wfn.org | 40 Leaders Participate in Consultation on the Women's Movement

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40 Leaders Participate in Consultation on the Womens Movement in the
Churches

September 25, 2003, HARTFORD, Conn. -- The Justice for Women Working Group
of the National Council of Churches (NCC) brought a diverse group of 40
participants to a September 18-20 national ecumenical consultation on the
state of the womens movement in U.S. churches.  Conferees met at Hartford
Seminary, the consultations co-sponsor.

The consultation was funded by a grant from The Sister Fund and
contributions from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)
Commission for Women and the NCCs Justice for Women Working Group. The
purpose was to present an opportunity to church leaders to reflect on the
status of womens organizing for justice and equality since the 1970s and to
strategize about the future of this work in the wake of backlash and
denominational struggles.

We hope that the consultation and report will provide a body of material
helpful for historians and activists who seek to understand the recent
history of women in the church and will increase awareness among foundations
and individuals of the importance of contemporary feminist, mujerista and
womanist empowerment in the churches, said Jennifer Butler, co-chair of the
NCCs Justice for Women Working Group and Director of the Presbyterian UN
Office.  We also want it to serve as a starting point for new and
innovative work.

The work completed at the consultation, along with a survey of the NCC
Justice for Women Network, will be compiled and synthesized in a written
report for conferees and other interested parties. Hartford Seminarys
Hartford Institute for Religion Research conducted the survey and Adair
Lummis, the Faculty Associate for Research at Hartford Seminary, offered an
overview of the results for the Consultation.

Lummis identified key areas of concern that emerged in the survey, returned
by 76 persons from 11 denominations.  Concerns included the need to involve
younger women, backlash from people who felt their power or prestige
diminished by womens entry into church leadership, the persistence of
racism and womens organizations loss of control over their financial
resources.

In the works for a few years, the Consultation documented the backlash
against feminist organizing in the form of challenges to womens commissions
and organizations in the national denominations, among other attacks, said
Karen Hessel, Program Director for the NCCs Justice for Women Working
Group.

As it turns out, the timing was sadly prophetic, as a proposal was
announced September 15 to dissolve the formidable ELCA Commission for Women
as part of a restructuring in the ELCA.  This conference, and more like it,
are clearly needed to help us to mine our past stories and experiences and
start thinking creatively about what to do in the future so that this
vitally important work of women continues.

The 40 participants were chosen for their experience and expertise regarding
the recent decades of struggle for full equality of women in all facets of
life in the churches and in society.

They came from multiple denominations, including United Methodist;
Episcopal; Presbyterian Church (USA); Christian Church (Disciples of
Christ); American Baptist Churches; United Church of Christ; Progressive
National Baptist Convention; Evangelical Lutheran Church in America;
International Evangelical Churches, Pentecostal, and Society of Friends.
They were pastors, lay leaders, and seminary faculty, deans and presidents.

Aruna Gnanadason, Director of the Womens Program for the Geneva-based World
Council of Churches, also attended. She commended women in US churches for
their strong awareness of the special responsibility of US women for
advocacy from a faith perspective regarding US policies and their effects on
women and children globally.

The three-day event included worship, panel discussions and table groups
looking at the past and future for womens leadership in the churches and in
society.

For more information contact Karen Hessel, Program Director, Justice for
Women, National Council of Churches, khessel@ncccusa.org, 212-870-2421.

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