This June 6, 2013, article by Wendy Griffin makes some excellent points that we want to share with you (by Dr. Griffin’s permission)
A Professional Priesthood?
Periodically, the Pagan community gets caught up in a discussion about whether or not we should have professional clergy. This is significant in a religion where the Divine may manifest itself differently to each of us and we resist external religious authority. We often tend to argue about the topic of professionalization without defining our terms. Exactly what do we mean by professional and to whom would these professionals minister?
We know we don’t want them ministering to our own group; we demand more spiritual autonomy than that. And with no centralized authority, an anathema to many of us, we probably will not have a cadre of traveling professional priests and priestesses ministering to our spiritual needs.
But there are situations where our own spiritual group or practices simply are not enough, situations where a professional ministry might be welcomed: among the troubled, the sick and dying, in hospitals, prisons, interfaith, the military and so on. As a community we have been very fortunate to have individuals out there who currently devote themselves to serving in these areas that might be considered professional ministry. Some of these people have been wonderful and their work extremely valuable. But not everyone who does this work does it successfully. Or even ethically.
To me, whether or not to have professional ministry is the wrong question. We have one even if we don’t call it that. The real question is do we want an educated ministry? Do we want Pagans who will serve in these ministerial situations who have been trained in things like ethics and boundaries, family dynamics, substance abuse, social justice issues, interfaith dealings, counseling techniques – all from a Pagan perspective?
As Paganism continues to grow and more Pagans feel safe to practice their religion openly, I don’t think we can afford not to have a professional priesthood, and by that, I mean men and women who have been systematically educated to minister to Pagans in need. I believe we owe that to ourselves and to our gods.
That is why I support Cherry Hill Seminary, the only seminary that offers a Master’s of Divinity, 72 hours of academic study, focusing on Paganism and Earth-based Spiritualities. Right now there is a donor who will match contributions up to $10,000 for endowed scholarships. For every $20 given by an individual, Cherry Hill will receive $40, for every $100, $200. I may never want or need the services of professional Pagan ministry, but I’ve made my pledge. I think of it as a tax-deductible gift to the community, my offering to the gods.
Now it is your turn.
