Abstract:
The issue of women in the ministry has been a vexed one historically. In many denominations,
the ordination of women has been represented by some form of struggle, which culminated
in the first ordinations of women during the second half of the 20th century. This article
investigates the process towards the ordination of women in two Southern African
Presbyterian denominations – the Bantu Presbyterian Church of South Africa (renamed the
‘Reformed Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa’ in 1979) and the Presbyterian Church of
South Africa (renamed the ‘Presbyterian Church of Southern Africa’ in 1958), prior to their
union in 1999 to form the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa. This article
focusses on women in leadership in ministry, not exclusively on women ordained to the
ministry of ruling or teaching elder (minister). It begins with an historical overview
and proceeds to an investigation of developments in the two relevant denominations. The
terms ‘leadership’ and ‘ministry’ are used separately and together and are considered to
be synonymous. The article uses primary sources from the records of both denominations
considered and suggests that the process was gradual and progressive as the worth of
women in leadership was recognised following the general acceptance of the biblical and
theological arguments.
Description:
This research is part of the
research project, ‘History
of Theological Education
in Africa’ directed by Prof.
Dr Graham Duncan of the
Department of Church
History and Church Polity
at the Faculty of Theology,
University of Pretoria.
