Lay Leaders' Views About Female Rabbis and Ministers

52 SHOFAR Summer 1995 Vol. 13, No.4 RESEARCH CORNER This section welcomes occasional short reports or notes on research in progress that have not been pu~lished elsewhere. Lay Leaders' Views About Female Rabbis and Ministers by Rita J. Simon and Pamela Nadell American University Washington, DC Introduction In this third of a series of articles on the roles and experiences of female clergy (rabbis and ministers), we focus on the reactions of lay leaders and their evaluations of the performances of their religious leaders. The first article compared the backgrounds, motivations, and experiences of female rabbis against those of Protestant clergy.' We reported that the rabbis were more likely to emphasize the secular aspect of their work, while the ministers, most of whom said they were "called to their ministry," first identified spiritual roles. Both groups of women clergy believe they are more approachable and less formal than their male counterparts, they are more likely to personalize religious ceremonies, and their preaching is more emotional and relational than that of their male colleagues. The second article described the reactions of male rabbis and ministers to the manner in which their female colleagues perform their 'Rita]. Simon, Pamela Nadell, and Angela Scanlan, "Women of the Book and the Cloth," Sociology ofReligion, Vol. 54, No.1 (Spring 1993).' . Lay Leaders' Views About Female Rabbis and Ministers 53 clerical roles.2 It indicated that the men do not see the major differences in style and substance that the women clergy claim they have introduced. The interviews with the male clergy showed that many of the differences described by the women ministers and especially by the female rabbis are not validated by the men. The men perceive more warmth, less formality, and less hierarchy, but they do not report major differences in the performance of rituals, in the substance and delivery of sermons, and in the overall definition and performance of the role of minister and rabbi. In this third article, we describe the lay leaders' reactions to and evaluations of the female clergy with whom they serve. Method and Findings The women clergy who participated in our initial study consisted of 35 rabbis: of whom 25 had pulpits, 16 were solo rabbis, and nine were assistants or associates.3 All but three of the rabbis were ordained at Hebrew Union College, the reform movement's seminary. The Protestant ministers included six Presbyterians, five Episcopalians, five Unitarians, five United Methodists, four Lutherans, one Baptist, 'and one African Methodist Episcopal. Twenty-one of the ministers had pulpits as assistants or associates in large churches; six were solo pastors in smaller churches, and one was a senior pastor supervising a younger female minister. The other six were not involved in parish ministry.4 We were able to interview by mail or phone the lay leaders in 22 of the 25 congregations that had women as assistant, associate, or solo rabbis. Among the Protestant clergy, interviews were conducted with the lay leaders in eleven of the 20 congregations. 2Rita J. Simon and Pamela Nadell, "In the Same Voice or Is It Different?," Sociology of Religion, Vol. 56, No.1 (Spring 1995). 30f the ten who did not have pulpits, two were Hillel directors, three worked as educators and counselors in Jewish schools and community centers, one was a faculty member, two were graduate students, and two were not employed outside their homes.·Ofthe sLx not involved in parish ministry, one was on leave to pursue a doctoral degree, two were adjunct professors at seminaries, two were chaplains, and one was at home to rear her children. 54 Protestant Lay Leaders SHOFAR Summer 1995 Vol. 13, No.4 As far as the two Episcopal Senibr Wardens of the Vestry are concerned , a "rector is a rector regardless of gender"; "a burial is a burial" and "your turn at the pulpit is your turn at the pulpit." These observations were made by a 74-year-old Senior Warden of the Vestry who acts as a general manager of the parish and reports to the rector, who has "the keys to the kingdom." One warden also commented that having Rector A "changed us for the better. We now...