My radical reading in the 1980s We wore soft cream-coloured raincoats over our undergarments. I had watched others being baptized at the front of the sanctuary for years, wishing I was tall enough not to drown. Now I was ready. Rev. Loyal Funk preceded us into the tub filled with warm water, wearing his formal suit. One by one, he asked us whether we believed that Jesus was our saviour, then lowered us into the water, saying, “I baptize you in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.”
After he lowered me for just a moment, I rose, water streaming from my face and hair. My skin tingled. I felt the presence of God, as if I were floating, for the rest of that day. My brother, who was also baptized then, said he felt something too. I went back up the steps to the room where the newly baptized females were helped by older women whose smiling eyes were filled with love. We towel-dried our hair and changed into fresh clothes. That night we returned for our first communion as new church members. Only members could receive the cube of white bread and tiny glass of grape juice taken in memory of Jesus. He asked his disciples to remember him with bread and wine at the Last Supper. I’d been nervous about joining the Mennonite Brethren (MB) church that I grew up in, but that came with baptism. My mother felt excluded because she grew up Lutheran. She had heard a woman ask my father, “Why did you have to marry that heathen? Couldn’t you find a Mennonite girl?” Most in the church were from the same cultural group who laughed at words in the low German dialect that I didn’t understand. We could never play the “Mennonite game” that others enjoyed, finding they had near relatives in common with any Mennonite they met. My mother said she knew that women weren’t welcome in leadership when she first heard the name of the group. “Brethren” refers to how all members are brothers and sisters in Christ, but it only mentions the brothers. At the time, we called firefighters “firemen” and police officers “policemen.” It made it difficult for a woman to even think of a career in those fields. Women who were brave enough to choose male-dominated work often felt unwelcome. Changing to inclusive language helped. As the women’s movement grew in the 1980s, more women became ministers. This shift was acceptable overseas, where women missionaries often had free reign, but not when the same women returned home. Restrictive interpretations of the Bible were used to justify gender-specific roles. Women were urged toward homemaking, caregiving, teaching and music ministry. In 1987, I was involved when the issue of women in ministry was hotly debated. The umbrella organization for MB churches in North America resolved to allow women in ministry, but only as junior pastors. A woman had to work under a male senior pastor. That just seemed wrong. I shared my concerns with new friends at Point Grey Fellowship, a church I’d started to attend in Vancouver. Many were university professors who wanted to help Mennonite students stay connected with their faith. They had converted a former convent near the University of British Columbia into a student residence and church. Being male or female was never an issue there. All decisions were made by consensus. Everyone had to agree or we didn’t move forward. Even non-members were given a voice. For the first time, I felt I belonged. The small church was only allowed one delegate at the upcoming conference, but others had split those duties at past meetings and said it would be no problem. One member took the first morning and I had the afternoon when the topic of women in leadership would be discussed. The Abbotsford church was filled with delegates from all over North America. I sat in the balcony with some friends from Point Grey Fellowship. I was annoyed when one of our members went to the microphone below and spoke during my allotted time. When the resolution on women in leadership was made, I rose to the microphone near us. I was buoyed by inspiration. The night before, I remembered I Corinthians 12, where Paul says the church is the body of Christ. Like each part of the human body, each member is important. The eye can't say to the hand, "I don't need you!” I told the assembly that just as the eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you,” neither can the eye say to the hand, “you are a foot, not a hand.” If God has given a woman the gift of ministry, who are we to say that she can only be junior? I called for a secret ballot on my motion to amend the resolution. Suddenly the pastor of my previous church shot up. He called out, “Point of order! Point of order! The person who just spoke is a member of my congregation, and she was not sent as a delegate.” I replied, “I have been sent as a delegate from the church that I attend.” The leader asked me which church that was. I told him. He asked someone whether my church belonged to their organization. It was confirmed, but the other speaker from our church was mentioned, while we had only one delegate. After I explained how we had shared our roles, the leader turned to the resident expert in Roberts’ Rules of Order. “Is there anything we can do about this motion?” he asked. The expert scratched his head, and said, “Well, we could say it was contrary to the intent of the resolution. And yes, now that I think about it, it is. Then the motion fails.” The leader agreed and my motion was killed. I sat down next to my friends, who patted my hand and shook their heads. It was exciting when another delegate later suggested an amendment even more progressive than mine. Debate began, but after several speakers, a man rose. He said, “I’m disturbed by something. Earlier a sister put forward a motion and it was struck down as contrary to the intent of the resolution. Now a brother has made a similar motion and here we are, debating it.” They had to kill that motion too. They sent the whole thing to committee. The final wording was improved from the original but not as open as I had hoped. I didn’t return the second day, but was told that the organization planned to apologize. I received a letter from the leader on plain white paper. He wrote that he was sorry if I had been humiliated. It didn’t sound like much of an apology. I’d been shut down, but I wasn’t embarrassed. The North American group of churches that gathered that day no longer exists. Today the umbrella organization for Canadian MB churches still permits its churches to limit women in leadership, if they say that the Bible tells them so. I would like to see leadership that says no to discrimination in all its forms. I recently shared my father's story of how he found faith and was baptized. He never left the MB church, but he never excluded anyone who belonged to different churches or faiths. My stepmother, Nola, is Catholic. Although her traditions are different and my father can’t receive communion at Mass, he sees her faith as one they share completely. My father was given a Bible verse when he was baptized, Isaiah 54:10: ”For the mountains may be removed and the hills may shake, but My lovingkindness will not be removed from you, and My covenant of peace will not be shaken, says the Lord who has compassion on you.” My father felt that promise ring true in the worst of times and was never disappointed. At my baptism, I received Romans 8:38-39: “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” It’s marvellous to know that we are always loved by God, and that love extends to everyone. I’m grateful to many people, including the MB church, for planting that seed of knowing. - Irene Plett Note: Bible passages are in the New American Standard Bible translation. Topics: faith, women in leadership, church, Mennonite Brethren Church, General Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches, Canadian Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches, Roberts’ Rules of Order, baptism, women’s movement, feminism, inclusive language, discrimination, harassment, love, God, Point Grey Fellowship, Abbotsford, Vancouver, Peter Plett, Nola Plett
4 Comments
2/12/2018 05:31:56 pm
Glad to hear that you were able to share your experiences, Rose, and that you've seen progress!
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I'm sorry it took me so long to find this and read it. It's so wonderful that you got this experience down on paper. What a trial to go through but as a woman, I am so proud of you! In this day of persecution against Christianity, we need more people with courage and boldness to speak out. I hope you will continue to speak out for justice and I pray for you always. There is a 'movement' to ban Christian literature and the Bible, of course so there's lots of work to do. I will try to summon the energy to meet with you this month. You are a treasure Irene. Jesus is honoured by your love and devotion. Blessings to you!!
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5/1/2018 03:38:33 pm
Thanks for your thoughtful comments and prayers, Darlene! I look forward to seeing you and pray that your health will be much improved.
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WriterIrene Plett is a writer, poet and animal lover living in South Surrey, British Columbia, Canada. Categories
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