Did you know: The Woman who Wanted to Break Bread

The woman who wanted to break bread

by Marlene Moats Neher

Reprinted excerpts by Alice Draper, with approval of Marlene Neher and Messenger. Original story in Messenger, June 1976. Marlene Neher is the great grandniece of Julia Gilbert.

Born in Maryland in 1844, Julia Gilbert was crippled by measles and scarlet fever, from which her brother and sister died. She later moved to Ohio and then to Iowa in 1897. Influenced by Brethren publications, regular church attendance, as well as devout family study, she read the Bible faithfully. At age 14, after baptism, she began to question the way Brethren did communion, feeling that it was her duty to do communion the way Christ did.  Early Brethren women were not allowed to break bread and pass the cup to each other at communion.

A query was brought up in 1849 and again in 1857 regarding women being allowed to break bread and pass the cup to each other. In 1883 writers were questioning the rights of women, including Julia Gilbert’s letter in the Gospel Messenger, citing women washing feet and the holy kiss. In 1894 she submitted a query for Annual Meeting to repeal former positions and grant women the same privilege in breaking bread and passing the cup as the brethren (men). It did not pass the church vote to be forwarded that year or in 1895. After moving to Grundy County, Iowa in 1897, where the Brethren of the Western frontier were considered radicals and innovators by Eastern Brethren, her query passed the local church. It was passed on to Annual Meeting in 1899. A modern sounding response from that meeting was to appoint a committee to investigate and report back in 1900. It was deferred for another year. A query was presented every year from 1906 to 1909 with more committee study. The eventual answer changed the existing practice. The officiating minister was to break the bread and pass the cup to both men and women.

In 1910, after an emotional speech by Julia Gilbert, explaining that men come between women and the Savior, the privilege for women breaking bread and passing the cup for themselves finally was approved.  In 1970 an Annual Conference resolution stated the church’s position on women in our church and society. In 1975 Ivester Church sent a query affirming women having full worth and humanity.  The spirit of Julia Gilbert continues to live on. The openness of Northern Plains District congregations continues to address leadership of women in the district. 50% of our congregations are now being served by female clergy, the highest in our denomination. Total clergy numbers, including retired pastors, is 45. Of this total, 23 of these licensed and ordained pastors are female in the Northern Plains District.