The Women Of Easter And The Church

This Easter it is worth remembering that women were the first to acknowledge the risen Jesus and took early leadership positions in what eventually became the Christian church. There have been women preachers and prophets ever since. But their voices have been largely silenced. History informs us that the first Protestant woman to be ordained to ministry (in what was to become the United Church of Christ) was Antoinette Brown in 1853. Yet it was not until the 1980s that women truly began to feel accepted by many of their peers and congregations as full partners – as ministers. Many traditions still deny women the role of minister in opposition to biblical and historical Christianity. NPR had a story on this morning about a group of Roman Catholic women visiting Rome to study the leadership roles played by women. A good Easter story. Now I’m off to church. The Rev. Dr. Patricia Ross is preaching.