"50 YEARS OF MINISTRY"

 “FIFTY YEARS OF MINISTRY!”

June 24 marked the 50th anniversary of Caroline’s ordination as a minister in the Presbyterian Church.  She was the 21st woman to be ordained in the PCUS, the former Southern Presbyterian Church. She was ordained by Atlanta Presbytery as a campus minister at Georgia Tech in 1973, and she has served the church faithfully and well over these 50 years, but she faced resistance at every level – many folk felt that her gender identity as female automatically disqualified her from becoming a minister.  

Caroline was no interloper to the church – she had been raised by her parents, Herman and Martha Leach, in Central Presbyterian in Chattanooga from the time that she was a baby.  She participated in Sunday school, youth group, VBS, worship leadership, and later she taught Sunday school, VBS, and she played the piano and organ in worship as a substitute when needed.  She was mentored there by many strong women at Central, the principals being Joyce Tucker and Sandy Winter, both of whom would later go on to become ordained Presbyterian ministers, after Caroline had shown them the way.  She also grew up as a Girl Scout, again mentored by many strong women.  She heard in both of these groups that women did not need to take a back seat to men.

    Caroline went to Columbia Seminary (CTS) to become a Christian educator – the church had groomed her to be a leader in the church.  She was one of 5 women attending CTS when she entered in the fall of 1969.  Many, many males came up to tell her that she should not be there, because ministry and church leadership belonged to men, not women.  Indeed, the president of Columbia asked jher if she had come to seminary to find a husband.  So many men told her “NO!” that she decided to move into the ordination track and seek ordination as a pastor.   Despite her long record of involvement and leadership at Central church, the minister and some of the elders did not believe that God wanted women to be ministers and leaders in the church.  It was both deeply painful and angering to Caroline, because Central church had been so important to her in her spiritual and emotional development.

    She heard from friends in Atlanta that another Central church – Central Presbyterian in Atlanta – might be open to approving women as ministers.  She went to talk with Randy Taylor, the senior pastor there, and he indicated that he and spouse Arlene had six daughters, so of course he believed in the ordination of women.  Painful as it was to Caroline and her parents, she transferred her membership from Central, Chattanooga, to Central, Atlanta, and the Session there took her under care.  When graduation from Columbia approached, she received no interviews from churches to become pastor, and the guidance counselor told her that she would not likely get called anywhere and thus would not be ordained as a pastor.  

    Again, in the midst of the “NO!” from the institutional church, Caroline persisted.  The grapevine worked again – she heard that the Presbyterian ministry at Georgia Tech might be looking for a woman associate campus minister, because so many women students were enrolling.  She went to see Woody McKay, who was the campus minister there, and he said that he had $7,000 for a salary package – if she was willing to come for that, he would welcome her with open arms.  She said “Yes,” and began ministry at Georgia Tech in spring 1972, enriching the lives of both women and men students there. 

    The next hurdle was Atlanta Presbytery.  They were not certain that they could ordain someone to campus ministry – never mind that there were many male ministers doing campus ministry.   Finally they relented, and she was approved to become a minister by the Presbytery at its meeting at Camp Calvin.  She was ordained as a minister on June 24, 1973, with the Reverend Randy Taylor (later to become president of San Francisco Theological Seminary) preaching the sermon.  Longtime friend Ed Loring was also on the Presbytery Commission that ordained her.  She was the 3rd woman ordained in Atlanta Presbytery, following Liz Hill and Mattie Hart. 

    Caroline and I met through mutual friends, after I had returned to seminary at Columbia.  She always made it clear that we did not meet at seminary, that she was already ordained and serving as a campus minister when we met.  Caroline and I were the first clergy couple to serve in the PCUS, and the denominational leaders told us that we would never find a call as a clergy couple.  We persisted, however, and for once Caroline found that she was wanted as a minister.  Norfolk Presbytery was developing a mission ministry at St. Columba Presbyterian Church, and they wanted a woman minister to lead the ministry in the low-income housing complex known as Robin Hood. I was the tag-along, and we shared one salary.  We said “Yes,” and they did too.  In 1978, the ministry would receive the Birthday Offering of the Presbyterian Women, and it established the ministry which continues to this day.

    So, lift a glass to Caroline Leach today and this week – she is a true pioneer and pathfinder.  Where there seemed to be no path, she would make one - good Girl Scout that she is.  At her retirement from Oakhurst, there was a powerful moment where over 80 young adults and children each walked down the aisle in worship to bring her flowers, as a sign of her nurturing of them and so many others.  She not only persisted in the face of resistance – she led.  And so many of us of all gender identities are so glad and grateful that she listened to God and to her heart instead of listening to the world.  She has made and continues to make it such a better place.