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Exclusion of women from ordination and other church leadership roles made headlines earlier this summer when the Southern Baptist Convention banned women from the most senior leadership roles. Women in many parts of the Christian church continue a struggle for full inclusion in the sacraments and leadership of the church, a struggle that some women started 50 years ago.
In 1974, there was a dramatic breakthrough of the so-called stained glass ceiling that gave hope to Christian women everywhere. At a church in Philadelphia, a group of eleven women were ordained to the Episcopal priesthood in violation of the constitution and canons of the Episcopal Church – which at the time stated that only men were eligible for ordination. This story is told in a compelling new documentary The Philadelphia Eleven.
The feature documentary film will screen on Saturday, September 29, at 4:00pm at the Episcopal Church of St. Martin. There is no ticket charge, but donations will be accepted. After the screening, refreshments will be served and there will be a brief discussion featuring ordained women discussing their own experiences, including the Rev. Dr. Pamela Dolan, rector of St. Martin’s, and the Rev. Mary Goshert Ekenstam, one of the first women ordained in the Episcopal Church in northern California. More names will be announced once they’re confirmed.
This film tells a story that continues to resonate today as women seeking ordination continue to face resistance, disrespect and exclusion from roles reserved by men for men. The documentary explores the lives of these remarkable women who succeeded in transforming an age-old institution despite the threats to their personal safety and the risk of rejection by the church they loved. These women became and remain ugh an inspiration for generations of women in the ministry, and a clarion call for the entire Christian Church.
The film’s director, Margo Guernsey, is not Episcopalian. She reminds others, “this is a story for all of us. It is about how to break down barriers with grace and be true to oneself in the process. This story reveals ways in which voices that are inconvenient, are often buried. It also provides a vision for what a just and inclusive community looks like in practice.”
The Rev. Dr. Pamela Dolan remarked, “I was raised in a tradition, the Roman Catholic Church, that does not ordain women. It was a long and painful journey to leave my family’s faith and find my own path, although I always felt that I was trying my best to go follow God’s prompting and guidance. In retrospect, all the parts of my journey were important and have made me the priest I am today. I’m very grateful to learn more about the women who paved the way, making my own vocation possible.”
