Rachel

I know I am late to the party on this post, but it just encouraged me so much that I had to comment! The story of Mary and Martha has been bouncing around in my head the past few days and this put into words what I was feeling and thinking about. I grew up in a male-dominated patriarchal home and a complementarian church and I feel like those words of Jesus to Mary speak straight to my heart.

I am currently a “Seminette” (seminary wife) at the seminary of the 4th largest Lutheran body in the US. We do not study deep theology and most of the seminettes would not be interested. Women are allowed to sit in and audit at least some of the Seminary classes but they can not receive a degree from the Seminary. On the adjoining Bible College campus women are barred from taking the Expository Preaching class, because they are women.

In LCMS they have weekly nights with the profs to learn deeper theological issues and the wives can attend to get a degree in Deaconness studies. Thankfully that’s a little more egal than where we are. Gives me a smidgen of hope. 🙂