I usually post about theological issues. This is a post about history, but as you will see, it is also about theology. Actually, everything is about theology. The problem is that people often miss that fact.

As a theologian and preacher, I feel drawn to the lament issued by the apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 9:16 (although I feel a bit pretentious making the comparison) – “16 For when I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, since I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!”

Consequently, I am going to tell you a story – a collection of interwoven stories, actually. I am going to do my best to do justice to the facts, because as a theologian who believes in the centrality of the Incarnation as a guiding principle for history (and, indeed, all of life), I believe it is essential to deal with the facts.

But I am going to tell you what I believe is the most faithful way to interpret and respond to those facts, because I believe that is my responsibility to you all. You, as fellow theologians – every one of you – need to discern what you hear and sift it carefully for yourselves.

A Tale of Two Women

In this post we are going to ask – and answer — two basic questions. First, how have Mennonite Brethren cultivated female leaders? Second, what are the reasons for the ways in which female leaders were nurtured?

I want to tell you about two women. They aren’t related, and I don’t think they ever knew one another, but they are important for our understanding of the questions before us today. First, let’s talk about Katharina. Katharina was born in Russia, but grew up in Kansas. She was the daughter of a pastor, so she was familiar with MB church ministry. She gave her life to Christ at 19 in response to a message from a missionary from Africa. Desiring to enter mission work, she invited feedback from conference leaders and pursued education that would prepare her for her ministry overseas.

Finally, she was approved to serve with MB Mission, joining a team that had begun work near the city of Hyderabad, India. According to MB Conference information, Katharina and another new missionary named John were ordained by resolution of the General Conference and sent to the field. Katharina served for almost forty years, some of those years with little or no support from the outside.

The other woman I want to tell you about is a lady named Sue. Sue’s family moved to Chilliwack when she was a teen, and she was baptized as a member of the Yarrow MB Church when she was sixteen. Sue attended bible school and then moved to Vancouver, where she became involved in a church plant recently begun there. A few years later, she accepted a full-time pastoral position on the staff of the new church. Sue served for 28 years, until the church closed … sort of. You see the church closed, but not really, and the reason it did so was that the ministry had been very effective in an unexpected way.

Sue “served Christ in bringing many children, youth and adults to faith in Jesus, and discipling them.” When it became obvious that Pacific Grace MB Church had enough capable Chinese leaders to sustain its ministry to Chinese people without help from whites, Sue, along with the other staff, stepped aside and gave leadership over to the new leaders. She never stopped serving. She joined Richmond Bethel MB Church, where she served in a variety of volunteer ministries over the next twenty plus years, doing many of the same things she had done as a pastor, until she died of cancer at age 78.

Oh, a couple of items I neglected to mention. Katharina Schellenberg was ordained by her home church and the MB Conference in 1908. One hundred eleven years ago. She was the first female doctor ever to serve with the MB Church. And according to ICOMB (the International Community of Mennonite Brethren), the “Conference of the Mennonite Brethren Church in India is the largest national church with 212,000 members in 992 churches.” That’s almost three times as many members as in Canada and the US … combined. It appears that her work seems might have made a significant difference in India.

Sue Neufeld, as far as I know, was never formally ordained, but she was acknowledged as the first full-time MB church worker (as pastors were known then) when she started in 1954. She did evangelism, children’s ministry, and discipleship long before most churches had ever thought to devote staff to those areas.

Two women. One, ordained as a doctor. The other, a longtime church staff member. Which one was a church leader? Which one taught? Which one pastored? Clearly, both did. Both were celebrated as leaders in life, and upon their promotion to glory.

What Can We Learn?

I have read a lot of historical material on MB ordination practices concerning what ordination entails, as well as detailed information about the ordination of ministers, deacons, missionaries, evangelists, and conference workers. The early conference records indicate that the ordination of men and women for service was rooted in the Confession of Faith itself (Article 3, paragraph 39, in case you wanted to check).

The thing that I noticed was that the main criteria for ordination were character, giftedness, calling, and service. These were seen as high theological values — rightly so. Women and men were identified according to their desire and ability to serve in response to needs that were discerned as being real and important.

Women trained for ministry at bible schools alongside men. They excelled and sacrificed as much as men — sometimes more. The work they did was part of some of the most formative years of MB history, and no one looks at them or their ministry as evidence of theological problems. On the contrary, they are hailed as giants of the faith. So why does the thought of ordaining women cause problems today? Of what are we afraid?

Maybe I’m just old-fashioned, but I long for the days when the main things were the main things.