Margaret Ermarth (1908 - 1977)

The following is a transcription of Dr. Margaret Sittler Ermarth's speech given at the Lutheran Church of America Convention on June 29th 1970 provided by St. Olaf College at [external link]

Thank you, I should like permission to address the assembly for about three minutes. Before the debate on its recommendations begins, this commission should like once more, as it has already done in its hearing session, to attempt to put its work, its deliberations in proper perspective and to point out once more the main thrust of its effort. I think this is particularly necessary not only for this assembly but also for the members of the press. I realize that I am treading on delicate ground here, treading very lightly perhaps in very heavy footsteps made by a very prominent federal official. Nevertheless, I would recommend to the press that instead of zeroing in on the volatile and interesting and important issue of the ordination of women exclusively, that it pay some attention -- along with the delegates to this convention -- to the rich matrix out of which this whole issue arose and to the objectives of our study which go far beyond the issue that is at stake tonight. (applause) I recommend to the delegates that they study, preceding the recommendations, the position statements, which clarify the purposes and language of the recommendations. And following the recommendations, a short position paper entitled “The Role of Women in the Life of the Church,” which is the work of a subcommittee of the commission charged with the problem of reviewing the problem of the ordination of women. Now the subcommittee determined from the beginning that the matter of the ordination of women could not be discussed in isolation. Therefore, a complete study of the role of women in the life of the church was undertaken against the background of the tumultuous social and cultural revolutions in our own society and throughout the world -- revolutions which certainly more than touch the churches and touch especially the lives of one half the human beings who happen to be female. And who constitute, among other things, one third the labor force of this country, a large part of the support of our churches, and constitute, I might add, 100% of the mothers, sisters, wives, and daughters of everybody here. (laughter). I should also hastily add that the distribution of these functions I thoroughly approve and hope we will maintain by a vote if necessary.

Now, conscious of the requirements of simple justice not egality in the sense of sameness, but equality in the very real sense. Conscious of a concept, a very real concept, of the freedom of the Christian. Conscious of the concept of the sacredness of human personality and promise, conscious of the ongoingness of God’s creative activity in the world, and conscious that the voice of the holy spirit cannot be confined by tradition, culture, doctrine, or sex, the commission has arrived at its conclusions. It should be obvious that the target of our efforts lies beyond the problems of the ordination of women. We have a right to hold that the Spirit which now might move us to emancipate one half of our fellowship into the fullest possible service in the church will also give us so illuminated and transcendent a vision of true community that our church may be strengthened for the enormous tasks that lie before us. Indeed, in which we are immersed.

We do indeed have reason to worry about identities. Man-woman relationships. Father-mother family relationships. The image of the pastor. The image of the woman in her role as a church worker. But, if we can manage to concentrate upon our true Christian identity, these other relationships -- so filled with beauty and so fraught with danger -- may rise to heights of transcendent creativity and acquire their true perspective. The Holy Spirit may indeed teach all of us what it means to be truly human and to work in true community. This vision at least we share in common. And to conclude my remarks I should like to quote Dr. Schiotz’s remarks this morning that “A new era of vigorous discipleship seems to be about to dawn.” I hope that women participate in it to the fullest of their abilities and to the extent of your wishes.

Written in the Lancaster Eagle-Gazette (Lancaster, Ohio) on Wednesday August 28, 1935:

Dr. and Mrs. Joseph Sittler, 299 Fifteenth Ave, Columbus, formerly of Lancaster, are announcing the marriage of their daughter, Margaret Lucille, to Dr. Fritz Ermarth of Washington D.C. The ceremony was read Monday in Grand Beach Mich, by the bride's father, Rev. Mr, Sittler. After the first of September, Dr. Ermarth and his bride will make their home in Washington at 1620 Sixteenth St.

Mrs. Ermarth was graduated from Wittenberg College, Springfield O, in 1930, and the following year was an exchange student at the University of Hamberg, Germany. She received her master's degree at Ohio State University in 1932, and for the past two years has been editorial assistant with the Dictionary of American Biography, Washington D.C.

Dr. Ermarth a native of Karisrube, Germany is a graduate of Heidelberg University and later received his Ph.D. degree at Harvard Law School. At present, he is research assistant with the national resources commission of Washington.