The statement was drafted in response to a report by the fellowship’s theology committee, which found no biblical or theological reasons to oppose women’s ordination.
The vote was taken at the Sixth General Assembly of the FMEEC, a three-day gathering of an association which includes Reformed, Anglican, and Lutheran churches in the region.
Speaking through a translator, Jerusalem Lutheran Bishop Munib Younan summarized the action, “The Sixth General Assembly supports the ordination of the women in our churches in the position of ordained pastor and her partnership with men as an equal partner in decision making. Therefore we call on member churches to take leading steps in this concern.”
Later he added, “This is historic and allows us to move forward in a leading role.”
The vote resonated with the remarks with which Younan opened the conference the previous day. “If we have any influence in the Middle East, it is the theology of grace,” he said. To a world that values work, achievement and ritual, “Jesus Christ gave us the theology of grace that we may influence the community that we live in,” he declared.
Considerable time was spent at the Assembly discussing the precipitous decline in the Christian population of the Middle East due to political and military conflict, strained Christian-Muslim relations, economic hardship and immigration.
In addition to delegates of FMEEC member churches, several representatives of international and ecumenical partners — including Victor Makari, of the PC(USA) and the Rev. Sassan Tavasoli of the Outreach Foundation.
