Gender Observations in Colombian Church



Pastor Gloria at Colombian lunch



Girls on Colegio Campus

      The social position of women has been a major issue in many societies.  It is clear that women have not had the advantages of most men growing up.  We noticed there was a much higher proportion of boys in classes at the Colegio [private high schools] we visited, possibly reflecting a willingness of families to spend the extra cost for male preparation in private school. Some significant progress has been made in society, and in the church.

      It has only been quite recently,  that women´s  leadership in the church has been formally recognized.  The celebration of ordination of women as Elders and Ministers of Word and Sacrament recently celebrated [50 years for Elder and Minister in the Presbyterian Church.]  The are still a number of U.S. denominations who won´t ordain women or permit women to preach, and some congregations left PCUSA over ordination of women quite recently.  It was of particular interest to an Accompaniment team that included two women of considerable leadership experience in the church and a man who has learned to appreciate the significant role of women in both church as society to observe gender issues.   We were especially interested in the role of gender within Iglesia Presbyteriana Colombia during our month here as we observed in one Presbytery and attendance at the General Assembly as well as in local congregations.

     Elected delegates to the Synod Assembly reflect the important role of women as Pastors and Elders.  About 40% of the delegates were reported as being women by a male we asked.  It actually was 9 out of 30.  However, a period of observation at the beginning of plenary, indicated a dominance of male voices in the discussion of business of the national church to be by men. 

     Toward the end of the Assembly,  a male delegate commented that they should be congratulated on the number of women who had been ordained [particularly in comparison with the Mexican Presbyterian church which they consider to be ¨belong to a different planet¨]  in regard to a number of issues including leadership of women.



     In a conversation over lunch with a woman, who is pastor of two churches and serves as chaplain at Colegio Americano for children, we inquired about her perspective of  differences in the acceptance of women in church leadership.  She was quiet for a while and then agreed that while formally women had a full role in the life of the denomination, men were give preferencial treatment in key discussions at meetings and as elected leadership.



Pastor Gloria Preaching



     While there have been four women moderators of IPC, the last one was in 2006-2007.  Another interesting observation is that in the first two congregations we visited, all three of the elders were women.  We do not know the gender composition of congregations in the other two presbyteries.