This presentation gives an overview of the history of ordination of Women of Color in the United Church of Christ. It also includes information about the ordination of women of color in other selected denominations including the PCUSA, AME, and AMEZ denominations.

1. Pamela Y. Cook
Women’s History and Experience in the
Christian Tradition
November 12, 2012

2. 1853 1st American woman ordained -
Antoinette L. Brown as Congregational (UCC
predecessor denomination) minister
1925 1st Pacific Island woman ordained –
Rev. Mother Alice Rosehill Kahokuoluna
1956 4 women ordained in Afro Christian
Connection
1972 1st Latina ordained –
Rev. Candita Bauzá-Mattos
1974 1st African American woman ordained -
Rev. Dr. Yvonne Delk

3. Rev. Mother Alice Rosehill
Kahokuoluna
• 1923 - licensed to preach &
assigned to Wananalua
Congregational Church, East
Maui.
• March 21, 1925 – ordained
• Was known for wearing
habit & riding horse to her
parishes

4. 1956 - Prior to
merger into United
Church of Christ 4
women ordained in
Afro Christian
Connection
This is one of those
women - Rev. Felicia
Walker-Wilson.

5. Rev. Candita Bauzá-Mattos
• 1st woman to graduate
from Evangelical
Seminary of Puerto Rico
• Associate Conference
Minister, Southern
California-Nevada
Conference
• Served as Minister for
Hispanic Relations in the
national setting

6. Rev. Dr. Yvonne Delk
• 1963-graduated from
Andover Newton
Seminary
1981-1st African
American woman to head
a national instrumentality
in the UCC, The Office for
Church in Society

7. Yvonne Delk continued
1989-1st Woman to be
nominated as a candidate
for the Office of
President of the UCC
1990- 1st Woman and
First African-American
Executive Director of the
Community Renewal
Society in Chicago

8. Rosemary McCombs Maxey
Born April 3, 1945
Muscogee
1987-1999 Pastor, Mt.
Tabor UCC, Rocky Ridge,
MD
Interim Pastor,
Community of Hope UCC,
Tulsa, OK
Director of the Eagle
Butte Learning Center
www.ucc.org/women/assets/maxey.mp3

9. 1975 – Dr. Thanda Ngcobo ordained to ministry
in Zulu at Trinity UCC, Chicago
1975 – Rev. Barbara J. Allen is commissioned
Director of Christian Education at Trinity UCC,
Chicago
From approx. 1980-2000, Rev. Allen serves as
executive minister but is refused ordination by
the UCC.

10. 1994-96 - Rev. Dr. Susan
Newman installed as
Senior Pastor of 1st
Congregational UCC,
Atlanta
1976-Licensed Baptist
1983-Ordained & Assoc.
Minister People’s
Congregational UCC,
Washington, DC

11. Rev. Dr. Susan Newman continued
Former Director of Public
Policy at RCRC
2009-present Associate
Minister for
Congregational Life &
Social Justice at All Souls
Church, Washington, DC
Also currently Assoc.
Minister at Covenant
Baptist UCC
• Author of several books

12. 1986 – Pamela June Anderson
installed as Associate Minister
at Plymouth UCC-Detroit.
1989 – Senior Pastor of
Mayflower UCC, Detroit
Associate Assn Minister,
Western Reserve Assn, Ohio
Conference
Interim Pastor, Faith UCC,
Dayton, OH
Served as Vice President of
UCC Ministers for Racial,
Social and Economic Justice

13. Interim Pastor, 1st United Christian Church, Xenia, OH
2001-2011 - Pastor, Countryside Community Church,
Esparto, CA
Primary Guest Chaplain, California Senate
Lt. Commnader in the Navy; served as a Military
Chaplain for 24 years
Author of several books including Between A Rock
and Hard Places (A history of African Americans in the
United Church of Christ) & Don’t Ask Don’t Tell Don’t
Work
Mentee of Rev. Dr. Jeremiah A. Wright, Jr.

14. 1986 – Rev. Dr. Susan K.
Smith installed as Pastor
of Advent UCC-Columbus.
• Advent membership has
grown from 5 to 300.
• Also serves as Minister of
Music
• Former Journalist
• Tweets at @cassady2euca
• Washington Post blogger

15. • Author of 4 books
• 2011 General Synod
Keynote Speaker
• 2009 Keynote Speaker
MN Conf. Annual Meeting
• Mentee of Rev. Dr.
Jeremiah A. Wright, Jr

16. 1st African American Woman Ordained
in the PCUSA
1974-Katie Geneva
Cannon ordained
One of 1st two women
graduates of ITC
Professor, Temple
University
Professor, Union
Theological Seminary,
NYC
Professor, Union
Presbyterian Seminary,
VA

17. Katie Geneva Cannon continued
Ph.D., Ethics, Union
Theological Seminary
1st scholar to use
“womanist”
1st generation womanist
scholar
Author of several books
Great granddaughter of
Mary Nance Lytle b. 1832

18. 1st African American Woman Ordained
in the Episcopal Church
1977-Pauli
Murray ordained

20. Jarena Lee, recognized as the first woman
preacher in the African Methodist Episcopal
Church, was allowed by Richard Allen to preach
and was licensed but was refused ordination. At
the 50th Quadrennial Session of the General
Conference in July 2016, Jarena Lee was
posthumously ordained.

21. Early Women AME Pastors
1889-Harriett A. Baker (1829-1913)appointed
pastor of St. Paul’s Church, Lebannon, PA &
becomes 1st known female pastor in African
Methodist Episcopal denomination.
Baker was a licensed evangelist, not sure
whether she was ever ordained
1900-Baker built & established Bethel Mission
in Allentown, PA
1882-Margaret Wilson appointed pastor of
Haleyville Mission, oversaw purchase of land &
bldg; no pastoral appointment after 1885

22. 1st Woman Ordained in the African
Methodist Episcopal Zion (AME Zion)
1895-Mary Small ordained as deacon

23. Findings
Obstacles to Women’s Ordination
1. Denominational policy
2. Requirements for ordination
call to particular ministry
seminary education
committees on ministry
3. Congregational Polity
racism in white churches
sexism in black churches
4. Personal Imagination/Vision

24. Findings of Barbara Brown Zikmund
More women going to seminary but many do not
seek church employment
Women who pursue church employment leave
sooner than men
Church can still be unwelcoming to women’s
leadership
Pattern of institutional discrimination that limits
women
Seminary trained women unemployed and
underemployed
Women have deep & abiding commitment to
ministry

25. Brown’s Findings continued
Congregation-centered, Institution-centered, &
Spirit-centered denominations
35% of men have solo pastorate as 1st call
35% of women are associates/assistants on 1st
call
On 3rd call, 49% of men are head of staff/sr.
pastor
On 3rd call, 19% of women are head of staff/sr.
pastor
Journey still uphill