An Interview with Donnette R.
Alfelt: My Changing View on
Women in the Ministry
(Editor’s Note: The following interview with
Donnette R. Alfelt was conducted by Sasha Silverman for
New Church Perspective, and is reprinted with permission.)
Question – Did you grow up in the Church?
Answer – Yes. I was born in Bryn Athyn and have lived here for most of my 85
years. I attended New Church schools through two years of college. I moved
away from Bryn Athyn in my 20s but returned when I got married.
Question – I understand that until recently you were against women being
ordained as New Church ministers. Can you tell me about that?
Answer – I grew up in a culture where it was a given that ministers were men.
I accepted this. I also grew up with a great appreciation and respect for the
beauty of the differences and complementary natures of the masculine and
feminine. I was turned off by some of the hostile actions of the women’s
liberation movement that seemed to be fighting to prove women were just
like, just as good as, even better than men. They seemed to want to replace or
compete with, rather than cooperate with, men. In the process there was a lot
of male bashing that was painful to me.
I was disturbed by many of those fighting for women’s rights who were
aggressive, angry and unfeminine. A very small example: angry demands that
women reporters should be allowed in men’s locker rooms after sports events.
This and some other demands struck me as childish and eroded my
sympathy for needed change.
Some early New Church women advocates for women in ministry (WIM)
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