Horizons magazine is published by Presbyterian Women (PW) the national women’s organization of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).
Issue link: http://horizons.epubxp.com/i/481579
C ircles and guilds were the places where women carved out leadership roles when church administration involved only men. These women loved their worshiping communities so much that they didn't leave, but worked the system to their advantage. And although today women are in the pulpit and serving in leadership, support of the church and desire for com- munity continue to draw women to gather together. Intergenera- tional community offers the opportunity for mentoring, mutual support and learning from one another. We learn where we have come from, who we are in the present and where we hope to be in the future. A female pastor once told me that a member decided to leave the church she was serving because of the pastor's son. He once sat on his mother's lap while the communion elements were passed throughout the congregation. The congregation member said it was "appalling" that he was at the Lord's Table with her. Another colleague was asked in an interview, "How would you feel baptizing an infant when you don't have children of your own?" Female congregation members are unable to participate when child care isn't offered, silently judged if they are unmarried, questioned if they don't have children, pressured to balance work and home lives that demand all of their attention, or judged if they choose to make home life their work. Add in male/female stereotypes that continue to exist within the walls of the church, and it's clear that there's still room for the church (and PW!) to grow. Community and Creation For many, "Presbyterian Women" evokes images of older women gather- ing midday for doing or planning tradi- tionally female work—cooking, hospitality or hosting bazaars. Some groups stay with these programs, while others step outside these traditions. Still other groups shatter traditional notions! Any activities that serve a pur- pose and are meaningful for those who attend have value. Yet, as I travel around the denomination, I am asked why younger women are not partici- pating in such groups. The truth of the matter—and this certainly applies to many things in the church!—is that there isn't a one-size- fits-all answer to the future of women's groups. A good start for a PW group would be to ask women in the congregation—all women, not just older women or younger women— about their interests, passions and hopes. Being delegated a role or task in an already-existing program leaves little to no room for personal voice. Building together offers the best future. It's also important to remember that the success of a group should not hinge on a particular demographic of women. Young women will not save an existing women's circle in the same way that a circle of retired women does not mean that the group is of less rele- vancy. The goal is to provide safe and courageous space for women. The needs of women are just as diverse as the women who seek a place within the worshiping community. If anyone can find a way to empower women in a congregation, it will be other women. But in order to build a future together, we all must be willing to see different possibilities and stretch ourselves to try something new even if it feels uncomfortable. Larissa Kwong Abazia is pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Forest Hills in New York and vice moderator of the 221st General Assembly. Womentrees Dancing, Divas, Mitzi Linn s t r e n g t h e n i n g t h e P C ( U S A ) 40 Why Stay? Why Join? t t t B Y LARISSA KWONG ABAZIA