Monday, January 16, 2006

First Ordained Black Woman

Thanks to Scot McKnight of Jesus Creed for this inspirational post on Rebecca Freundlich Protten.

    It is because of the Rebecca Freundlich’s of the Caribbean that the African American Church is today what it is: she was courageous, she was devoted, she was determined, she was fearless, and she was limited — but like Harriet Tubman, Rebecca worked around her limitations to ennoble many and reach many with the gospel.

I have been reading more about Harriet Tubman, who featured prominently in the Vancouver Sun's review of Bound for Canaan last Saturday. This is such encouragement for me as I slog through Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood, by Grudem & Piper, cataloguing the various restrictions on woman found in this book. I have just read the part where Poythress writes, "Maintaining male leadership in the church is not a matter of indifference. Evil effects inevitably arise when we deviate from God's pattern."

I surround myself with the comfortable reminders of Catherine Booth, Rebecca Freundlich and many other women who were oblivious to this indictment and were accepted as synergos, workers together, with men in the church.

On another note, I am using Wagon Wheels, a very easy book about Black pioneers as a reader for ESL reading disabled learners, ages 8-12, right now. They never cease to be fascinated by the courage and enterprise of this family.

No comments: