Religions with Female Clergy?

Question

Hello, all:

I know that Wicca has priestesses -- that is, fully empowered female clergy -- but what other religions share that trait? I'm sure many of the other Neo-Pagan faiths do, and some Christian denominations...

In those faiths that do have female clergy, what functions, if any, do you feel that they fulfill that a male member of the clergy cannot?

Answer 1

Clergy are meant to serve the good of the community through their religion. I think that both men and women should have that job. Many issues in a community carry a gender-bias, birth and birth-related issues for example. I have a really awesome male Ob-Gyn. He's the kind of person that can walk into a room and the whole rooms feels at peace. He cannot and will not ever understand what it feels like or is like to give birth. While fully competent, he is not a woman. He can sympathize with a new mom's fears but can never appreciate what a woman feels facing birth. A woman can never fully appreciate what it is to be a man. There are many things that each gender have to bring and both are needed.
In a religious sense, there are many religions that have female deities, a woman can connect with them in a different way then a man could. The same goes with a male deity, a man makes a better connection. Life has both men and women, society has both men and women, and we need both men and women in leadership roles, whether religious, political or financial.

Answer 2

Rubish!
I'm a woman training for priesthood in the Anglican (episcopalian) church. A lot of my friends who aren't anglican are women who lead large churches in other denominations. Currently there are some parts of the world where Anglican women can't become Bishops (including the UK) but everyone acknowleges it's just a matter of time before there are women at every level of church leadership in the Church of England.

Having women clergy is important to represent a fuller picture of God who is neither male nor female but made man and woman in his image. It's also important because it was something Jesus seemed to point towards - eg in having Mary (not the one who was his mother) sit in the place of a disciple rather than help her sister in the kitchen. The church that set up imediately after Jesus left seems to have women at every level of leadership (if you read the Bible with any understanding of the cultural setting you can see St Paul talks about them with a lot of respect)... so if Jesus and his close followers felt it was important to have women in church leadership I don't think we can avoid it on personal preference.

There are some things that I'm more adept at but I also know a lot of guys who can be really sensitive and good at the things traditionally associated with women (I really don't think you can say all women will be good at this and all men will be good at something else). However there are some occasions where I've seen people really apprieciate a man who is a pastor just put their arm around their sholder and be father like at a time they just really need it. So I guess there will be moments when it makes all the diference in the world that I can do the mum things of accepting someone or giving them wise advice or a kick up the backside as only a good mum can do!
Hope this helps,
Grace

Answer 3

In Wicca, the High Priestess is sometimes leading by herself and sometimes in conjunction with a High Priest, We consider a High Preist or Priestess to have general leadership roles such as holding meetings and study sessions, but in ritual the High Priestess & High Priest lead us in ritual. This is the representation of Feminine and Masculine in Ritual. ALso, some covens do not define the roles that easily. We all have aspects of the God and Goddess within us so there is no reason why a Male couldn't represent the Goddess to us and a female, the God.

Answer 4

I am wiccan and I beleive male witches are just as powerful as Female. I beleive also that the creator is female because she gave life to all of nature and gave female's the power of passing on life.
Blessed Be

Answer 5

I have belonged to a church with a female minister. I thought she had a wonderful way of helping people connect emotionally to her sermon topics. I think she was particularly gifted in this ability and I wouldn't say it was strictly because she was a women, but it might have helped.

Answer 6

i'm fantastically particular Protestants enable women persons pastors. Buuuuut... it sounds like fantastically lots anybody else has already informed you as lots, so... i assume this answer is sort of superfluous, eh? Oh nicely. in basic terms yet another reality spoken, i assume.

Answer 7

Well, to answer this in the proper context; I must refer to the Holy Word of God (the Bible). I will not rely on 'my own' understanding of this issue.

Whenever someone says --- "I believe", "To me", "I feel" or anything else along those lines about God, His Son Jesus Christ, or His Holy Word; all they accomplish is to break one of God's Commandments.......

"Do not commit Idolatry"

This happens when someone 'creates a 'god' to fit within the image they have set in their own minds' and do not rely on the truth of Yahweh's Holy Scripture.

Within the "Body of Christ" otherwise known as all who believe what the Bible says of Yeshua (Jesus Christ). God / Yahweh / Jehovah is the only one who can say if a male or female are to be called into the ministry.

If we, humans, put our own thoughts to work in this; then we are doing what mentioned above ..... committed Idolatry. How? Well, by putting our thoughts, ideas, opinions, and feelings into the Holy Word of God.

IF God wants to call a woman to ministry and that woman is faithfully teaching and preaching the Word of God, in a way which does not break the Commandment of Idolatry; than it is permissible for her to be a (pastor, minister, preacher, ordained reverend).

We are mere humans, how can we tell if someone has been talked into ministry; in the way that is taught by God?

Look to the Bible - if someone is preaching or teaching anything that is not written in God's Holy Word - they are NOT preaching of Yahweh or Yeshua. We are also told to 'test anything that is said in the name of God'. Do not believe everything that a human teaches, unless you compare them to God's Word. For example :::: the Catholics 'believe' that Mary was raised whole bodily into Heaven ---- WHERE in the Holy Scriptures is that written??? Where is their proof ACCORDING to God's Holy Word?