![]() Eventually, certain types of affirmation were combined with certain functions of ministry to produce our current understanding of ordination. Some were set apart in leadership positions and some were assigned specific tasks to accomplish, but the differences among ministries were not distinctions of kind. Any person could exercise ministry (which means, remember, service) who was called and gifted by God and affirmed by the body of Christ, the Church. It clearly portrays, however, the fact that the early church had a varied and faithful ministry arising from the fact that all of God’s people were “gifted” by the Holy Spirit for the purpose of building up one another (see, for example, 1 Corinthians 12:4–31 14:1–19 Romans 12:3–8 Ephesians 4:7–16 1 Peter 4:8–11). ![]() The New Testament says relatively little about ordination. Today, we tend to confuse our specific church traditions about ordination with the biblical concept of ministry. Perhaps a few words should be said about the concept of ministry itself on the basis of the New Testament. Crucial to these discussions for many of us are the matters of faithful biblical interpretation. Today, most church bodies are discussing the place of women in their ministries. However, their role in this area has never been free from controversy. Women have contributed much to the ministry of the Church throughout its history. In the following article, we present Fuller Seminary’s position on women in ministry, as described and biblically supported by the late Professor of New Testament David M. Learn more about the history of women at Fuller. “If you were a woman and you felt called to ministry, you could go to Fuller.” For decades now, Fuller has welcomed women equally into all its programs. “We made it clear that women are welcome, and they showed up,” said trustee Max De Pree about that time more than 40 years ago. ![]() With the 1970s came the creation of an Office of Women’s Concerns, courses on women in ministry initiated and taught by Roberta Hestenes, and Fuller’s first female tenure-track faculty member, Hendrika Vande Kemp. By 1966, all Fuller’s degree programs were opened to women. That year also saw the hiring of Fuller’s first faculty member, Rebecca Price, who taught and administered a second degree designed with women in mind, the Master of Religious Education. At their insistence, by the following year women were taking individual courses, and by 1950 a degree specifically for women-the Bachelor of Sacred Theology, a modified version of the Bachelor of Divinity-was created, with Helen Clark its first graduate in 1952. In 1947, when Fuller Theological Seminary was founded, it was assumed that all students preparing for ministry would be men women, however, saw it differently. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |