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Jean Stairs settles into Acto parish THE HERALD Wednesday July People seek sincerity pastor CI Inhcnfh auto no mj Finding a considers herself lucky have been Invited to paste lurch The woman last year from toll rue and because the Church believes in the or local church it makes a parish tougher for the new graduate parish is up to graduates whereas In the United Church minister are all posted In a pastoral charge when they graduate Herald photo by An wpman to be he history of the Baptist Convention of Ontario nnd Quebec Is he pastor or he Acton Baptist Church on Mill Street Jean Stairs Is looking forward to her notion in October Following Baptist custom ministers ordained until they gain experience in a parish Young and enthusiast Rev Stairs landed her Job after working as a supply preacher for ho Aclon congregation In the spring of When he parish realiicd she had finished school and was available as a pastor hey contacted her to come and fill their empty pulpit Overall third are under a down Baptist women clergy throughout Canada Rev Stairs said Churches t being encouraged by our 1st structure to look out for the women who arc coming rough They often aware that they women arc rain ing and are available qualified and compel enl she said Though I think now are beg to realize it A graduate of the master of divinity pro gram at McMoster in Hamilton Rev Stairs said then were five women and 14 men In her seminary class Of the five graduates from the course in her year she the sole woman Finding a Job graduate is really tough In he Baptist structure even for men Rev Stairs complained Because he Baptist church believes in the autonomy of he local church It place new graduates In church Finding a parish Is left up to the young and finding a mini la up to he churches TWO GROUPS Although there exists a churches and pastors advisory committee act as liaison service between Iho wo groups it still very much up lo the individuals and churches involved This set up contrasts with the United Church of Canada where new mini are automatically posted In a pastoral charge when they gro Having to hustle far your first pasloring Job i be even harder when WELL LIKED She said she tries to have a place for In her ministry and feels well liked by the would a male mini with the exception that some worry about mo in a way hat they might not if I were mule ACCEPTED She said she also feels WOMEN IN THE CLERGY A special report by Ant Pederipn youn Rev Stairs Indicated because although intellectually people feel 1 1 an accept able idea to have women pastors emotionally because of tradition and other factors often re not ready to bo by a woman This church Is unique because It has lots of women in leadership rotes Stairs said sweeping her eyes over the wooden pews A lot of the women ore working women and the body of people ore open ally to changing patterns and art therefore more accepting towards a They re very open at this church For example the minister before me was black They look for sincerity in a person They saw me as being committed and devoted and Its thai sense of commitment and that they re looking for Rev Stairs said As long as she can do the Job thai all that mailers to the Hon Rev Stairs said She feel that there is any special emphasis placed by the parish on the fact that she female In fact she said she docsn think some of the church members even perceive her as being a I haven had a single person come o me and say I having trouble with you as a woman I vc had a couple of people say they wondered about it in their minds at first Rev Stairs said I don perceive they treat me any differently than acceptance from other ministers in town and feels she contributes to their meetings Being asked to preach at town functions like the World Day of Prayer service the town Cemetery Decorating service and various ribbon cutting ceremonies make her feel accepted Anybody who walks Into a new job has dlffi cult things to handle and Rev Stairs feel that she found things any more difficult because of her sex Besides visiting he retired and sick Stairs makes trips to lunch with her working parishioners as well Men generally when the minister Is male arc not inclined o come he minister for help They II come over business or Ivc issues hut in terms of their own life manUl or mid life problems hey re not inclined to she said The men who t as open about these issues I tend seek out more and go visit them at home or meet at their the children In the congregation is a source of Joy for Rev Stairs She said being female may give her greater sensitivity as what Important children and how to help them through grief and The fact single and attractive worries her Acton congregation Rev Stairs admitted They re afraid 1 11 get married and go away However even If she were lo marry Rev Stairs see herself giving up her vocation She said she would continue to pastor We re the models the pioneers for the women coming out of the semi narles now she said The first woman ordained a Baptist minis was Muriel Carder In the 1930s wasn until that a second Stewart was ordained Although very slowly the number of Baptist women clergy Is growing Couples werent sure i Bandy could le marr them Judging on merits not sex The petite Bandy has had to assure couples on more than one occasion that if she performed their wedding it would be legal Rev Bandy was ned by the United Church of Canada in 1977 She practised as a mlnist 1 mov to George town last fall when her