Even the mother of all mother's, Mary, is not as exalted and special in the Bible as she became in later Catholic tradition. If today's sermons are to be helpful, then a better topic are those clergy mothers who are yet unable to break the stained glass ceiling. Female pastors and rabbis have rarely been appointed to head the most organizationally prestigious churches and synagogues in New Jersey. The Episcopal Church, for example, began ordaining women priests in 1976. But in the State of New Jersey, where approximately 350 full time priests serve 289 parishes, only 98 are women. About 40 of those serve, many as rectors, in parishes that are mid size. Of the largest parishes with 1000 members or more, of which there are approximately fifteen, none are occupied by a woman. Even when the diocese recommends, the parish does not call. Of the six New Jersey Presbyteries in the Presbyterian Church USA, most female clergy occupy congregations of under 250 members, as well as chaplaincy, counseling and religious education. Only two are senior pastors in churches with 500 members or more.
In my own Conservative Judaism, which began ordaining women in 1985, none of the four women who serve congregations in New Jersey occupy what we consider promotional positions, which are synagogues with larger memberships and greater resources for religious programming. Nationally, only two lead such congregations. Rabbi Stephanie Dickstein served congregations in Hoboken and Verona and was among those pioneers who first trail blazed the path to the pulpit. She explains that "of 60 women in our movement who have been rabbis for more than five years, now eligible for promotional positions, about half occupied pulpits at one time or another. But only 20% have remained as congregational rabbis. '" Perhaps the most effective assistance in elevating women up the sacred ladder has come from the Methodist Church. Rev Vicki Brendler, District Superintendent of the Raritan District of the Greater New Jersey Annual Conference of the Methodist Church, reports that of 121 women who are senior pastors in NJ churches, ten are senior pastors in churches with more than 500 members. Reverend Diane Nancekivell, has cracked the stained glass ceiling. She is Vicar of the Trinity Cathedral Church in Trenton, which as the seat of the Episcopal Bishop, is regarded as the mother church. Nevertheless, she cautions, "In my pastoral function, I am embraced wholeheartedly. But as a spiritual manager and public figure in the community, I still meet resistance."
An evocative sermon topic today would be "Mother Clergy: Accomplishments and Handicaps."The number of ordained female clergy tripled 1983 through 1999. Affirmative action has been realized. But the next stage of advancing qualified female clergy to the role of religious boss is yet unrealized on the religious agenda. Presbyterian Reverend Jill Kitsco acknowledges that "many women I know do not have a large church as their goal. They are happier with smaller, family feeling type parishes, or seek part time ministry while raising families, as I am now. " Perhaps the disparity is because the pool of potential female candidates is smaller than men. Or maybe since women's ordination is more recent than men, both the pastors and the parishes simply need more time to accustom themselves to women on the pulpit. Of course, when God is still perceived as a male and father, is it surprising that God's primary spokesperson is not usually a mother?