Only 1% to 3% of members,
elders prefer female pastors
By John H. Adams, The Layman, August 6, 2008
A majority of mainline Presbyterians say they have no preference of whether they choose a woman or a man as their minister, according to a survey by the Presbyterian Panel, the polling arm of the Presbyterian Church (USA).
But the survey revealed another side of the same story. In response to specific questions about whether they preferred a man or a woman as a pastor, only a tiny percent answered that they preferred a woman.
The study surveyed gender choices among members and elders. Fifty-six percent of the members and 58 percent of the elders said they had no gender preference, suggesting that they could decide either way if the choices were considered equal.
However, when questioned whether they would prefer a man or a woman, 41 percent of the male members said the man would be their choice. Only 1 percent of the male members chose a woman.
Likewise, a significant majority of female members, 34 percent, also preferred a male pastor, and only 1 percent preferred a female pastor.
The ratios among elders responding to the polls also showed overwhelming support for male pastors and little for women. Thirty-nine percent of the male elders said they preferred a man. None of the elders responded with a preference for a woman. Of the female elders, 27 percent supported choosing a man and only 3 percent preferred a woman.
The numbers are an important gauge of how Presbyterian congregations respond to the increasing number of women who are studying for master of divinity degrees at the denomination’s seminaries and the likelihood of their receiving calls to congregations as senior or sole pastors.
The number of ordained women is growing. According to the PCUSA Office of Research Service, 3,545 of the denomination’s 20,940 ordained pastors in 1998 (16.9 percent) were women. The number of women increased to 4,735 of 21,350 pastors in 2006 (20.5 percent).
While women represent a small percentage of the denomination’s ministers, they now constitute majorities in both lay offices — elders and deacons.
A three-page report published by the Office of the General Assembly said 46,662 women and 46,564 men were serving as elders at the end of 2007. Furthermore, the number of female deacons was 45,745, compared with 18,836 male deacons.