WOMEN AS WESLEYAN MINISTERS

Evening Star, Issue 19658, 10 September 1927, Page 15

WOMEN AS WESLEYAN MINISTERS

DIVIDED VIEWS IN CONFERENCE The delegates to tho British Wesleyan Conference at Bradford discussed at the final meeting of tho representative session the subject ‘ Women and the Ministry.’ Dr Ryder Smith moved a resolution favoring acceptance of the proposals made last year by a committee which recommended that women should bo eligible for the ministry of tho Wesleyan Church so far as possible; on the same conditions as men. Tho conference was asked to appoint a .committee to report to next year’s conference. Dr Smith also asked that the pastoral session should its declaration that the serious-practical obstacles to the admission of women to the itinerant ministry interposed both by organisation and traditions did not admit immediately of complete solution of the question. He said that women should pass the same tests as men. A plunge was not proposed, hut merely a step forward. There ought not to be postponement because there were difficulties in the way. Among the professions only the Christian ministry was to-day barred to educated and earnest women. The Rev. J. H. Cartwright proposed as an amendment that, in view of the divergence of' opinion among ministers and laity, the matter should be referred hack with a view to there being a further development of tho existing diacouato of women in tho church. Ho said the whole discussion arose some

vear.s ago because one gifted woman wanted to go into the ministry. “ Next week,” he added, amid woman is going to bo married.” Tho Christian ministry demanded the sense of life vocation. There was no demand for women in the ministry. It was easy to appoint women ministers, but it might bo found difficult to get circuits to accept them, and the problem of unemployment would arise. WOMEN DELEGATES’ VIEWS. Mrs Norman Sargant claimed to express tho feelings of the rank and file when she said that women _ were not wanted in the ordained ministry. No synod or circuit had presented a memorial demanding women ministers. They had plenty of men to fill their pulpits; there was plenty of work that women in the church could do and men could not. She was in favor of women local preachers, hut she asked tho conference to hesitate before giving them ordained status. In the V omen’s Missionary Auxiliary candidates signed a declaration that they would not marry for live years, but over and over again they broke tbeir word and married in the'first year. Sometimes they became engaged on tho voyage out to tho mission field, and married shortly alter they landed. . Women marrying were only one of the difficulties. Miss Alary V. Hunter, secretary to the Women’s Missionary Auxiliary, declared that she could give tho names of five women who wished to bo ordained, and deplored tlio lack ol opportunity. Christianity lost tho full scope of tho fine work that such gifted and enthusiastic women could do. they had gone into other churches and occupations. She did not expect tho ministry would bo flooded with women. The admission of women was right in principle, and tho conference should not bo deterred by difficulties. . Dr Maltbv, the ex-presidcnt, said that tho needs of the ago peremptorily demanded the presence of women in tho ministry. Addressing row upon row of men, he said“ You aro not a qualified assembly to judge of tho suitability of women for the ministry. Let us behave like a church that lives on principles, and does not starve on precedents. Let us admit women. _Wo should not keep them in a. subordinate order, for that is what tho diaconato really means. One ‘Wesleyan deaconess has said that the attitude of those who are against women is insulting; (Cries aro against women ministers is insulting. (Cries of ‘No.’) Women arc equally as gifted as men. Let us honor them.” ‘ . The amendment was carried by 269 votes to 209. Over 100 delegates were absent or did not vote.