fluid conversation about grim realities -- namely about God's harshness and why it's necessary.
Who wants to lead a church that opens its doors at 6:30 AM every Sunday morning, has events that include Bible study and NA/AA meetings beginning at 7 AM, has a worship service (liturgy/ Eucharist) which is attended primarily by homeless people beginning at 8:00 AM and feeds the homeless from 8:45 until 9:30 or so???
ANSWER: Rev. Glenna Huber.
Rev. Glenna, who comes from Tulsa by way of Atlanta, became Epiphany's rector in August 2017 and we held her installation service on Saturday, December 9th. Of course, Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde was there to welcome and install Rev. Glenna. It was the first such service that I've ever attended.
Rev. Glenna is an interesting and down-to-Earth person. She can be firm, as I've seen her demonstrate during a meeting about the unacceptable behaviors of some of the people who attend the early service. I like how that, when I treated her to lunch at Potbelly's a few months ago, she told me, "Eric, I know that some people aren't going to like what I do in my first few months; but, that's okay..." During the reception that followed her installation service, a retired bishop who knows her from her days at a church in Baltimore (where she currently resides) leaned toward me and whispered, "She's my favorite little smart a**". (Yes, that's exactly what he said. I can appreciate his point -- and the high amount of "anal intellect" he refers to.)
On Friday, December 8th I attended a meeting of homeless advocates which took place on the second floor of Epiphany. After the meeting ended, I engaged in small talk with a couple of men, during which time I asked them if they were going to attend Rev. Glenna's installation service the next day. The conversation took an interesting turn. Both men told me that they refused to attend a church where women preach. They told me what I already knew about scriptures that assign gender roles and forbid women to preach. I grew up in the church, attended Christian school from the middle of eighth grade through high school (graduating in 1987) and can name all 66 books of the Bible in rapid succession. I continue to impress people with my knowledge of Scripture. So, I can type 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 by heart:
"Let your women keep silent in the churches; for it is not permitted unto them to speak. But they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith The Law. And if any woman would learn anything, let her ask her husband at home; for, it is a shame for women to speak in the church."Though I'm aware of that passage and a few others like one in 1 Timothy chapter 2 which forbids women "to teach or usurp authority over a man", I held my ground in our conversation which was full of feeling, intensity, conviction and respect. They asked me why I continue to attend a church where women preach if I know these scriptures and if I was concerned with where my soul will spend eternity. Before I could answer they went on to say that we are supposed to attend church in order to hear the Word of God as given through men. To this I did answer by saying "I don't attend church so much to learn as to teach". They asked, "Are you saying that you don't attend church to do God's will???" I replied, "I DO attend to do God's will; but, I bring what I know about God, being as I believe that at least 90% of churches are failing to do God's will. I attend (and sometimes lead) Bible study so that I can teach people the things that God says but which many in the [worldwide] church don't like to talk about".
As the conversation continued, I made a point that I'm not sure that I explained well enough and which may have gotten lost in the sauce, given the high level of energy and the considerable degree to which we talked over each other (boisterously, not angrily). I sought to explain that I'm willing to give a woman a chance to show that she can lead with an emphasis on rationale (reasoning) and conceptual thought (compartmentalization) -- not with an over-emphasis on emotion.
It's worth noting that I see a high degree of ignorance and all-out stupidity in the portion of the worldwide church that I've been privy to. Many churchgoers still haven't figured out that Jesus is the Son of God who sits at God's right hand -- not the same entity. They can't seem to wrap their heads around the weakness of translation that led to Jesus saying, "I and my Father are one" rather than saying "I and my Father work in unity (tandem) with each other". Jesus also said that God the Father knows when Jesus will return, while Jesus himself doesn't know. The Spirit (of God) led Jesus into the wilderness to tempted of the Devil who, according to the book of Job, obeys (works for) God. God wouldn't tempt or test Himself. Furthermore, Jesus prayed to God and I don't believe God talks to Himself -- especially when saying, "My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken me???!!!" Can one forsake themselves??? If so, would they need to ask themselves "Why???" ??? I could fill a book with the stupid things that many churchgoers believe and the easy-to-understand things that they haven't nailed down after decades of attending church.
The area of Scripture that I find most important for people to wrap their heads around is that which speaks to God's harshness -- past and future, Genesis to Revelation. In Bible study I tend to grab any verse in that week's lectionary that lends itself to discussion of God's judgment. Then I run with it. Though a few attendees have seemed to be uncomfortable with these mentions of God's judgment, I'm noticing that some of the newer church members are amenable to this topic -- not all of them attending Bible study though. One week I read a scripture from Jeremiah where God said that He would cause the Israelites to eat their own children. A regular attendee asked me several times, "Did God tell them BEFOREHAND that He would make them eat their own children???" Each time I told her "Yes". On another occasion, two women who were visiting from a different church sat down to breakfast with me. As I segwayed into discussion of God's harshness, one of the women said that she'd recently read a troubling scripture where God ordered the killing of children. The other woman looked puzzled and said, "What are you talking about???!!!" I said that it must be a verse from Deuteronomy chapter 20 where God said, "...In the cities that are near unto you, you shall kill EVERY man, woman, child and beast". She said, "Yes, that's it".
