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Women in the Christian and Missionary Alliance May Now Be Ordained as Pastors—But Not as Lead Pastors

Christian and Missionary Alliance
Jennifer Roth speaks at the C&MA 2023 General Council Friday, June 2. Screenshot from Facebook / @The Christian and Missionary Alliance

Women in the Christian and Missionary Alliance (CMA) may now be ordained, hold the title of “pastor,” and—if their local congregations allow—use the designation “reverend.” Women are still, however, not allowed to hold the position of lead pastor and may not be elders. 

“The adopted recommendations upheld that eldership in Alliance churches consists of the lead pastor, elected lay elders, and other male members of the licensed ministry staff as deemed appropriate by the local church,” said the CMA in a statement, which continued:

In addition, delegates approved that the designation “Consecrated and Ordained” be used to indicate the denomination’s endorsement on all official workers, both male and female, who meet the stated qualifications for Alliance ministry and have successfully completed the consecration and ordination process outlined in the “Manual of The Christian and Missionary Alliance.” Official workers may also carry the title of “pastor” or “reverend” for specific ministry roles at the discretion of local church leadership.

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The Christian and Missionary Alliance was founded in 1897 by Pastor A. B. Simpson, who had a passion for global missions and was concerned about the needs of people on the margins of society. The CMA reports it has 2,000 churches in the U.S. and 700 workers in 70 countries.

On Friday, June 2, the CMA adopted several recommendations at its 2023 General Council in Spokane, Washington, following a four-year “national conversation.” During the past four years, CMA President John Stumbo and Church Ministries Vice President Terry Smith “conducted dozens of in-person and online regional discussions with church leaders in all U.S. Alliance districts.”

At the General Council, CMA delegates debated and then voted on several recommendations relating to the roles of women in church ministry. Recommendation 4 proposed that “consecrated and ordained” can “be used to indicate the denomination’s endorsement on all official workers, both male and female, who meet the stated qualifications for Alliance ministry and have successfully completed the consecration and ordination process outlined in the ‘Manual of The Christian and Missionary Alliance.’” Prior to this recommendation, women could only be “consecrated,” a specific type of licensing for women in ministry outlined in the CMA handbook.

Recommendation 5 proposed that “the title pastor, except lead pastor, may be used by a local church to refer to its male and female official workers if its biblical understanding allows.” 

The sixth recommendation concerned the use of the term “reverend,” stating that the title is to be conferred on anyone who is consecrated and ordained. Local churches, however, will determine how the title will be used in their contexts.