Women in the Church

Is the critique often heard about Orthodoxy true that women are second-rate members?

Even before I discovered Syriac Orthodoxy, I heard the argument often that the Orthodox world was a rather patriarchal society, and women didn’t have a place there.

So what is true?

Both. I have never seen as deep an appreciation for women as I have in the Orthodox world. At the same time, I have seen what seems to me to be archaic behavior. Let me explain.

In the Orthodox faith, women play a very honored and significant role. The Virgin Mother of God, St. Mary, ranks first among women elevated constantly in praise, song, and prayer. But she is far from alone.

As you may know, I worship in both Syriac Orthodox and Eastern Orthodox settings since my husband is Greek Orthodox. Still, this would be an excellent initial demonstration from the Eastern Orthodox side: a list of women saints by month. I don’t quite have an equivalent Syriac Orthodox list, but this entry in the Gorgias Encyclopedic Dictionary of the Syriac Heritage speaks to the topic.

These lists show that women are held high and esteemed greatly in the Orthodox world. Icons of women saints are found in many Orthodox settings. The stories of Saint Theodora, my patron saint and the wife of Emperor Justinian, and Saint Mary of Egypt, whose stories will blow your mind, resonated with me. These saints pray with us as we worship. Their prayers to the Lord are just as desired as those of their male peers.

Likewise, choirs of female singers (deaconesses) augment the Syriac Orthodox hymns and prayers. Women stand with men during the morning or evening prayers at the choir lecterns. Women are sometimes asked to read Scripture. Women are an integral part of the Holy Qurobo, the Divine Liturgy, of the Syriac Orthodox Church.

Women in the liturgical life of the Syriac Orthodox Church

So, while it is true that women don’t serve at the altar in Orthodox settings, they are not less esteemed.

On the flip side, there are still many areas where women are still not represented. The church councils in our churches in Germany, which are almost exclusively made up of males, may serve as an example here (there are separate women’s councils, but their role seems largely relegated to church events involving food or events). In the US, women are on church councils and fill other prominent roles. When clergy dignitaries visit our churches, one rarely finds a woman at the head table, except in cases where she is an invited dignitary.

Male church councils and head tables with mainly men

Even in parish life, there is still quite a bit of division between men and women, probably due to Middle Eastern culture and concerns for modesty. In Germany, men and women sit on opposite sides of the church, while in the US, they mix and sit largely by families. After church, genders also tend to segregate to opposite sides of the fellowship hall. This is odd to me, who was raised in Germany. (I always appreciated what men talk about way more than what women chat about. But that is also a bit of my personality. I like what men talk about!)

So again, it depends on cultural background. Nobody bit my head off so far when I went over to the men’s tables. I often had beautiful conversations.

We will not serve at the altar, and I am perfectly okay with that. In my evangelical days, I often struggled with how to think about female pastors. It never felt quite right for me. When asked to help pass out the bread and wine during the Lord’s Supper as a lay person (not body and blood in Protestantism), I often asked my husband to do it for me that Sunday. While I could see arguments for women in ministry, it never felt right. So I am okay not standing at the altar. I have plenty of other work I have been asked to do that serves to further the kingdom of God!

Where changes should be possible is seeing both genders consistently on church councils and allowing women in leading roles in the church to be recognized at social functions. While structural changes need to occur (e.g., voting rights for council elections should not be tied to dues, thereby limiting female votes as dues are by family, at least in Germany), that should prayerfully not take another century.

I rejoice that females have played and will continue to play significant spiritual and church-building roles. Our icons prove it.