Interfaith panel examines evolving role of women clergy

by Johanna Ginsberg
NJJN Staff Writer

Growing up in India, the Rev. Anna Thomas never thought she would be serving as senior pastor of a Methodist church.

“In India, women in the ministry is a no-no,” she said. After coming to the United States, however, her husband encouraged her to pursue her calling, and she is now the first Indian woman ordained as a clergy member in the Greater New Jersey Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church, and the first woman pastor at the Livingston United Methodist Church.

On Jan. 18, she joined a panel of women clergy at the 12th annual Temple B’nai Abraham Women’s Interfaith Forum to discuss the evolving role of women in religious leadership.

Two of the other clergy at the forum represent firsts as well. Temple B’nai Abraham’s Cantor Lee Coopersmith was the first woman to be invested as a cantor in New Jersey; and the Rev. Dr. Raquel A. St. Clair was the first woman to serve as executive minister to the 5,600 members of the historic St. James African Methodist Episcopal Church in Newark. St. Clair is also the first African American to receive a PhD in New Testament studies at Princeton Theological Seminary.

Also participating were the Rev. Dr. Jane Tomaine, rector of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Livingston, who served as moderator, and Sister Barbara Howard, a member of the religious community of the Sisters of St. Joseph in Philadelphia and pastoral associate for sharing at St. Philomena’s Roman Catholic Church in Livingston. The forum is funded by a grant from the New Jersey Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemorative Commission.

As in previous years, a potluck smorgasbord of home cooking prepared by members of the Livingston synagogue’s sisterhood preceded the program, run by the social action committee of B’nai Abraham. The panel was organized by social action committee member and former chair Deborah Prinz.

The program drew more than 220 women (and two men), the largest crowd since its inception. They represented 12 synagogues, 21 churches, and three organizations: the NAACP, the Cherokee Nation of New Jersey, and the National Minorities with Disabilities Coalition.

Age issues

The clergy described their varied experiences in conversations with NJ Jewish News.Those over age 50 faced different kinds of challenges than their younger counterparts as they pursued their vocations. Tomaine, 58, pointed to the challenge of authority. “In my generation, we were raised not to have authority — to develop who you are, but authority belonged to men. That’s an issue women face — how to exercise authority in a way that is consistent with who we are as women.”

And Sister Howard, who declined to give her age but is over 50, said that although the priesthood remains closed to women, her role has evolved dramatically since she committed herself to her faith at the age of 18. And she added, “I wish I were 20 years younger.”

By contrast, St. Clair said most of the pulpit staff at her church are female — 20 out of 28. Still, she said, the senior pastor is male. And she chose her denomination carefully, based on its acceptance of women clergy. “I was formerly Baptist, but I had a hard time getting licensed. That was a clue for me about how hard it would be to become ordained, so I switched to AME.”

The clergywomen embraced the opportunity to meet each other. “I’m interested in being in a dialogue with so many women clergy from so many faith traditions,” said St. Clair.

At the end of the panel discussion, one attendee asked whether Coopersmith might offer a taste of her work. Coopersmith closed the evening by chanting the ancient priestly benediction.

Johanna Ginsberg

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