Women’s Ordination Conference – Adelaide 13-14 July 2012
Hosted by St. Stephen’s Lutheran Church Adelaide

On the Friday night we listened to a talk by Dr Victor Pfitzner, who has been supporting women’s ordination for over 20 years. He stated, “I have a dream” like Martin Luther King – a future dream! King not only had a dream but it became a reality. Dreaming about the future!  Dreaming together to overcome the BIG ‘But’s’. “But women can never take the place of a man”. We are not about to take the place of men! We want to join them. We are not to dream anymore. Our dreams need to become reality.
We met women Pastors ordained in the USA, Canada, South Africa and India. Unfortunately none of them are recognised here in Australia under the rules and regulations of the LCA.
Pastor Monika Melanchthon, an ordained Pastor (2009) and lecturer from India who is working at the United Church Faculty of Theology in Melbourne, spoke to us about Zelophahad’s daughters who stood before Moses, the elders and the congregation stating their claim to land (as they had no brothers). They had a plan, they came prepared and with that strategy they boldly came to claim their father’s Inheritance (Numbers 27: 1-4).
The dream of those in favour of women’s ordination in the LCA, women and men, is to step forward in solidarity against all resistance and be recognised as equals in fulfilling the pastoral role. Gender is no longer an issue. How will it happen? When people continue to pray for it because they firmly believe it is God’s will for the Lutheran church in Australia.
Sue Westhorp’s story was amazing – a story of a woman who knew as a child that she was called and destined to be a Pastor and subsequently studied at the Lutheran College in Adelaide. Sue works as a Chaplain at a hospital in Melbourne. She is able to comfort the sick, the dying and their families. But sadly she is unable to perform Holy Communion at the end. She has lovingly performed all the duties up to that final point, then must step aside for a male ordained Pastor. This hurts, and causes her grief. Called – but unable to be ordained.
There are presently 14 women in the LCA who have studied Theology. Some are already ordained overseas, others waiting until they can have this rite performed in their much loved LCA.
Irmgard Poetsch and I were able to share how wonderful it is for us to have not only one, but two female Pastors in the Martin Luther German Church in Sydney and also a Swedish, Indonesian, Danish and Norwegian Pastor in the city. Our prayers join with our sisters in Christ awaiting ordination to be vigilant, strong in faith and move forward boldly.