For those who belong to a church that believes women should not be pastors...
Do you allow women to do the readings? Or lead in song? Or chant the introit or gradual? Why or why not?
As a fellow Missouri Synod Christian..... I think this is a "slippery slope."
I have changed my position on female ordination - I use to be in favor of women's ordination and slowly I've moved away from that. But I think a lot of the RATIONALE is somewhat contradicted by what we now do (permit if not encourage).
Now, as I understand it, less than 100 years ago, in Anglicanism, Calvinism, Lutheranism and generally in Catholicism, women WERE silent. No women in the choir (yup, boys sang the higher parts). No women lectors. Women joined WITH men in the liturgy and songs but that was a blending. I'm told that 50 years ago in the LCMS, females typically didn't even serve as acolytes or ushers - and never as communion assistants. But now all that has been allowed to change (and I would have supported - even encouraged - those changes). A woman can read the lessons but not a sermon.... a woman can SING a sermon (as a soloist) but not SAY one. I'm told that until the 1960's, women could not serve on the Church Council or even vote at a Voter's Assembly and certainly not be an elder. I'm told women could not teach Sunday School to boys over the age of 13. All this as recently as the 1960's. All that has changed, too.
Our LCMS parish's constitution never even mentions the words "men" or "women" or "gender" - not for anything. We have a "Care Committee" (not "elders" ) but it includes women. Our Vice President is a woman. Most of the Council is female. Probably half of the ushers, lectors, acolytes, communion assistants are female. And about half of the choir is female. EXCEPT for the Office of the Pastor, there is NO concern whatsoever regarding gender - for anything. of course, this makes any rationale for male only pastors .... well..... I suppose if our rationale was consistent, we'd "undo" a century of changes and go back to where women just made the coffee and kept silent on everything and in everything. Good luck with that.
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