PRESBYTERIAN DEACONESSES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2308, 26 May 1898, Page 8

PRESBYTERIAN DEACONESSES.

A NEW OPENING FOR THE SEX. ! An event or gre&t inter esb fco the members J and adherents of the Presbyterian Chuich in j Victoria, and especially to the female portion | of them, took place at the Assembly H*ll last I evaning (says the Argus cf the 6th insfc.) when | aix kdies wete admitted to the order of j deaconess, and an Institute for Deaconesses, j which has jusfe been established at East Mel- ' bourne, w&a declared open. The proceedings consisted of a special service in connection with the sittings of the commission of the General Assembly, by wbifih a resolution approving of the establishment of "tha institute had been ' passed earlier in the day. There was a ! crowded congregation, and the Sev. J. Steele., 89.A., modtr&tor of fche General AseeDably,^ presided. The six candidates for the office of de&cones* occupied chairs immediately in front of the moderator, and we«e clad in ordinary outdoor ociifcume of sober black. After the usual devotions, the R^v. W. S. Holland, who has taken a very active part in the movement, preached from RomaDs'xvi., 1, " I crmmerd to you P2,ceb9, our sister, who is a servant or deaconess of the church," &c. j la the course of his remark*, he eaid that in I 1595 the commission of assembly resolved thai; some training should be given" to those women who desired to devote thetostlvea to the service of the church and to be seb apart for the effide [of descone«s. The hope was at the same time j expressed that ib would soon be possible to establish a" trairuug institute for the dsaconj nfs<es. Since then two series of leofcureß hid I been delivered. Four ladies had passed the i examinations, and their applications had been I approved by their kirk sessions and presbytery. J Two church visitors wer« also there to be } received into the ofSoa of deaconess, and ! had been similarly approved. The hopa for a training institute had been fulfilled, and Mrs Thomson (viSfo of the Rev. John Thomson) had been appoioted superintendent. The training which was to be given would be for home mission work as well as for service in foreign mission fields. The Rev. Mr Rolland then presented to the moderator the candidates for the office of j descoußgs — namely. Mrs John Thomson, Mrs 1 Box, Miss Maggie Stewart, Miss Janet Henderson, Miss Marie Bunting, and Miss Janet Bunting. The Moderator put the following questions tc the candidates :—: — 1 ' Do you desire to be set apart as deaconesses, and as suoh -to serve ihe Lord, Jesus Christ in the church which ie Rig body ? " — Yes. 1 ' '* Ds> you each promise as ds&coness of the F.'ifi'oyfcerinn Ghuich of Victoria to work' in connection with the church, and to be subject to its couits ? " — Yes. •'Do you eaob humbly engßge, in the strength and grace of Jesr«a Christ our Lord and Blaster, faithfully *nd prayerfully to dis- j ch&rge the daties of this i-ffice ? "—Yes. j The Kiev. J. P. Macrae offered up a special i p^».jer, and tL« Rev. Dr Marshall addressed j f the deacoae^ees ts follows : — "My Dear Friends, — You are the first representatives in Victoria of the apostolic order of women set apart in a special way for Christian service as the chief object of their life. As «uch, we, ac mhmters of the pastorate, receive you with peculiar gratification in the service of Christ, kdc also in the exiled hope that in you we welcome the forerunners of a long line of faithful and pious women, devoted to the work of the holy office to which you we now admitted. Although the order you represent is as old as the days of the Apostles, it has only recently been revived ia the various branohes of tha Protestant Church in Germany, Francs, England, and Scotland. In these churches ib has already justified the wisdom of thoie who brought about the resuscitation of the order ; so much so that when, six years ago — in 1892 — the Parift Institute of Deaconesses was celebrating its jubilee — and even at that time there wers in Paris alone 30 Protestant deaconesses engaged in various branohes of Christiatt work. — a leader of the Protestant Church In Paris Baid : • Let us proclaim ib afar-* deaconesses are for our Protestant ohurohea a~n honour and a force.' • Here wa may say that the movement only enters on the experimental stage to-night, .but we may anticipate the future with every confidence, and we look to you, as the first deaconeisei oj ou( church, to justify that hope by exalting votfe Scriptural office to a high place of honour #$p usefulness. Let me exhort yon, therefore, to give yourselves, with all fidelity and zeal, to the good work which God bat laid to your hand. Don't bo disqouraged by difficulties and disapj^oiataaMbu but ba fruitful ftui joAtientu em

looking to God for direction and for hep. And in doing your work, may I ask you to seek to do it with sll beautifulnes3 and order, as holdy ing cffice in Christ's church and subject to 'its authority. One advantage the church may expect from your labours is that you will sccomI piish rich re-suits, and thereby prore -?»g. valua j &rjd tho efficiency of concerted, well-ditecbed, i orderly work, a3 compared with the sportj die, unorderly efforts of unattached indfj viduiilß. And, finally, I would counsel you to : renaesaber that your work is God'a, and that; ! more than for ycur order, more then for your j church, you should seek, in a spirit of unselfish I devotion, to~work for God and for the glory o£ His name. And in co doing His work may he EinosfJf ever blesi and strengthen you." The Rev. A. Skene and tha Rev. W. S. Rolland delivered further addresses. It was stated that tha curriculum of the institute would extend over two sessions of fcboufc nine months each, and that the cost of boeircl, residence, and training for each trainee would bo about £35 pet session. Lectures vrould be delivered on medical subject*, Biblical-theology, Bibid history, missionary work, aud EogHsh literature, and pr*ctic?,l training would also be given in nursing and evangelising. A collection was made, and the service concluded wibh devotions.