IMPLICATIONS OF THE ORDINATION OF WOMEN FOR THE METHODIST CHURCH OF SOUTHERN AFRICA

Abstract

The year 2016 marks the fortieth anniversary of the ordination of women in the Methodist Church of Southern Africa (MCSA). This, being a milestone worth celebrating and commemorating, highlights not only the gains but also the challenges that women face in the ministry of the Methodist Church. The implications of the ordination of women for the denomination (and its organisations) have yet to be fully grappled with, interpreted within the changing context of our present society, and understood in light of the patriarchal society within which the Methodist Church operates. The present article highlights the implications of the ordination of women for the Young Men’s Guild – a missional organisation of men in the MCSA. The article calls for inclusive and radical transformational activity within the Young Men’s Guild. It advocates for intentional implementation of the Gender Action Plan that was approved by the Methodist Conference ten years ago (2006). It agitates for a Young Men’s Guild movement whose discomfort with its privilege propels it to live out the principles contained in the Methodist rule of life. Young Men’s Guild members ought to actively pursue an agenda of inclusion in order for their organisation to reflect truly the vision and mission of the MCSA.