President Obama appoints Judge Emily C. Hewitt
Chief Judge of the U.S. Court of Federal Claims
[American Chronicle] Judge Hewitt has served on the U.S. Court of Federal Claims since her confirmation by the Senate in 1998. At the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, Judge Hewitt has handled cases in all areas of the Court´s jurisdiction, chaired the court´s Rules and Building and Space Committees and served on its Management Committee. In 2006, she was appointed by the Chief Justice of the United States to serve on the Financial Disclosure Committee of the United States Judicial Conference.
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Prior to her appointment to the Court of Claims, Judge Hewitt was appointed general counsel to the General Services Administration during the Clinton Administration. Judge Hewitt, born May 26, 1944, in Baltimore, is a graduate of Cornell University (A.B. 1966), Union Theological Seminary (M. Phil 1975) and Harvard Law School (J.D. 1978). Before entering government service, Judge Hewitt practiced from 1978 to 1993 with the Boston law firm Hill & Barlow, where she chaired the firm´s real estate department from 1987-1993.[American Chronicle] Judge Hewitt has served on the U.S. Court of Federal Claims since her confirmation by the Senate in 1998. At the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, Judge Hewitt has handled cases in all areas of the Court´s jurisdiction, chaired the court´s Rules and Building and Space Committees and served on its Management Committee. In 2006, she was appointed by the Chief Justice of the United States to serve on the Financial Disclosure Committee of the United States Judicial Conference.
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A leader of the effort to open Episcopal ordination to women, Judge Hewitt was one of the first eleven women ordained to the Episcopal priesthood on July 29, 1974.
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Judge Hewitt is married to attorney Eleanor Dean Acheson, according to a biography on the court Web site. Acheson served as an assistant attorney general for policy development in the Clinton administration, and later was director of policy and government affairs for the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. She is currently vice president, general counsel, and corporate secretary of Amtrak.
Go, Emily!
-- July 29, 1974 --
Merrill Bittner [left], Emily Hewitt [right]
distribute communion in the Church of the Advocate, Philadelphia
following their ordination to the priesthood.
13 comments:
Remember when it was the "manner of life" of women in the priesthood that was going to split the communion and end western civilization as we know it?
Time for this church to get over itself and move forward into God's future instead of continuing to allow its mission and ministry to be hamstrung by the same arguments that we heard in 1974 about the full inclusion of women applied to the LGBT baptized.
A Matriarch of the Church!
Emily is also a member of God's Rainbow Tribe. This is a great day, to be sure.
I'm sure this will probably get me kicked from here to Kingdom Come... but I question the effectiveness of having Women as Head of the Church.
The Bible teaches that Men are asked by God to be the Head of the Household - that is, they should be the Spiritual Leaders in the home -- but yet Men are not coming to church in the numbers that they should be.
I question whether men really can relate to a woman leader in the way that they NEED to. Guys, be honest -- can you take instruction better from a Man or a Woman? Men, Fathers, Husbands, are desperate for Leadership in their lives. And Women, Wives, Children, are desperate for their men to bring that Godly Leadership home.
I tend to agree with some other Church Leaders that say -- like it or not, the 'Feminization of the Church' has kept many men away. Most men HATE going to Church as it is.... is it necessary to make it more difficult for them? (Have some compassion & understanding regarding their weaknesses).
I did not say Women have no place in leadership, obviously women lead just as beautifully as Men do. What I am saying is... it is the extreme minority of Men that can be themselves, be vulnerable, be broken, be receptive to change, pray together, be intimate friends, or celebrate together with a woman as their spiritual leader. I'm NOT saying it doesn't happen, I'm just saying its less likely to happen.
I do appreciate LGM's call to self examination on the part of men.
On behalf of men i would like to apologize that he chose this joyous moment to prove just how far we have to go.
An inch at a time indeed...
(sigh)
LGM, the bottom line is that men just are not so into church. Period.
They were not into it before women took up leadership roles. What would have been your excuse then?
I think that you raise a false cause and effect. So in the end it only diverts our attention from things more important.
How many times have I heard that women shouldn't be leaders.... doctors..... lawyers.... judges.... professionals. That men won't use their services. That students will learn better from a male professor. Because, you know, men have a hard time respecting women's leadership.
How many time have i heard that as a woman, I am not as capable as a man, shouldn't be paid the same, shouldn't get the same opportunities, while I have outperformed most of my male peers by objective categories.
I call baloney.
I've found none of that to be true, LGMarshall.
While I also believe in Paul's advice that we consider the weaknesses of our brethren, the question - a real question - if it is truly weakness, or merely a petulant attempt at manipulation.
The idea of the "feminization" of the church is also a rather odd idea, as the church has traditionally been seen as mother. There certainly has been weakness in the church, particularly in confronting bigotry, ignorance and cruelty among its own members, but the "manly" church movements that have sprung up in reaction are simply laughable to anyone secure in his humanity. Being a man does not mean being a savage animal.
LGMarshall, you have a very prejudiced view...
...of men.
Men, too, are made in the Image and Likeness of God...
...and She didn't make no junk (Why She even incarnated her Divine Child as male to save them: how She loves them!)
Seriously, LGM: the Holy Spirit has led us into the 21st century. Why not meet Her there? (You'll find MANY of your brothers already there, promise!)
[Congrats, Judge Hewitt!]
I remember when the first women bus drivers came to Gothenburg.
I saw some (mostly ladies) turn when they were entering the bus ;=)
And no, there weren't any female Priests around for yet another 10 years, or so...
LGMarshall made the point I was about to write on -- there remains and will remain a set of people who are still locked firmly in 1973 or perhaps 1873. Never doubt that the white men (they all are to my shame) who want to stuff lesbians and gays back into the closet wont attack women next. In fact one can see the plan in action by simply observing what AMiA did in its early ministry decisions.
FWIW
jimB
Two of our three priests are women, including the rector. Most of folks in pews at the main Sunday service are men. Go figure. The altar guild is also mostly men; you figure out what that means.
“The Bible teaches that Men are asked by God to be the Head of the Household . . .”
Since the Bible was written by men living in a patriarchal society, this is not a scoop.
Congratulations to Judge Hewitt – and President Obama.
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