This June, the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) faced a pivotal moment, declining to accept a proposed amendment that would have severed ties with any church led by a woman pastor. While this decision might seem like a step forward for women’s ordination, it simply reaffirms the SBC’s stance that only men can be ordained.

In contrast, across the Pacific Ocean, on July 11th, the Uniting Church of Australia made a groundbreaking installation of their first woman of color as president, Rev. Charissa Suli. Vibrant performances, including choirs and bands from Tonga, Fiji and Sydney, celebrated this historic milestone.

Rev. Suli’s installation is a powerful testament to the Uniting Church’s commitment to embracing and empowering women leaders to guide their congregations into the future.

The future of the church depends on more women elected as leaders. The church’s origins are deeply rooted in the contributions of women, who were the first to share the good news of Jesus’ resurrection. Despite these beginnings, women have faced significant challenges within the church.

Personally, I once struggled with my calling to teach and minister when I was considering attending seminary in the early 1990s. At that time, there were not many ordained women ministers and there were only two in the Korean immigrant churches.

This scarcity of role models made it difficult for me to envision a path to becoming a theology professor or a minister within the Presbyterian Church.

Much has changed over the past 30-40 years, yet many things remain the same. The church remains a male-dominated space despite so many women entering seminary, getting ordained, and becoming prominent church leaders.

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