Rev. Heather Murray Elkins stayed home from the Clergywomen’s Gathering in Texas. Here’s why.
“Worthy, yes, worthy. Thanks be to God. The UMC clergywomen are gathering again to celebrate what those words, called out in affirmation in ordination services, have meant for the world and for women for the last sixty years. 1956 to 2016,” says the Rev. Heather Murray Elkins.
Currently serving as Frederick Watson Hannan Professor of Worship, Preaching and the Arts at Drew University, Elkins remembers her own ordination and also recalls names like Marjorie Swank Matthews and Judith Craig.
“Bishop Matthews preached at our annual conference, and I got to drive her to the airport. On the way I asked if there were any hopeful signs of other women being elected. She was ill, retiring, leaving a big empty space. She gently advised me to trust that God knew what the church needed. I promised to try, but still I knelt on the hot tarmac at the small airport and asked for her blessing so I would remember a woman’s hands. By July of that year God provided what the church needed: Bishop Kelly, and Bishop Craig.”
Last Updated on August 30, 2016