Women in Priesthood

The issue is actually as old as the Church is: women came first to the grave of Jesus. Some Christian churches admit only men in the clergy on the grounds that while there is a common priesthood for all believers, this is expressed in specific ways: as St. Paul says, there are different workings, different forms of service, but the same Lord, the same God (1 Cor 12, 5-6). Other churches consider that there is no reason to bar women from priesthood - the Apostle tells us about specific workings for each individual - after all, the text from 1 Corinthians does not speak about specific workings for each sex. Says Rev. Dottie Escobedo-Frank, I speak differently than a man does. To hear the fullness of God's voice, you need to hear both men and women.

What's the situation in the American Church? Mainline traditional protestant churches ordain women, while most evangelical ones don't.

This year women were elected to lead the Episcopal Church, as well as the United-Methodist and Presbyterian Churches, but how looks the more detailed picture, at all hierarchical levels? There is an article in today's NY Times on this issue.

(Church in America)