Justice for Women
The United Church of Christ has been a leader among churches
on issues of justice related to women.
It’s in our DNA, you might say.
Yes, we were the first Christian denomination to ordain a woman when Antoinette Brown was ordained in 1853. But even before then, women who were
members of our congregations lived their faith through advocacy to end the
practice of slavery in the United States, to establish homes for poor women,
and support educational opportunities for women. Later, they were active in securing women’s
right to vote and to work for fair wages.
From the mid-1900’s to the present day, the UCC has
continued this legacy through its advocacy for reproductive justice for all
women, its call to end violence against women, its critical work on gender
inclusive language as an issue of justice for all humankind, and its insistence
on connecting the realities of sexism and racism. And more.
This work is local and global, personal and
community-wide. It comes from a faith
which affirms the full personhood of women as created in the image of God and
included in the ministry of Jesus as partners, disciples and bearers of the
Good News.
