Women too played a role in the Reformation

In this year of celebrating the legacy of John Calvin, women in the Reformed church family are seeking to learn about the role of women in the 16th century Reformation movement in Europe.

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	Women in the 16th Reformation were largely invisible and their stories were not recorded.

In September, a group of ten women from six countries travelled to France and Switzerland to learn the stories of the remarkable and often unrecognized women who contributed so much to the formation of the survival and spread of the Reformation movement.

The Women of the Reformation Travel Study Tour – sponsored by the World Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC) and Presbyterian Women of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) – focused on exploring the role of women in the Reformed church movement in 16th century Europe and the role of women in the Reformed church family today.

The study tour included a trip to the Tour de Constance in southern France that served as a women’s prison during the Reformation period; participation in the Assemblée du Désert (Assembly in the Desert) which evokes the 17th and 18th century era worship when Protestants hid to practice their faith; and a meeting with CIMADE, a church-supported French support network for refugees.

Update spoke to delegation leader Kathy Reeves of Presbyterian Women — the women’s organization of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) — and three members of the group in Geneva at the conclusion of the tour.

Update: What is the central theme of this study tour?

Kathy Reeves: The Reformation wasn’t just about Calvin. It wouldn’t have happened without the participation of women.

Update: What led you to propose this theme?

Reeves: As a North American, I recognized that today we take freedom to follow our faith for granted. It is good to remember our ancestors who were persecuted for their faith yet had the courage to stand up for what they believed. We today need to do the same.

Update: What do you hope will happen when the tour members return to their home churches?

Reeves: I hope these women will tell the story of the role of women in the Reformation movement and claim their own right to leadership in today’s church.

Flore Urbaine Badila Loupe from Congo (Brazzaville) combines her role as a pastor with leadership of her church’s regional programme for women and the family.

Update: What has been the highlight of this tour for you?

Badila Loupe: The Assemblée du Désert! There were thousands of people of all ages and classes gathered under the trees for the whole day to worship God and to commemorate the Reformation. Children are emerging as leaders. They even took up the collection.

Update: What will you take home with you for your work in Congo (Brazzaville)?

Badila Loupe: The visit to CIMADE to meet with people who work with political and economic refugees impressed me. When I return home, I will tell refugees I know in France about this organization so that they can become integrated into French society.

Lalrinawmi Ralte is a theology teacher at United Theological College in Bangalore, India.

Update: What has been the most important learning for you on this tour?

Ralte: I was struck by the story of Marie Durand who in the 16th century was imprisoned for years in the Tour de Constance yet managed to survive and write powerful letters from prison. We need to gather stories like these to give hope to persecuted women today.

Update: How do these stories relate to the lives of church women in India?

Ralte: Women are wanted as fundraisers in my church but they are not partners in mission and there are no ordained women. What is the special aspect of the Reformation to be discovered about this?

Mary Jorgenson, a lay woman from the United States, will lead a study tour in 2010 with the same itinerary.

Update: Why did you accept the invitation to be part of this tour?

Jorgenson: I only knew the men of the Reformation. I wanted to know the women’s stories too - and that’s what I got! It is inspiring to learn about Marie Dentières and her role alongside Calvin. Today’s women in the United States can learn from these 16th women who suffered persecution for their faith. We can embrace their strength and faithfulness.

Update: What will you do with these stories when you return to the United States?

Jorgenson: I want women today to be inspired by women from the early days of the Reformation and speak out against injustices being done in the name of faith. I want them to be able to say “I am a Reformed Christian woman and I will not tolerate unjust behaviour in my home or sanctuary.”