Religion: Women in the Church

There are probably more restrictions—legal or traditional—attaching to women in the Christian Church than in any other field in this country.

This statement was the nub of a survey, “Woman’s Status in Protestant Churches,” published last week by the Federal Council of Churches. It was based on a questionnaire sent to 5,380 active churchwomen of eight denominations (Northern Baptist, Congregational-Christian, Disciples of Christ, Episcopal, United Lutheran, Methodist, Presbyterian, Quaker).

Many a U. S. male of A.D. 1940 carries his religion as he carries a charge account —in his wife’s name. But though the majority of most U. S. congregations are women, men still run the churches. Few women are on the governing boards of local parishes. Fewer are sent as delegates to their sects’ district and national conferences. Fewer still can be ordained, and even those who are generally have the choice of a small country church or no pastorate at all.

Nearly three-fourths of the churchwomen answering the Council’s questionnaire wanted women to serve on church boards, have more representatives. A scattering thought women should serve only when there was a shortage of men. One-sixth were opposed to their sex holding church office. The latter group’s reasons: tradition (said a Baptist: “. . . positively undignified and altogether unsuitable”), a feeling that the Lord’s Supper would mean less if administered by a woman.

Wherever Christianity has spread since the days of Jesus, it has raised the status of woman in civil life, it has kept her in her ecclesiastical place. Even professional women are rarely allowed to do more than sew, serve suppers and teach Sunday school. Wrote one Disciple: “The world has claimed the brains of our brilliant women. The church was too slow.”