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Methodism witnessed a significant shift in its landscape during the mid-20th century as women began to assert their presence and demand equality within the church. This period of transformation was marked by the emergence of pioneering figures such as Jeanne Audrey Powers, whose advocacy and leadership played a crucial role in reshaping the role of women in Methodism. Not only was Jeanne Audrey Powers a clergywoman redefining boundaries, she was a queer clergywoman who served faithfully in and beyond her home area of Minnesota for more than 40 years. This paper follows the life and leadership of Jeanne Audrey Powers, and how she explicitly used her lived experience in correlation with sacred texts to resist the oppression of the queer community within mainline Methodism.
Powers emerged as a prominent figure advocating for the full participation of women within Methodism, making history in 1964 as the first clergywoman nominated for the episcopacy in The Methodist Church. Although she withdrew from consideration in 1968, Powers recognized the need to redefine the role of clergywomen and sought to integrate the episcopacy into her agenda for women's equality within the church.
Under Powers's leadership as the first General Secretary of the General Commission on the Status and Role of Women (GCSRW), the commission undertook significant initiatives to advance women's equality within Methodism. Powers, drawing from her extensive experience in Minnesota, prioritized addressing systemic injustices and breaking down barriers hindering women from serving freely within the church. She prophetically emphasized the necessity of systemic change to achieve justice and reconciliation, advocating for power-sharing and equal opportunities for women.
Powers's ability to connect, empower, and elevate women into leadership roles was evident in initiatives such as the Women's Talent Bank, which served as a database of qualified women ready to assume leadership positions within Methodism. Additionally, GCSRW's involvement in crafting the National Consultation of Ordained Women in the United Methodist Church provided a platform for women to address critical issues and strategize for greater representation. The Consultations set ambitious goals such as electing female bishops and district superintendents. This concerted effort culminated in the historic election of Protestantism’s first woman bishop in 1980.
In 1995, at the Reconciling Ministries Network annual conference, Powers publicly identified herself as a functioning lesbian clergywoman who had been serving the church faithfully for 37 years, suggesting that it was not ability keeping queer clergy from serving, but outright discrimination and bad theology. Her sermon built significant momentum for the network’s advocacy to remove a discriminatory clause within the denomination’s Constitution about the incompatibility of queer humanity within Christian doctrine, a cause that continues even into the present.
The decades-long struggle for women's equality within Methodism saw significant progress under the leadership of figures like Jeanne Audrey Powers. Her collaborative efforts and unwavering commitment to justice and inclusivity paved the way for historic milestones, reshaping the landscape of Methodism and opening doors for future generations of women leaders within the church.
Abstract for Online Program Book (maximum 150 words)
During the mid-20th century, Methodism underwent a transformative period as women challenged traditional roles within the church. Jeanne Audrey Powers emerged as a pioneering figure, advocating for women's equality and redefining boundaries as a clergywoman. Powers spearheaded strategies and programs to address systemic injustices and promote women's leadership through multiple venues of the denomination. Through gendered initiatives, Powers empowered women and fostered greater representation. Her advocacy extended beyond gender equality, as she publicly identified as a lesbian clergywoman in 1995, challenging discrimination against sexuality fashioned out of theological fundamentalism and igniting a new wave of advocacy toward changing denominational polity around human sexuality. Powers's leadership reshaped Methodism, paving the way for historic milestones and advancing inclusivity within the church.