In a step toward gender equity long championed by feminists, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is opening a leadership role to women that has traditionally been filled only by men.
The Utah-based faith will now allow women to join Sunday school presidencies, which oversee the weekly teaching of scriptures and church doctrine to members.
“The First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles have determined that, effective immediately, the bishop may call a man or a woman to serve as ward Sunday school president,” the First Presidency said in a letter to church leaders worldwide on Wednesday. “If a man is called as Sunday school president, he must hold the Melchizedek Priesthood, and his counselors and secretary must be male members of the ward. If a woman is called as Sunday school president, her counselors and secretary must be female members of the ward.”
In short, there would be no mixed-gender presidencies.
In any given congregation, “Sunday school presidencies may at times be composed of men and at other times of women,” the letter said, “based on circumstances in the unit and the inspiration of leaders.”
This change does not apply to stakes (regional collections of congregations) or at the general church level. The faith has an all-male, three-member Sunday School General Presidency.
