The 1890 Free Methodist General Conference was the first general conference to have women delegates, which added tension to the debate about women’s ordination. Clara Wetherald of the East Michigan Conference and Anna Grant from North Indiana were seated delegates at the conference (Snyder, 2006). In the Passion of the Founders (2003), edited by Gerald […]
June 17, 2010
Over the last few weeks I’ve been dissecting the 1890 Free Methodist General Conference debate about ordaining women. While we’ve read some wonderful defenses of women in ministry, it’s important to also look at the critics. Many of the arguments made in the 1890s are still being made today, which, frankly, doesn’t give me much […]
June 10, 2010
The 1890 Free Methodist General Conference debate about the ordination of women is one of the most important moments in Free Methodist Church history. The debate about women’s roles still goes on today, making it crucial that we understand our history and our position on this issue. No true Free Methodist should ever say that […]
June 2, 2010
The idea that God created men and women with different capabilities and purposes has driven the debate about gender equality for centuries. Yet, while the idea seems fairly straightforward – God created Adam first and Eve was made from Adam; therefore Adam must be the leader because he was created first. The implications behind this […]
June 23, 2010
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