Prior to becoming a state, Louisiana women had full equal rights, could own land and did the business. Laura Plantation was perfect example, for three generation women were the President (Presiding officer of the plantation) and they made beaucoups of money.
They were so successful that at one time there were 69 slave cabins each which housed two families averaging 4 per family. That’s some 276 slaves. Not that I’m in favor of slavery, but that shows the size of the plantation, some 12,000 acres of fertile Mississippi bottom land and swamp.
That got me to thinking about a conversation I had with our youth during one of our Wednesday Night Bible Studies. We were talking about Abraham, Sarah and Hagar. First the youth were appalled that Abe had more than one wife. Second, as we talked about inequality of the patriarchal society and the few privileges and freedoms that women had, the girls were really appalled. They just couldn’t understand how or why society was that way, then. One of the young ladies was pretty perturbed.
I reminded them that, thankfully, the role of women has changed over the centuries. And it has changed significantly over my lifetime. That’s not to say that there isn’t still a long way to go to break down all of the inequalities.
I didn’t grow up in the church, so I didn’t have all that baggage of being told women had no place in leadership in the church. My experience with women in leadership was my mother. Mom was a strong independent woman who worked as a business administrator for a couple of different firms over the years taking on more responsibility with each job.
When I did accept Christ and get involved in the United Methodist Church, one of the first people I met was a retired Methodist Preacher by the name of Hazel Allen. After I answered the call to preach, Hazel became one my unofficial mentors, always checking on me; always praying for me and my ministry; always letting my home church know how we were doing. Hazel had gone into ministry after her husband, a Methodist preacher, died. I don’t think she was never in full connection but was an Associate Member of the Annual Conference. That didn’t stop here from being an excellent, gifted minister.
When I was in college, a number of the students I knew who were studying for ministry were women. There were already several ordained female clergy in the Missouri East Annual Conference when I was ordained Deacon in 1979. A seminary colleague was ordained Elder the same year I was, 1984. We’ve come a long way.
Regardless of how you feel about their politics, the last presidential race was an historical landmark. Not discounting President Obama being the first African American President ever elected, Hillary Clinton ran a hard race for that nomination as president (and nearly won.) While Sarah Palin ran as the Republican candidate for Vice President. Never before has this been possible. And no, I’m not forgetting Geraldine Ferraro but women in both parties at the same time is something new.
In Nashville, in a prominent Baptist church, I was invited to receive communion by the senior pastor who was being assisted by his female associate pastor, ordained the year before. Not only that but I was served communion by female deacons. That’s a big deal.
The world and leadership as many have known it is changing. There are many of my colleagues in ministry and women my age or older who fought the battle and have paved the road for the full equality of in ministry. There are those who paid a dear price who are no longer in ministry. The suffered the slings and arrows of outrageous treatment by churches, clergy and the system to make the ministry what it is today.
I’m not saying that there aren’t still large pockets of resistance. Nor am I saying that the fight is over. However, these fights seem more like skirmishes rather than full out battle.
I’m glad that the youth of my church are appalled at the notion of women not being equal. I’m thankful that I live in a time when I have to explain “that’s how it was,” NOT “how it is.” I’m thankful for people like Hazel Allen and others who were the pioneers who fought the good fight and persevered despite the personal cost. I probably should have done this along time ago. Thank you.
They were so successful that at one time there were 69 slave cabins each which housed two families averaging 4 per family. That’s some 276 slaves. Not that I’m in favor of slavery, but that shows the size of the plantation, some 12,000 acres of fertile Mississippi bottom land and swamp.
That got me to thinking about a conversation I had with our youth during one of our Wednesday Night Bible Studies. We were talking about Abraham, Sarah and Hagar. First the youth were appalled that Abe had more than one wife. Second, as we talked about inequality of the patriarchal society and the few privileges and freedoms that women had, the girls were really appalled. They just couldn’t understand how or why society was that way, then. One of the young ladies was pretty perturbed.
I reminded them that, thankfully, the role of women has changed over the centuries. And it has changed significantly over my lifetime. That’s not to say that there isn’t still a long way to go to break down all of the inequalities.
I didn’t grow up in the church, so I didn’t have all that baggage of being told women had no place in leadership in the church. My experience with women in leadership was my mother. Mom was a strong independent woman who worked as a business administrator for a couple of different firms over the years taking on more responsibility with each job.
When I did accept Christ and get involved in the United Methodist Church, one of the first people I met was a retired Methodist Preacher by the name of Hazel Allen. After I answered the call to preach, Hazel became one my unofficial mentors, always checking on me; always praying for me and my ministry; always letting my home church know how we were doing. Hazel had gone into ministry after her husband, a Methodist preacher, died. I don’t think she was never in full connection but was an Associate Member of the Annual Conference. That didn’t stop here from being an excellent, gifted minister.
When I was in college, a number of the students I knew who were studying for ministry were women. There were already several ordained female clergy in the Missouri East Annual Conference when I was ordained Deacon in 1979. A seminary colleague was ordained Elder the same year I was, 1984. We’ve come a long way.
Regardless of how you feel about their politics, the last presidential race was an historical landmark. Not discounting President Obama being the first African American President ever elected, Hillary Clinton ran a hard race for that nomination as president (and nearly won.) While Sarah Palin ran as the Republican candidate for Vice President. Never before has this been possible. And no, I’m not forgetting Geraldine Ferraro but women in both parties at the same time is something new.
In Nashville, in a prominent Baptist church, I was invited to receive communion by the senior pastor who was being assisted by his female associate pastor, ordained the year before. Not only that but I was served communion by female deacons. That’s a big deal.
The world and leadership as many have known it is changing. There are many of my colleagues in ministry and women my age or older who fought the battle and have paved the road for the full equality of in ministry. There are those who paid a dear price who are no longer in ministry. The suffered the slings and arrows of outrageous treatment by churches, clergy and the system to make the ministry what it is today.
I’m not saying that there aren’t still large pockets of resistance. Nor am I saying that the fight is over. However, these fights seem more like skirmishes rather than full out battle.
I’m glad that the youth of my church are appalled at the notion of women not being equal. I’m thankful that I live in a time when I have to explain “that’s how it was,” NOT “how it is.” I’m thankful for people like Hazel Allen and others who were the pioneers who fought the good fight and persevered despite the personal cost. I probably should have done this along time ago. Thank you.
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