Women in The Church

Yes, but to paraphrase Chris Rock, "The 4 most terrifying words a kid can hear are 'Imma tell yo' daddy'."

Linkat, agreeing with your comment on women being more naturally suited for the task, I think that supports why the job should be given to men. We need all the help we can get learning to care for others, but you gals already have it down.

There were no women bishops in Christianity. That's part of the problem. There's no precedent.

Perhaps not in ancient times but, here's a short, and far from complete list, in modern times:
Women Bishops

Methodist Church
1980-84 Marjorie S. Matthews, Wisconsin (USA)
She lived (1916-86)
1984-88 Leontine T.G. Kelly, San Francisco
The first black bishop in a major domination
1984-99 Judith Craig, Ohio West (USA)
1988- Sharon Brown Christopher, Illinois (USA)
1988- Susan Murch Morrison, Albany (USA)
1988- Superintendent Minister of Vuda Revd. Paula Nayala Niukiula, Fiji
1992- Sharon Zimmerman Rader, Wisconsin (USA)
1992- Ann Sherer, Missouri (USA)
1992- Mary Ann Swenson, Denver/Rocky Mountain Diocese USA (USA)
1996- Susan Hassinger, Boston (USA)
1996- Janice Riggle Huie, Arkansas (USA)
1996- Charlene Kammerer, Charlotte (USA)
1996- Maureen Jones, Nairobi (Kenya)
Ca. 1999 Graziela Alvarez in Mexico
2000- Violet Fisher, Northeastern District (USA)
2000- Beverly Shamana, San Francisco (USA)
The second Black Methodist Bishop
2000- Margaret Payne, New England Synod (USA)
2000- Linda Lee, Michigan (USA)
2000- Purity Malinga, Natal Costal District (South Africa)

Anglican Church

1989- Barbara Harris, Suffragan (Assistant) Bishop, Massachusetts (USA)
1990- Penelope Ann Bansall Jaimeson, Dunedin (New Zealand)
1992- Jane Holmes Dixon, Suffragan Bishop, Washington D.C. (USA)
1993- Mary Adelaide McLeaod, Vermont (USA)
1994-97 Victoria Matthews, Suffragan Bishop Toronto (Canada)
1997- Bishop of Edmonton
1996- Geralyn Wolf, Rhode Island (USA)
1996- Carolyn Tanner Irish, Utah (USA)
1996- Catherine S Roskam, Suffragan Bishop, New York (USA)
1997- Catherine Eliz Maples Waynick, Indianapolis (USA)
1997- Ann E Tottenham, Suffragan Bishop Toronto (Canada)
1998- Chilton Abbie Richardson Knudsen Maine (USA)
2001- Katharine Jefferts Schori, Las Vega and Nevada

Evangelican-Lutheran

Around 1979 President-Superintendent Marie-Louise Caron of Eglise de la Confession d'Augsbourg d'Alsace et de Lorraine (France)
1992- Maria Jepsen, Landesbischöfin von Hamburg (Germany)
1992- April Ulring Larson, Minnesota United Lutheran Church of America (USA)
Later of La Crosse Area
1993- Rosemarie Køhn, Hammar, Norway
1995- Lise-Lotte Gauger Rebel, Helsingør (Elsinore), Denmark
1995- Sofie Bodil Louise Lisbeth Petersen, Grønland, Denmark (Bispokeqaarfik Kalaallit Nunaat or the Bishop of Greenland)
1995- The Rev. Andrea F. DeGroot-Nesdahl, South Dakota
1996- Christina Odenberg, Lund, Sweden
1998- Caroline Krook, Stockholm, Sweden
She was Domprovst (Dean of the Cathedral of Stockholm) 1990-98.
1999- Margot Kässmann, Hannover, Germany
1999- Bärbel Wartenberg-Potter, Holstein-Lübeck, Germany
2003- Elisabeth Dons Christensen, Ribe, Denmark
2003- Bishop Cindy Halmarson, Sask Synod of ELCIC (Canada)

Um, all those are 20th/21st century bishops doncha know. Pretty far past the 3rd century. But the point is well taken.

Power vs authority. Hmm. Is there a difference? Sometimes I think we women have the most power by allowing men the authority.

In the beginning God created man. Then he said, "I can do better than that, and he. . . "