The Methodist Churches

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We are especially looking for the history of women’s inclusion in the ministries!

Resolution of the Methodist Conference concerning the ordination of women,
passed in 1966 at its Representative Session:

‘This Conference affirms its conviction that women may properly be ordained to the Ministry of Word and Sacraments. Recognising that it would not be wise to take unilateral action at this time, it desires to discuss with representatives of the Church of England the implications of this principle for the Ministry of both our Churches and for our recognition of the validity of the orders of women so ordained in other branches of the Christian Church.’

Rev. Noemi Perez of South New Jersey, USA	J. L. Weidman (ed.), ‘Women Ministers’ (in preparation), 1981, United Methodist Church, USA. An important link: Methodist Church Committee for Gender Justice.	Bishop Dan Solomon and Rev. Kyong Heekim of Rainbow United Methodist Church, New York

We have on our website the work of George H. Tavard, who, though he was a Roman Catholic, was professor of theology at the Methodist Theological School in Ohio:

• George H.Tavard, Woman in Christian Tradition, 1973 (a whole book!).
• George H. Tavard, ‘The Witness and Experience of Other Churches’, from The Ordination of Women: Pro and Con, pp. 112-125, edited by Michael P.Hamilton and Nancy S.Montgomery, Morehouse Barlow Co, 1975.
• George H.Tavard, ‘The Scholastic Doctrine’, from Women Priests,Arlene Swidler & Leonard Swidler (eds.), Paulist Press 1977, pp 99-106.

Father Tavard worked extensively in the field of ecumenism, being a member of the Anglican-Roman Catholic International Conversations, the Anglican-Roman Catholic Conversations in the United States and the Lutheran-Catholic Dialogue in the United States. He is the author of works in French and in English, including The Catholic Approach to Protestantism, Holy Writ or Holy Church, The Quest for Catholicity, Paul Tillich and the Christian Message, The Church Tomorrow and Woman in Christian Tradition.

This website is maintained by the Wijngaards Institute for Catholic Research.

The Institute is known for issuing academic reports and statements on relevant issues in the Church. These have included scholars' declarations on the need of collegiality in the exercise of church authority, on the ethics of using contraceptives in marriage and the urgency of re-instating the sacramental diaconate of women.

Visit also our websites:Women Deacons, The Body is Sacred and Mystery and Beyond.

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