Women's History Commons^™

Theology, Tradition, And Turbulent Times: Ordination Of Women In The Lutheran Church, 1970, Donna L. Koch

History Theses & Dissertations

Only relatively recently in the United States have women officially been able to preach, administer the sacraments, and minister fully to the spiritual needs of congregations as ordained Protestant clergy. For millions of Lutherans in the United States, 1970 was the beginning of a new era in their church when the Lutheran Church in America (LCA) and the American Lutheran Church (ALC) changed centuries of tradition and prepared the way for women to join the clergy. The third national Lutheran body, the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod (LCMS), at both its 1969 and 1971 conventions retained its conservative position, as it …