July 21, 2005
by Toya Richards Hill

LOUISVILLE – A patchwork of Presbyterian women's history is being celebrated this year and next, and one Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) pastor is using her quilting skills to stitch it all together.

The Rev. Susan Barnes, pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Baker City, OR, is making a quilted banner to mark the 2005-2006 PC(USA) anniversaries of women's first ordinations: as deacons in 1906, as elders in 1930 and as ministers of Word and Sacrament in 1956.

Barnes was inspired to do something to celebrate the 100th, 75th and 50th anniversaries after attending a conference of the National Association of Presbyterian Clergywomen. The women of Eastern Oregon Presbytery are sponsoring her banner-making effort.

The first women ordained to these offices "just did amazing things," Barnes said. "These women were just such pioneers."

Various events marking the anniversaries are being held in 2005 and 2006 under the theme, "Tending the Flame: Women Called to Lead." See http://www.pcusa.org/women/ordination/events.htm for more information.

"I'm still very excited about the opportunity for women to gather at these events to celebrate the way women have been a part of the life of the church," said Mary Elva Smith, associate director of the women's ministries area of PC(USA)'s National Ministries Division (NMD).

"I'm grateful for the wisdom of the church in each of these instances when they decided, finally, to ordain women, recognizing women not only as fully a part of the life of the church, but fully a part of being human," she said.

Barnes was ordained in 1989 and has been pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Baker City since July 2000.

Using a simple method she calls "watercolor quilting," Barnes plans to combine thousands of donated 2-by-2-inch fabric squares into a banner to take to the General Assembly in summer 2006. She is asking each PC(USA) church to send her two fabric squares -for their first woman elder and first woman deacon – and that every PC(USA) clergywoman also send a square.

"There's about 10,000 churches" and about 4,000 clergywomen, she said, adding that she expects about 10 percent to respond. She said she'll leave some empty spaces in the quilted banner for women who have completed seminary but are not yet ordained.

The fabric can be new or used. Barnes said she prefers large, colorful prints to plain solids, especially fabrics from Africa, Asia, Indonesia, the Caribbean, Central or South America. "The more different fabrics you have, the better," she said.

Barnes will create the banner's design; she hasn't decided what it will be. Whatever she ends up with, she said, will be "as inclusive as possible," incorporating such things as racial/ethnic symbols.

"Her inspiration comes both from being with her sister clergy as well as her own heart for creative ways to enhance the ministry that she is called to," Smith said of Barnes. "I think it's wonderful."

Fabric squares should be sent before Dec. 31 to Susan Barnes, 3430 9th Drive, Baker City, OR, 97814.

Presbyterian News Service