Rev Sudatta Baidya rejoices in her role as a woman minister in Bangladesh, called to bring the good news to her people. But she wonders sometimes if the church is really listening to the voice of women.
Women in Bangladesh are getting more opportunities for education every day. And there is a wave of women's development in every aspect of the church in mission here.
They have so many skills and qualities for empowering church and mission – but they cannot always use these in practice.
Cultural characteristics are deeply entrenched in society. Yet culture should not be the leading factor in determining the role of women in the church. Bangladesh is a male-dominated country; although women are educated, men use brute force on them. Some women in the mission field get a platform to show their talents, yet they are afraid to put them to work. They can vote, but in daily life they have no power.
Our former prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, is a woman and she is trying to fit women into different positions of society according to their skills. Women can now join the armed forces and serve as district commissioners at provincial government level. Another important change recently has been the recognition that children belong to both parents, not just the father, and therefore both parents should be included in their children's identification.
Stumbling block
However, the authority of the church is a stumbling block for any change towards the full participation of women in God's ministry.
The church is the body of Christ in the world today, but does it reflect the attitude of Christ?
In Hindu custom, people made dolls and place them in a special place in their homes. When they represent the goddess Durga, they make her figure big with ten hands. She is a respected goddess amid all their religious figures.
In Islam, the book of Haddish says: "Beneath the mother's feet is the peace of heaven". But what about Christians? Christian society should also show respect towards women. But this proper respect is sometimes lacking in the church, especially for unmarried women.
Jesus worked with people who were not caught up in the politics of society: his disciples and women. Some of our leaders in the Church of Bangladesh (CoB) are liberal on this subject; some are not. Some powerful people, both men and women, encouraged by the traditional habits of society, do not approve of women priests. Yet in any CoB gathering there are more women than men.
In most parishes, the women's fellowships are pillars of the church structure. Women are much more active in the church than are men – but not in decision-making and leadership. There are no constitutional barriers; what is holding them back is culture and tradition.
Attitudes are changing. I recently joined in a meeting of a Christian law and settlement organisation committed to improving human rights within the family, especially for wives. During that seminar, a Roman Catholic gentleman said he was happy to have a woman priest as a participant in these kinds of law-making issues. Roman Catholic sisters were also happy to have a woman priest there. The Baptist church in Bangladesh, too, is glad to have women priests working in the community, and hopes, in the near future, to start ordaining women itself.
When I visit families, they appreciate a women priest. In our villages, women are afraid to talk freely with male priests but they can easily share with another woman. Remember the story in John 4 of the Samaritan woman. She recognised and trusted Jesus as Messiah before anybody else in her village, and proclaimed the good news to them. As women priests, we can proclaim good news to all.
We are called for this purpose, and I am happy to do the work.