A woman who followed Glenna to Epiphany from another church agreed with me that "to fear God" doesn't just mean "to respect or reverence Him", but that it also means "to be afraid to offend Him (lest one end up in Hell)". One of the interim rectors sat down to breakfast with me one day (having done so several times). On this particular occasion I noted that, during my then 10 years at Epiphany, that we always skipped any part of the common lectionary that refers to God's judgment and I asked her if talking about the book of Revelation was not part of the Episcopal ethos. She said, "No, it isn't". I find that to be both disappointing and irrational, though Epiphany is my church home for the foreseeable future -- with me having 12 years in already. (Some clergy try to soften the blow when talking about God's judgment by saying that "judgment" refers to a lot more than putting people in Hell and then into the Lake of Fire. I'll leave that one alone for now.) All in all, this important area of scripture -- God's judgment -- might begin to get more mention in coming months. Hooray!!!
A few months ago (maybe in June) I visited Mount Calvary Baptist Church, having done so at least once prior. A woman preached that day. She read from Revelation chapters 6 through 8. I was impressed by how willing she was to speak about God's future harshness. She increased my hope that female preachers can rise above emotion and have the hard conversations about the less attractive scriptures. She didn't strike me as a firebrand. She didn't preach the most intense Hell fire and brimstone sermon. But all of that show isn't necessary for me. She read scripture after scripture about the end times and expounded on each one. I was exceedingly pleased to hear what she was saying, as I'm grossly offended by those who want to make God out to be a sweetheart and a pushover. Oddly enough, many male preachers are sweeter than women and avoid preaching about Judgment Day, the Great White Throne of Judgment and the like. So, I'd say that a woman who will discuss such matters is more qualified to talk about God than a man who preaches about a soft god. Maybe this gender role reversal has something to do with why God will "pour out His Spirit on ALL flesh in the last days" -- because some women are more fit to spread His Word than some men. I don't know; but, it's a possibility worth exploring.
I should add here that my mother, Joanne Sheptock (80), has preached a number of sermons -- always as a guest speaker. Having a family member who does a certain thing doesn't make it right. I get that. If it did, then the fact that one of my 35 surviving siblings robbed a bank and another robbed a store and stabbed a clerk would make it right for me to rob and stab people. Of course, that's not the case. I, therefore, need a stronger line of reasoning to justify supporting something that God's Word speaks against.
I often imagine a hard God confronting me about why I stated support for something that His Word speaks against. I envision myself invoking Isaiah 1 :18 "Come, let us reason together saith the Lord..." and explaining that I live in a society that values male-female equality. I'd go on to say that, without knowing for certain that He's got my back, I am relegated to keeping the law of the land -- even unjust laws. What I believe would be my strongest argument in this conversation with God is the fact that He has given men the ability to reason and has set men in authority for that reason. It therefore stands to reason that, if a woman were to demonstrate an ability to reason, then she too would be allowed to exercise authority. My line of reasoning would end with a statement of how I support a woman exercising authority ONLY if she is given to reasoning and does it well. The chief measuring stick that I use for how well she reasons is her ability to have fluid conversation about grim realities -- namely about God's harshness and why it's necessary.
I believe that God is the God of Necessary Evils and it is Him whom we need to be saved from -- not Satan. What's more is that God decides when He'll free us from His reign of terror; and, we don't stand a chance of escaping a moment before He decides to let us go -- most of those from this world who receive eternal life living on the New Earth and not in Heaven.All things considered, I hope and trust that Rev. Glenna will use her "smart a**" (and smarter head) to preach tough and challenging messages that spur actions on the part of her parishioners -- actions related to social justice. She preached on the story of John the Baptist (the weekly lectionary) on December 10th and spoke about how he chose to leave the relative comforts of Jerusalem due to the debauchery and injustice in the city. She highlighted how he preferred to live in the wilderness away from all of the sin and she called on the congregation to get out of its comfort zone. She also talked a bit about new beginnings -- more because of her installation a day earlier than because it had anything to do with the lectionary. Rev. Glenna has shown some signs that she can preach a tough and challenging message -- only dabbling therein hereto now. Maybe she'll keep a good thing going and confront the thinking of those who visited Epiphany and decided against attending a church that assists the poor. Maybe she'll encourage her congregation to get involved in actions that are organized to speak truth to power. Time will tell. Here's to giving a female preacher a chance.
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