- By Grace C. Reyes and Leonita M. Guillergan
ABSTRACT
The study was conducted to determine the pastoral ordination and the pursuit for higher education among women graduates of the College of Theology at Central Philippine University for school year 1950 to school year 2000. The study used the descriptive research taking all the 198 graduates from school year 1950 to school year 2000. Interview guide and self-administered questionnaires were developed by the researches which were duly validated by the director of the university research center to gather the information. However, only one hundred thirty six respondents were able to respond. Independent variables used in the study were age, civil status, length of service and monthly income and the dependent variables were their pastoral ordination and pursuit for higher education. Frequency tables together with the measures of central tendency were generated to describe their profiles such as age, civil status, length of services, monthly income, pastoral ordination status, perception of the ordination council, its composition and the chances of female graduates to be ordained as compared to male graduates and their pursuit for higher education. Chi-square test set at 5% level of significance was used to test the research hypothesis. Women graduates of the College of Theology at Central Philippine University for School year 1950 to school year 2000 were in their late forties, mostly single, some were married and very few were widowed or separated. Majority of them were in active service for ten years or less with monthly income of P5,000 or less. Nine in ten women graduates are not yet ordained or did not apply for ordination and only one in ten was ordained. This figure is quite alarming since they are expected to be serving as full pledge church ministers. Their major reasons for not applying for ordination were: they feel they need not be recognized through ordination, or they are not yet ready for it nor have the time or opportunity to apply for ordination. For ordained women or those who are currently applying for ordination, their major reasons were: for personal advancement, felt need and self-fulfillment. A little more than half of the women are currently not pursuing higher education because they are financially limited, some feel no need for it at the moment, and others were currently satisfied with their present status. For those who are pursuing higher education, they were motivated for personal advancement; self-fulfillment and they feel they need it. A little more than half of them perceived that the composition of the ordination council is male dominated and few perceived that it is gender fair. However, majority of them perceived that the ordination council gives equal chances to both men and women to be ordained. Middle aged women are more likely to pursue higher education as compared to those who are much younger or older and those who were widowed or separated were more active to pursue higher education than single or married ones. As to their length of services, those who are in services for 15 years or less tend to pursue higher education than those who are in service for much longer years. Significant differences was found in their pursuit for higher education when grouped according to their age. No significant differences was found in their pursuit for higher education when grouped according to their civil status, length of service and monthly income. The CPBC should convene all women graduates of the College of Theology of CPU and dialogue with them and present the results of this research. The College of Theology of CPU must examine the CPBC ecclesiology and other pertinent documents, policies and polity that inhibit women theology graduates from ordination into the Christian Ministry. There should be more women ordained ministers in the Ordination Council Empowerment of women theology graduates through various educational exposures, either formal education or through seminars.