Sean Major-Campbell | God chooses women ever so often

ARCHBISHOP SHANE Parker has presented a pastoral statement from the Primate and Metropolitans of the Anglican Church of Canada concerning the Anglican Communion, in response to primates of the Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON) decision to leave the Anglican Communion. They reaffirmed the Solemn Declaration of 1893 found in the (Canadian) Book of Common Prayer:

“We declare this Church to be, and desire that it shall continue, in full communion with the Church of England throughout the world, as an integral portion of the One Body of Christ composed of Churches which, united under the One Divine Head and in the fellowship of the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church, hold the One Faith revealed in Holy Writ, and defined in the Creeds. (BCP 1959/1962, viii).”

While the Church in the Province of the West Indies (CPWI) is yet to issue a statement, in my opinion, it is noteworthy that like the Anglican Church of Canada, it too would stand by the affirmation of the instruments. The Canadian Church further notes:

“We reaffirm the four Instruments of Communion: the Lambeth Conference, the Anglican Consultative Council, the Primates’ Meeting, and the primatial See of Canterbury with its people, clergy, and its Archbishop.”

THEOLOGICAL QUESTION

I found rather prophetic and helpful, the wisdom of the Canadian Primates in observing, “The practical and theological question before us is this: Can communion with the Risen Christ contain conflict, so that conflict and disagreement lose their power to divide? We believe the answer to this question is a resounding ‘YES’ because this has been borne out many times in Anglican experience and intuition from the Reformation to the present time”

Having said all the above, may we, however, face the elephants in the room.

1. The appointment of a woman as Archbishop of Canterbury would be a catalyst for those still struggling with the notion of a woman as leader of the communion. Never mind the fact that gender does not determine God’s capacity to call and use whomsoever God wishes to call. If a pastor’s genitals matter in his or her work, then he or she is in the wrong field.

2. The ongoing anti LGBTQ sentiment as a ticket to heaven prevails. Many Fundamentalist Christians continue to rely on elements of misogyny and homophobia to determine qualification for heaven and destination hell.

One wonders how this much passion never led to conflict regarding racism, child abuse, oppression, injustice, and wickedness in general. However, a qualified woman fails the suitability test just by her gender. The crime of femininity in authority has been exacerbated by her inclusion and compassion for everyone regardless of gender and sexual diversity. And yes, the “biblical argument” card is popular. However, not everything that is biblical is Christian. Tribal people assign tribal thinking to the actions of God.

RAGING STORM

Patriarchy is a raging storm in the world today. It is claiming ground in politics and religion. Ever so often, internalised stigma allows the very victims of misogyny, racism, and various prejudices to remain silent, and even cause manifestations of Stockholm syndrome. Britanica.com defining Stockholm syndrome, notes that it “describes the psychological condition of a victim who identifies with and empathises with their captor or abuser and their goals.” While this has been considered a rare occurrence, it appears to be an area worthy of further study in religion.

Might the observation of this condition be applied to patriarchal enterprises? Britanica.com also reminds us, “Stockholm syndrome is named for a bank robbery in Stockholm, Sweden, in 1973. Four people were held hostage by the robbers for six days; when they were rescued, the hostages attempted to protect the perpetrators, with whom they had an amicable relationship.”

Where authoritarian dictates prevail, patriarchy is in full reign. Patriarchy demands that strict gender roles be defined. Although gender is a social construct, the toxic demands of patriarchy assign divine status to predetermined limitations on how masculinity and femininity are defined. Reality is also processed through dualistic thinking.

Men are seen as rulers and leaders, while women are seen as passive dependents. Men are seen as possessing the superior capacity for decision making and great smarts. Women are just emotional beings who must be brought into stability by masculine leadership while being kept in a “God-ordained” subordinate position!

It is a very interesting reality to observe how misogyny is inseparable from homophobia. Gender and sexual diversity is seen as a threat to the preservation of masculinity. How dare a man present with any approach that may be deemed feminine! Meanwhile, women are demeaned for not being breeders and demure servants of patriarchal dictates.

GAFCON may be shocked to know that it has members who are being called to leadership in ordained ministry although they are women. Then there is the reality that a percentage of any population regardless of religion, denomination, or politics, who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, etcetera. All God’s children belong to God’s family.

Diversity, equity, and inclusion are antithetical to patriarchy. Sadly, however, many of those being demeaned by patriarchy’s notions of holiness, often lack the critical thinking skills to accept Jesus’ liberating approach to the ministry of women and the despised outcasts of society.

Fr Sean Major-Campbell is an Anglican priest and advocate for human rights and dignity. Please send feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and seanmajorcampbell@yahoo.com