"An affirming policy means much more than 'welcoming' LGBTQ+ people," Church Clarity says on its website. Thirty-five percent of the churches were "Clear: Non-Affirming," meaning that they "clearly indicate non-affirming policies in a way that can easily be found on their website." Eleven percent were categorized as "Undisclosed," meaning their "policy cannot be found on their website." Over 50 percent of churches profiled were categorized as "Unclear: Non-Affirming," meaning that they "do not clearly and accessibly communicate" their LGBTQ policies. The study found that it was difficult to tell what a church's outright LGBT policies are, so it looked at which of the 100 churches simply had clear policies on the main pages of their websites. blog posts, social media posts) of his/her ethnicity or heritage." Only seven out of the 100 largest churches are led by a person of color, which the study found based on "visual appearance, last names, or any mention that the senior pastor makes online (e.g. "his is likely to become more of an issue for churches as women continue to gain equality in other spheres."Įven if they do, according to the Church Clarity study, those women will probably be white. "Evangelicals aside, most other practicing Christians would be comfortable with a woman in the pulpit," Barna Editor-in-Chief Roxanne Stone said. Only 39 percent of evangelicals said they're comfortable with a female pastor, citing a "more traditional interpretation of the scriptures."
Evangelicals, though, which the Church Clarity study focuses on, are the most uncomfortable with the idea. According to a survey by the Barna Group, 79 percent of Americans are comfortable with a female priest or pastor. In October 2018, Heather Larson will become the lead pastor at Willow Creek Community Church outside of Chicago, bringing the grand total of female pastors leading America's largest churches to two, according to the Religion News Service.Īnd it isn't because Americans don't want a female pastor.
While there is an increase of female pastors leading churches in America, the largest churches just aren't catching on. That one female pastor, Nicole Crank of Faith Church in West Palm Beach, Florida, has a co-pastor: none other than her husband, David. Jesus, John 8:32 /L7HQjUSxsl- Church Clarity January 4, 2018