Explanation

There is a dearth of women stipendiary church musicians employed in the Episcopal Church, particularly in larger churches and cathedrals where the compensation is full time or greater than that in smaller congregations. While the number of women in Holy Orders has been increasing, as well as the number of women called to be Bishops, Deans and Rectors, that same trend does not hold true for women musicians even though the number of women in graduate programs in music has increased. The Episcopal Church pales in comparison with other denominations, including that of the LDS church, in developing young people (including young girls) for positions in church music. As such, we are failing in acknowledging the spiritual gifts and calling of women to the ministry of music and thereby we are possibly diminished in the eyes of women with respect to the absence of stipendiary women musicians.