Pope Draws Imperial Borders; Methodists Ordain Women; Scopes Arrested

Christianity is a faith with a long and detailed history, with numerous events of lasting significance occurring throughout the ages.

Each week brings the anniversaries of great milestones, horrid tragedies, amazing triumphs, telling tribulations, inspirational progress, and everything in between.

Here are just a few things that happened this week, April 29 to May 5, in Church history. They include the Methodist Church approving female ordination, the arrest of the teacher at the center of the Scopes Monkey Trial, and a papal bull that set the borders for two empires.

Methodist Church Approves Female Ordination – May 4, 1956

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This week marks the anniversary of when the Methodist Church approved the full ordination of women at their General Conference, held in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

While women had acted in church leadership roles within the Methodist movement since the days of founder John Wesley, there had yet to be an official denomination endorsement of female ordination.

During the hours-long debate, compromise proposals such as allowing only…