A Few Thoughts on Women in Ministry

I remember the very first wedding I ever officiated. It was for a couple who were members of the church where I was on staff as a children’s pastor. The request caught me off-guard.

I was surprised anyone would ask a woman to officiate their wedding. It was pretty unconventional at the time. I suppose it still is to some degree.

I’m not sure I would have chosen a woman to marry Mike and me back in 1982. That isn’t terribly meaningful since the minister who did marry us also worked as an Elvis impersonator at the casinos down the road. That’ll drop the perceived holiness factor down a notch or two, won’t it? Go ahead. Take a moment to imagine Elvis saying, “Dearly b’loved, wer gatherd here t’day, tajoin thisman, and thiswoman inholymatrimony…” It takes you pretty far away from the sound of church bells, doesn’t it?

In our defense, we didn’t exactly choose the Elvis impersonator; he came with the wedding package we selected at The Love Chapel in Lake Tahoe, Nevada. Don’t judge. Read more “A Few Thoughts on Women in Ministry” →