‘Women’s work’, 1914 – 1974
The experience of 1914-18 changed perceptions of women’s capacity and role, so that their leadership in organisations such as the Wesleyan Women’s Work, together with Sunday School work and similar areas was uncontroversial. (The President of Women’s Work, Mrs Wiseman, was the first woman to address the Wesleyan Conference.) Nevertheless the perception of their being naturally fitted for domestic roles remained strong during the interwar period and is generally held to have been strengthened again with the desire to ‘return to normal’ after 1945. Within Methodism, therefore, questions about women’s leadership focused on ordination.
The Wesleyan Conference gave women local preachers equal status with men in 1918, vetoed a woman candidate for ministry in 1920 and received a report in 1925 arguing the case for women’s ministry. The emphasis across Methodism on a secure sense of ‘calling’ as the first requirement of those offering for ministry made it difficult to argue with women who insisted that this was the case with them, and focused objections on the questions of suitability and availability. Discussion continued throughout the 1920’s but was overshadowed by the prospect of Methodist Union, which came about in 1932. Inevitably the controversial topic was shelved in the interests of not rocking the boat. In 1934 the new united Conference rejected a proposed scheme, approved it in 1938 and again in 1945 after the delay caused by war. Further refusal and delay followed, culminating in an approval in principle in 1966 coupled with a delay in practice because of what was perceived as the very real prospect of Anglican-Methodist union. In 1972, persuaded that ecumenical difficulties could be overcome, Conference finally voted in favour of women’s ordination to the ministry.[9]
Ordained leadership for Methodist women, 1974 – present
The much-delayed ordinations of former deaconesses in 1974 therefore took place at a time when women’s role in society at large was beginning to be questioned. Pauline Webb, writing in 1979, challenged the traditional images and perceived a general ‘shaking of the foundations’ in society as a whole. Social change made an increasing impact on women’s ministry during the 1980’s. The Church of England’s struggle with the question of women’s ordination at this time gave rise to a much more explicit engagement with theological issues as against Methodism’s generally more pragmatic stance. Ecumenical contexts both in training and in ministry itself encouraged Methodist women to engage with a more overtly feminist discourse. The end of the 80’s saw a significant rise in the number of women candidates. At the same time the closure of the Diaconal Order to new entrants in 1978, and its re-opening to women and men in 1986, prompted further theological reflection and debate.