Women’s rights trailblazer joins Christ Episcopal Church as pastor

Christ Episcopal Church recently welcomed the church’s new pastor, Susan Mills, a trailblazer for women’s rights being one of the first women ordained by the Episcopal Church back in 1976.

“These are people who care about the community,” Mills said of Christ Episcopal Church. “The community of Blaine, but also the greater community. These are people who are involved in the world and caring for the world. They’re thoughtful, kind and hardworking people and I’m grateful to be a part of this community.”

Mills started her journey with the church in the mid ’70s. Through her time in ministry, Mills worked in small churches from the east coast to the Diocese of Southeastern Mexico, where she spent nine years of her retirement serving in a small congregation. After serving in Mexico, Mills served as an associate priest at two small congregations in Berkeley, California, and then moved to Indiana before finding her position in Blaine.

“I enjoy the idea that small churches are a microcosm of the greater church,” Mills said. “They are people who are deeply involved and people of deep faith. When you’re in a small church, people are really a family and they respect each other as family members.”

In 1961, Mills graduated from Indiana University with a bachelor’s degree in music education and later earned her master’s degree, also in music, in 1965. Mills began playing the piano by ear when she was 3 years old and then began taking piano lessons when she was 8. After school, she worked as a music teacher in Indiana, upstate New York and New York City.

Mills later earned her master’s degree in divinity from General Theological Seminary in New York City in 1976. Mills also studied pastoral counseling at Louisville Presbyterian Seminary, according to a church press release.

“I’m excited that we’ve found someone who is such a good fit for our congregation, and was so excited to move here,” Doug Dahl, Christ Episcopal Church’s senior warden, said in a statement. “I feel confident in the future of Christ Church and the excellent match we’ve found to lead us into that future.”

In 1974, while studying for her master’s degree in divinity, Mills traveled to Philadelphia to watch the Philadelphia Eleven, 11 Episcopalian women who presented themselves for ordination before women could legally be ordained into priesthood. The women had been approved by their own dioceses but the church had not officially ordained them, as it was still illegal during that time.

“It was one of the most moving experiences I think I’ve ever had to receive communion from a newly ordained woman priest,” Mills said. “I wept because it was a catharsis that really showed me this could truly happen and barriers were being torn down. It was a very moving time.”

Mills went on to be ordained by the Episcopal Church when the church legally ordained the first wave of women in 1976, who were officially recognized in 1977.

“Things have come such a long way. It’s sort of like our ordinations have opened the door,” Mills said. “It was exciting to be a pioneer, but it was also a little frightening because we didn’t know what was in store for us.”

Mills said that although now some people have grown up in the Episcopal Church not knowing a time when women couldn’t be priests or bishops, there was a time when she faced strong pushback. During the first few weeks and months after her ordination, Mills said every woman received hate mail.

To counter the pushback, Mills said she surrounded herself by supportive people who encouraged her to overcome the negativity. Mills said she’s received less pushback in years since as people’s minds and theology changed, although some people initially left the church.

As for Christ Episcopal Church, Mills said she’s excited to pour what she’s learned over the years into the Blaine community through her sermon and music.

“I am very, very happy to be here and I am happy that God is still calling me to do work with his church,” Mills said. “It’s a privilege to serve in the church.”

Christ Episcopal Church is located at 382 Boblett Street and strives to be an inclusive religious environment, according to its website. Sunday service is streamed at 10 a.m. on Facebook Live every week.

To watch church service, visit the church’s Facebook page at
bit.ly/3lZaLCs.