On February 25, Rev. Pamela McGee, the first woman to be ordained in the Lutheran church in Canada, passed away surrounded by friends and staff at Good Samaritan Christenson Village in Gibsons, BC.
Rev. McGee attended Waterloo Lutheran Seminary and served as a pioneer for women in ministry throughout the ELCIC.
Due to the significance and interest in the unique event of her ordination by the former Eastern Canada Synod, the ceremony was moved to Morrisburg, Ontario’s local arena to accommodate the sheer volume of guests. The ordination took place on May 6, 1976 and she was installed as the parish pastor at St. Paul’s, Morrisburg-Riverside shortly thereafter.
Since her groundbreaking ordination, numerous other women have been ordained within the ELCIC, following in Rev. McGee’s path. This includes those serving in roles such as synod bishops and, more recently, as the national bishop.
“It was with some trepidation that I entered seminary, mostly because I had grown up with male models for pastors,” said current ELCIC National Bishop Susan Johnson. “That’s why pioneers like Pam McGee were so important to me. She proved that I could do this too.”
