Covenant News

Covenant Clergy Women Propose Family Leave Policy

CHICAGO (February 2, 2000) - A proposed policy on family leave for pastors was reviewed by members of the Association of Covenant Clergy Women (ACCW) during the group's third annual meeting as part of Midwinter Conference activities.

Approximately 70 pastors, ministers, students and administrators participated, making this year's event one of the largest gatherings in the association's history. For a number of years the group gathered on an informal basis, according to Nancy Gordon, ACCW president. "We had been part of Midwinter for years and eventually we had a critical mass," said Gordon. "Several years ago, we decided that it was time to start an association as a way to take responsibility for ourselves."

The family leave proposal was presented by Kari Lindholm-Johnson, an ACCW board member. The proposal is significant because churches have a range of different policies on family leave, Lindholm-Johnson explained. "There is such variety in churches that when a pastor finds out (that they are having a child), each church has a different policy," she said. "This (proposal) sets a standard." The association will request consideration of the policy by both the ECC Board of Ministry and the Covenant Ministerium.

Evelyn Johnson, newly elected superintendent of the Pacific Southwest Conference, and Mary Miller, secretary of the Covenant, addressed attendees. Miller took note of the number of participants at the meeting, recalling a time when there were only two or three women pastors. "The number of participants is significant - it's important to have colleagues that can relate to each other in a specialized ministry of ministry," Miller said.

Christine Franzon, associate pastor at Redeemer Covenant in Carrollton, Texas, underscored the importance of having an opportunity to meet with colleagues. "I'm in Texas and there are no other women pastors there," Franzon said. "It makes it difficult."

A consultation of women in the ministry is scheduled September 25-26, with some 70 individuals expected to participate, including conference superintendents, presidents of regional ministeriums, the ACCW board and seminary faculty. A broader focus also is to be incorporated into the meeting of the Covenant Ministerium during the Annual Meeting in St. Paul in June – the 25th anniversary of the decision to ordain women.

One goal of the consultation is to develop strategies that work, according to Jay Phelan, president of North Park Theological Seminary. "This is something we should have done 25 years ago," Phelan said, "to give churches information, education, and empowering. We are doing something on a denominational basis now that would have been helpful years ago," Phelan added.

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