minister husband Tom accepted a position with Ihe Ball fad and St Andrew United Churches in Hills Friendly with an easy manner that makes you warm right up Rev Bandy is using her person skills to advantage ogam Since March I she been working as pastoral assistant at Lansing Unit Church In Willow dale Willowdalc is the first church where I haven been mistaken for the ministers wife niece or daughter It really refresh not to have to face that she chuckled Rev Bandy works three days a week at the church and feels very much accepted by the Hon The ministerial couple moved to Georgetown after working four church es together in New York state following their marriage Before that Rev Bandy ran three- point pastoral charge in rural Manitoba Tor a year on her own A number of my customs officials which made crossing the border easy she laughed SMALLTOWN Her term at Emerson Manitoba a small town near the Minnesota and North Dakota borders followed her three years at the University of Toronto College semi nary As part of her training Rev Bandy worked one summer in a northern Saskatchewan parish and another in downtown Toronto She holds Bache lor of Arts and Master of Divinity degrees from the University of Toronto In my year of semi nary onethird of my class was female Rev Bandy said It was the first year that women In any great numbers started enter seminary Once ordained new ministers are generally placed in rural parishes In the United Church when you re ordained he church places you You re settled by the church and the charges have no choice she explained Therefore it was very cosy for me to bo placed However the situation changes when a minister wants to go to another church It hard for women to be called and find them selves a second place ment Rev Bandy said If nobody calls you you stay where you are A recent Issue of The United Church Observer bemoaned this fact noting that there Is a much higher percentage of women pastors in the prairie pro vinces and Maritime where they are well received The problems seem to occur at he time of the second call Women Just arc not being asked to apply to congregations especially in urban Ontario Mary Sanderson of he Division of Mini personnel and Edu cat Ion said in the article The United Church headquarters circulates a list of ministers seeking another position and churches looking for new or additional ministers as a service to assist both groups I heard one woman minister say that when she puts her applications out for another she always just puts her Hals down Rev Bandy said That way she hides he fact that she female It kind of sad In a way thai you wouldn t bo on your own merits but would immediately be excluded just because you re female she sold It was In 1936 that the United Church ordained its first woman and although years have passed since then it still unusual to sec women ministers around People are so unac customed to seeing women in a clergy collar When I go to he hospital for visits they turn around and look at me and I know It a not my devastating beauty Rev Bandy said I like to go Yes I am a People are still to sec women In the pulpit Rev Bandy HARD TIME In the conservative northern part of New York stale where she with her Rev Bandy had a hard time establishing herself as minister Unfamiliar with women ministers parishioners would call her up and say I know how busy a mini wife is dear but can you Although she was very visible as a minister Rev Bandy said that becouso she was working with a man people tended lo downplay her authority Calling herself a low key laid back feminist Rev Bandy believes In equal respect for equal work She recalled one summer funeral she con ducted while still a student minister Having been he only remotely religious person available at the time the Saskatchewan farming family had to settle for her services though they were shocked to have a female pastor Rev There so down home quality about Bandy that makes If comfortable Rom In a small village in the illur Mountain area Dandy I strayed far from her roots Since March has been working part lime at Lansing United Church in Willow dale and besides finding a challenge finds It satisfying to be using her Interpersonal skills again photo Bandy said that after the service by the graveside he family went so far as to refuse to shake hands with her or any physical gesture of support Docs being female come in useful Rev Bandy thinks it helps and makes her Job easier I think sometimes women find it cosier to talk to another woman she said And sometimes it easier for men to be emotional with a woman than to express Ihelr emo tions to a man As well being female grants her automatic venue into maternity wards in hospitals or when It comes to minister ing to women who have had a mastectomy or hysterectomy Such women arc often reluctant to their feelings with a man though he be of he cloak Being female herself makes it easier for her to listen lo and understand female complaints and less prone to dismiss them or treat them as Insigni f leant Rev Bandy said As for women being too emotional what wrong with that counters Rev Bandy She can usually maintain selfcontrol and slay distant white con ducting a funeral she said confessing she cried through a funeral she was conducting for a friend RIGHT WORDS It s probably the most unprofessional thing I done in my life she said I was embarrassed But it s easier for a woman to be emotional People Continued an page AC Over graduates recommend 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