Southwest Texans celebrate
women in ministry



Video clip

By Claudia M. Williams
Staff Writer
Southwest Texas United Methodists celebrated the 50th anniversary of full clergy rights for women this month in Corpus Christi.
From the opening of the Southwest Texas Annual Conference session June 7 through the ordination service June 10, speakers addressed the importance of women in United Methodist ministry.
Bishop Joel N. Martinez set the tone during his State of the Church address June 8.
“It is noteworthy,” Martinez said, “to mention that, as we celebrate this year, the president of the Council of Bishops is Bishop Janice Riggle Huie of Beeville, and the bishop who will deliver the Episcopal Address at the 2008 General Conference is Bishop Sharon Brown Christopher of Corpus Christi.”
Earlier, in the June 7 clergy session, Martinez said it was appropriate for the annual conference to celebrate “the contributions of all of our colleagues who have gone before us as they step into the stream of righteousness that is unlimited and open to all in God’s grace.”
At the clergywomen’s dinner June 8, the bishop said, “When we don’t invite all, we deny ourselves the gifts that make the whole whole.”
Voting conference members received copies June 8 of a 56-page history of Southwest Texas clergy-women, A Time to Speak, by the Rev. Ann Brown Fields.
Conference participants watched a 13-minute video history presentation about the 50th anniversary. It was produced for the Commission on the Status and Role of Women by the Communications and Public Witness Office.
The presentation is posted as a Flash file at www.umcswtx.org.
Bishop Ann B. Sherer of the Nebraska Episcopal Area preached at the June 10 ordination service. She pointed out that half the ministry candidates were women. She drew a parallel between the work of women in ministry and that of Mozambique women who carry jars of life-giving water on their heads for their families.
Sherer said that when The United Methodist Church welcomes women into ministry, “the first invitation is to carry water. It’s heavy, and it might splash on you.”

Women carrying water in Mozambique stand tall, Sherer said.
“They know the task is hard,” she said. “But they do what they have to do for the family to survive. This is a model for ministry. We do what we have to do so the church can survive.”
Sherer urged ministry candidates to “get yourself good and wet with living water.”
“Carry the water,” she said. “Splash the water. Receive the water. Go to the well, and come out God’s messy, wet servant.”
The Rev. Mimi Raper, associate pastor of First UMC, Austin, preached at the Memorial Service and Opening Eucharist June 7. Her sermon focused on transformation by the power of the Holy Spirit.
“Look at the transforming power of the Holy Spirit on the lives of women who have gone before us,” she said. “Their transformation is complete with nothing separating them from God’s glory and grace.”
At the United Methodist Women luncheon June 8, laywomen re-enacted the 1956 General Conference debate about clergywomen’s rights. The drama drew both cheers and boos from the 450-member audience as “delegates” to the 1956 conference presented both sides.
Corpus Christi District Superintendent Barbara Ruth called the luncheon a “historic occasion for all women to be together.” In previous years, the clergywomen had met at the same time as the laywomen.
The program at the clergywomen’s dinner June 8 was a light-hearted look at challenges clergywomen face. Told from the perspective of the year 2056, the players, passing along their lore to a younger generation of clergywomen, told of the controversies surrounding their open-toed shoes, big hair and romances.
The Rev. Teresa Welborn, pastor of Lakehills UMC and chair of the Commission on the Status and Role of Women, attributed much of the success of the anniversary celebration to Martinez.
“He made this celebration a priority and continues to live out the celebration through his support of women in ministry,” she said.
“It was a joy to experience the breadth of celebration at conference in worship services, preaching by Bishop Sherer and the Rev. Mimi Raper, the book written by the Rev. Dr. Ann Fields, the Thursday night banquet, the video, the coasters presented to clergywomen during the Board of Ordained Ministry’s report—and the list goes on.
“It is my hope that we will all keep the celebration alive by continuing to share stories and responding to God’s call on our lives to offer Christ to all.”