sorry, you’re female!!

As an introduction to a day in the life of a reluctant feminist, here’s a real email correspondence between myself and a pastoral search committee chairman. Note that HE contacted me first.2/22Adriene,I received your employment information from the Fuller Employment search engine. I am chairman of the search committee for a Young Adults Pastor for (XChurch.) I have attached a Job Posting and Job Description. Would you let me know if this is something of interest to you?Thank You,‘Fred’

2/24

Fred -

Yes – I would be very interested in exploring the possibility of a pastoral ministry at (XYchurch). You can contact me by phone at xxx-xxxx, by email at this address, and/or we can have a face-to-face conversation at your convenience.W0uld you please let me know the next step in your search process, and whether you need anything from me to help your team have a better sense of who I am and how I might fit? I am assuming you got my resume from the Fuller site – I also have references and some updates on what I’ve been doing in the past year or so.Thanks for the inquiry. I will pray God’s blessing for (XYchurch), and for you personally as you seek the right person for this position.Grace and Peace,Adriene B

‘Fred’ called and left me a voicemail to set up a time for interview

I called him back on his cell phone and left a message.

I got this email in reply:

2/242/24Adriene,Thanks for responding to my inquiry. I have to apologize….I didn’t realize you were female. I know it sounds crazy, but this position is a pastoral position and this church’s bylaws only allow male pastors. I’m so sorry for troubling you.I appreciate your prayers for us. This is my first time chairing this type of committee and I’m relatively new to this church, so I have lots to learn. But we really need God to lead us to the person with the skills who can fit into the culture here and lead our young adults in a fruitful ministry. Thanks again for responding. Have a great weekend. I pray that God will lead you to just the right spot!!!FredMy response:2/25Fred -Apology accepted. I am most definitely a female pastor, no apologies for that. (I thought it was pretty obvious – with a dozen years or so of women’s ministry experience on my resume.) It’s not the first time I’ve had to deal with this issue, and I’m not upset at all.I am disappointed that (XYchurch) has that restriction in the bylaws. After a great deal of prayerful searching the scriptures, I no longer believe it’s right to prohibit women from being pastors, but I am not surprised that is (XYchurch’s) position. I was more surprised to get an inquiry from (XYchurch) in the first place. I was speculating you wanted to test the waters or push the envelope a little by considering a woman for the Young Adult Pastor. I am willing to be a test case, to go through the interviewing process – without any expectation that the majority of the leaders are actually ready for that. It takes time and grace to move a church towards such a change, and it may not be the time for that at (XYchurch). Yet. But I will pray blessings for (XYchurch) nonetheless.And for you, Fred. My husband was a pastoral search committee chairman several years ago, and it was an interesting and growing experience for him. (And for me too, I suppose – I wasn’t in on the process, but our discussions about what a pastor could and should be was one of the means God used to clarify my calling to pastoral ministry.) Enjoy the search!Grace and Peace,Adriene