Some 13 percent of male pastors still against female clergy

Opposition to female clergy in decline; local disputes more embittered these days

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The number of male members of the clergy who oppose female clerics has been in steady decline for the past few years.
      According to a fresh survey, about 13 percent of male Lutheran ministers do not approve of women as members of the clergy, whereas five years ago nearly a third of ordained men stood against female priesthood or had reservations about it.
      Roughly four percent of male ministers refuse in part to work with female pastors, whereas 2-3 percent of them refrain completely from all cooperation with female clerics.
      In the Diocese of Oulu, almost every other male minister opposes the ordaining of women. Also in the Archdiocese of Turku, there are quite a few opponents of the female clergy.
      The fewest problems are reported in the dioceses of Espoo and Helsinki, where there are female clerics in most of the congregations.
      Chapters, deans, and work community developers of the Evangelical Lutheran Church answered the latest questionnaire.
     
One congregation out of ten has minor difficulties, whereas serious problems arise in 2-3 percent of the parishes.
      The most common problem is with male ministers who refuse to cooperate with female clerics.
      According to Bishop Mikko Heikka of the Espoo Diocese, who was the chairman of the committee behind the conducted study, the decline in the number of clergymen opposing female priesthood is significant.
      "Because of some loud opposition that has dominated the media, an inaccurate image of the situation may have been communicated, according to which the opposition would be growing stronger. This, however, is not the case", Heikka points out.
      Most of the serious problems occurred in congregations where the vicar objected to the female clergy.
     
During the time the study was conducted, there were no female priests working in such congregations. Problems occurred between the vicar and the parishioners, and in the work atmosphere in general.
      Hence the study confirms that placing the opponents of female ministers in congregations where there are no women to irritate them does not get rid of the problems, but may in fact exacerbate them.
     
Today, a third of Finnish Lutheran pastors are women. The most female ministers are to be found in the dioceses of Helsinki (36%) and Kuopio (35%). The dioceses of Oulu (17%) and Porvoo (18%) have the least female representation.
      Female clergy were approved by the Synod in 1986. In the same motion, opponents of the idea were also granted the freedom to work within the Church, provided that cooperation between opponents and supporters could be maintained. The interpretation of this has caused numerous disputes.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Female clergy celebrate their 15th anniversary (6.3.2003)

Links:
  The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland

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