Small Steps - Georgia Harkness

1891–1974

Georgia Harkness grew up in an upper-middle-class progressive family in New York. As a teenager, Georgia embraced her family’s Methodist faith and felt a calling to do something in the church. She attended Cornell University and earned a BA in philosophy, going on to earn a PhD in philosophy of religion at Boston University. She taught philosophy and religion at Elmira College in New York while making time to study theology at Harvard Divinity School, Yale Divinity School, and Union Theological Seminary. She had to audit those classes because women were not allowed to take them for credit.

The Methodist Church ordained her in 1926, but she was not able to be a minister in the church—no woman in the denomination could at that time. Yet she continued to teach, becoming the first woman in the United States to teach theology at a seminary (Garrett Biblical Institute outside of Chicago).

Georgia’s efforts were significant in the advancement of women in the male-dominated world of theology. Considering herself a feminist and a liberal (a subscriber to “chastened liberalism,” she said), she worked for changes in both the church and society, particularly women’s rights, civil rights, pacifism, and social justice.

Outspoken about the things she believed in, Georgia also chose to be patient. She would praise small changes in the right direction instead of condemning people or institutions for not changing quickly enough. Her patient, positive attitude helped to bring about large changes, one small step at a time. Thirty years after her ordination, she was instrumental in bringing about the revisions in the Methodist denomination that allowed women to become ministers.

Thirty years is a long time, and certainly not all issues take that long to resolve. But in our fast-paced world, even a few months can seem too long to wait. We tend to grumble about what hasn’t been done yet instead of praising the efforts that are being made to work out the problem.

When changes need to happen, are you able to see the small steps toward change as positive things?

Let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.

Galatians 6:9