Women's Missionary Soceity

A Pioneering Woman

Katherine Switzer was the first woman to officially run in the Boston marathon. Margaret Thatcher was the first woman to serve as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Linda Bell was the first woman to be elected Moderator of the General Assembly of The Presbyterian Church in Canada. At the recent WMS Council meeting, Linda shared the story of her life in ministry. She told delegates to the meeting that she was grateful for the invitation because it gave her the chance to reflect on the grace that she has experienced.

Linda shared a few stories as a pioneer of women in ministry. She remembers a pastoral visit that she made to a member of her congregation. Wearing her clerical collar, she proceeded to the hospital. At the entry to the ward, a nurse stopped her, asking why she was there. Linda explained that she was the patient's minister, and was visiting at the request of the patient. The nurse, looking sceptically at the collar, asked Linda if she had a business card to verify her identity.

Revenue Canada was another sceptical witness to a woman in ministry. In the process of an audit, she was told that her Geneva preaching gown was not an eligible business expense: "Evening wear is not an allowable deduction." A picture convinced them that she was not trying to claim the cost of her party dress.

It was on April 1, 1992 that Linda received a telephone call telling her that she had been chosen to be the nominee for Moderator of the 118th General Assembly. The news of her nomination caused something of a media rush, with phone calls for newspaper interviews and TV cameras appearing at the manse. At that time, Linda was serving the rural charge of the McDonalds Corners, Elphin, and Snow Road in the Lanark and Renfrew Presbytery. One day, as she was on her way to look after her horses, a reporter showed up to take her picture to meet an imminent deadline. Given no chance to prepare herself properly, she posed in a clergy shirt and jacket. She held the dozen red roses that her congregations had presented to her to hide the barn jeans and boots that she didn't have time to change.

It was on April 18 that Linda opened a letter that had been delivered with her mail two days before. In the midst of her Easter weekend celebrations came devastating evidence of the cost of being a pioneer. Promising to be present at the opening sederunt, the writer warned her of "serious consequences" unless she removed her name from the nomination.

After prayerful consideration of the situation, and consultation with church staff, Linda decided to allow her name to be put forward, noting that: "This will happen to whoever is first." Linda continues to be grateful for the support that she received from the Clerks of Assembly and the former moderators who wrote to encourage her.

During her Modatorial year, Linda travelled to Central America. Her experiences there continue to have impact on her life. When Canadians complain about paying taxes, Linda says she always thinks about her time in Central America, and she is happy to pay her taxes. She has seen the hardships of life where taxes are not collected and used to build infrastructure and benefit the people.

She remembers the women of Guatemala telling her that they weren't asking to be rescued. They wanted their stories to be heard, they wanted to share prayers, they were grateful for donations, but mostly, they wanted help to sell the handicrafts that they made. It was a simple request, and one that we know, from our contacts with Fair Trade outlets, is still important.

Toward the end of her year of service, a gentleman approached her to ask if there would be another woman moderator the next year. Since no women were included in the slate of nominees for Moderator of the 119th Assembly, Linda replied that there would not. The gentleman responded, "I suppose it wouldn't be a good idea to have two women in a row." Linda's comment was, "I don't know -we've had 117 men in a row, and the church has survived." Delegates to Council were pleased and amused to be reminded that we have, since then, had women Moderators of Assembly in two successive years.

Acknowledging the leadership role that she has fulfilled within our church, and recognizing the leadership offered by the WMS, Linda finished her presentation with a benediction: "God bless you. You are such a blessing to our church."