Tend My Flock. Kate Litchfield
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who achieve direct access to power and authority through ordination can find themselves in conflict with women who have relied on informal access to power (for example with the clergy wife who is very involved in her husband’s ministry), or with women who have been confined to exercising their power and control in aspects of parish life traditionally allocated to women, such as flower arranging or catering. The ensuing tensions may lead to frustration and hurt. Women who have struggled to have their vocation recognized may feel resented, while a woman who has sacrificed herself for her husband’s ministry or has devoted herself to the domestic aspects of parish life may feel threatened. Women in positions of authority still have relatively few role models of women exercising leadership in the Church. They can therefore feel undermined by comments from colleagues and parishioners suggesting that they are ‘too powerful’, with the implication that this makes them unattractive and unfeminine and threatens their relationships. As a result, lay and ordained women who hold authority within the Church may feel ambivalent about openly exercising their power for fear of criticism or rejection.
When Christian theology challenges the use of power over others and calls for a willingness to be vulnerable and to serve, it may be a very appropriate challenge to more typically masculine ways of exercising power. Although women can also misuse their power, women are usually more attuned than men to using it to nurture and enable others and more in touch with the paradoxical strength of embracing vulnerability (Hahn 1991). However, women may need to be aware of a tendency to manipulate (albeit unconsciously) in situations where they feel powerless. They may have to learn courage in exercising their power and authority in ways that are transparent and unambiguous. Women are also more likely to need a theology which encourages them to be confident in using the full range of their gifts and abilities in Christian ministry. Mary’s ‘Let it be with me’ in response to God’s call is a strong and positive affirmation of faith, and the language of the Magnificat speaks of empowerment, not passive acceptance.
2.9. Inequalities of power in pastoral care
Any relationship in which one person seeks help from another involves asymmetrical power and it is crucial that all ministers acknowledge this reality. The ‘provider’ inevitably holds more power than the person needing help. This inequality increases if the helper has the authority of an official or professional position (e.g. priest, teacher, doctor, police officer, etc.). It is abusive to use such asymmetrical power to gratify needs for affirmation, let alone to manipulate or coerce an individual to satisfy sexual desires or to obtain material or financial advantage.
In pastoral ministry, power and authority will be experienced differently depending on the gender of both the person offering pastoral care and the person receiving that care. The ascribed authority and power of male pastors or senior colleagues will be reinforced by the power still inherent in being a man in our society. Male ministers therefore need to be particularly aware of the possibility of misusing (albeit unconsciously) or abusing this power, particularly when ministering to women or relating to female colleagues in ministry. Male ministers also need to be aware of how easy it is to ignore or override the quieter voices of women. Greater height, bulk, strength and volume of voice can all have a powerful impact and men need to recognize how physical presence may affect others and can be misused to ensure that they are heard and others are not.
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