A Unique Reformation Day for Tamil Nadu?s First Lutheran Women Pastors Result of a Strategic, Long Discussion Process
TIRUCHIRAPALLI, Tamil Nadu, India/GENEVA, 22 December 2006 (LWI) * "Reformation Day, 31 October 2006 became a remarkable and unique day in the 300-year history of the Tamil Evangelical Lutheran Church (TELC) in south India," remarked Rev. Suseela Gnanabai, one of the first women to be ordained as pastors in the church.
The ordination of Gnanabai, five other women and one man as pastors on 31 October at the Tiruchirapalli Holy Trinity Church in Tamil Nadu was historic, as this was the first time the Indian church had ordained women as pastors. Many of them have undergone theological education over a period of nearly three decades.
Some of the recently ordained female pastors were among a group of theologically trained women who were commissioned as candidates for pastoral work by TELC Bishop Dr T. Aruldoss in July 2002. He confirmed at the time that "these women will be ordained as full fledged pastors after a short period."
Rev. Jeevajyothi Martin, the first woman in the Tamil Nadu Lutheran church to study theology had been waiting for the affirmation of her call to the ministry for 28 years. She said she hopes "to be a role model for the upcoming women pastors through my ministry and life. I wish to become God's tool to transform and develop the church in all respects. My future plan is to encourage girls to enter into the ministry so that the devotion, sincerity, honesty and hard work of women could be used for the glory of God."
Also ordained was Rev. Dora Thilagavathai, currently working as a hospital chaplain. She said she now feels "strengthened to counsel the patients with whom she shares God?s love and care every day." Rev. Valarmathi, who has since become a pastor in one of TELC's congregations, expressed her personal vision to "plant new churches in the villages, proclaim the gospel in a multi-religious context, and encourage more women to pursue theological training."
Rev. Adlin Reginabai, currently teaching at the Tamil Nadu theological seminary, said she hoped, among other things, to work with community members to struggle for justice for all people, and to encourage support for women's participation in all areas of church life. Rev. Cornelia Gunaseeli, general secretary of the TELC women's fellowship remarked: "In some families, parents used to be disappointed if they do not have male children to send to pastoral ministry. Now the parents can send their girl-children to the pastoral ministry." She particularly thanked the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) for its encouragement and support toward the issue of women's ordination through the desk for Women in Church and Society (WICAS).
"This was neither an easy nor a quick decision. It is the result of a strategic and long process of discussion and awareness raising in the church," noted Ms Priscilla Singh, secretary for WICAS in the LWF Department for Mission and Development. In the nineties, the LWF supported the Tamil Nadu Lutheran church in organizing meetings and seminars at which theologically trained women, pastors, lay leaders decision makers and educators could openly debate the issue of women?s ordination, she explained. The outcome was a general agreement that women should be ordained, but the motion was defeated in one of the church's governing body meetings.
Singh paid tribute to Bishop Aruldoss for his concerted effort and resolve to see women's ordination become a reality for the Tamil Nadu church.
The LWF Deputy General Secretary Rev. Chandran Paul Martin said "the ordination was 'justice at last' done to the women, who have been the backbone of the church and its faith for 300 long years." Martin is an ordained pastor of the TELC, and former executive secretary of the United Evangelical Lutheran Church in India.
Founded in 1706 by German missionaries Bartholomäus Ziegenbalg and Heinrich Plütschau, the TELC became independent in 1919. The 120,000 member-church joined the LWF in 1947. The Tamil Nadu church celebrated its tercentenary in July this year.
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