Are we embarrassed?

As Methodism became established, following Wesley's death, there was clear embarrassment about the existence of women preachers (cf., Brown, women, p. 175) which led to the denial of ordination for women in the main Methodist church until the mid-twentieth century. While the early holiness "sects" were progressives, with as many as 25% of their clergy being female, this number dropped steadily as they became "churches." It is now closer to 5% (cf. Hardesty, et al., "Women in the Holiness Movement," pp. 244-46; and Dayton, Evangelical Heritage, pp. 97-8).-Randy Maddox's footnotes to his article WESLEYAN THEOLOGY AND THE CHRISTIAN FEMINIST CRITIQUE

The number has dropped in the Wesleyan Church. Is there reason to think it is because we are "embarrassed?"