WOMEN PREACHERS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XLVIII, Issue 10943, 15 June 1927, Page 3

WOMEN PREACHERS.

ADVOCACY BY BISHOP. Dr. Barnes, the Bishop of Birmingham, has once again emphasised the importance of women preachers in the Church of England (states the "Daily Express"). He recently! received a letter from the local secretary of the English Church Union protesting "against the invitation given to women to occupy church pulpits, as has been recently been done in the parish Church. Birmingham, as being contrary to the order and discipline of the church." This letter also protests against the admission of Nonconformists and other unlicensed preachers to the pulpits of the Church.' f ' The bishop, in his reply, refers to a resolution passed by the Lambeth Conference of 1920, which states: "In view of the prospect of reunion, a bishop is justified in occasionally authorising ministers not episcopally ordained to preach in churches within his diocese." Dr. Barnes adds these comments: — "The resolutions which were ' passed were drafted most- carefully. The Church of England is an episcopal communion, and the fact that any Ikklv of men within it should challenge a decision of the conference and not realise that they are repudiating the principles of episcopal government will surprise many who are aware of the facts. "I would further point out that this resolution is not confined to ministers who are men. Women rank equally with men in such questions of communion, such as the Salvation Army, and 1 cannot see how any could object to woimen representatives of the Salvation Army, such as Mrs Bramwell Booth—• or Miss Boyden—preaching in Anglican Churches with the permission of the hi she p. "Any invitations in women to preach ia the parish chinch, Birmingham, have beem issued wil h my cordial approval. They are justified by another resolution of "the Lambeth Conference dealing purposely with women, which reads: 'This conference agrees that although it is bound to respect the customs of the Church, there is an element in them which was bound up with the social conventions of the time at which they wero made. As these differ from age to age, the iusa which the Church makes of the service of women will, also differ.' "Women wiio have been approved by myself have spoken at the series of mid-week services held at the parish Church, Birmingham. Large congregations have listened to them, and no cause of offence has ever been given bv their preaching. ' "I am not prepared to repudiate the Lambeth Conference in this matter, nor as regards sermons by Free Church ' ministers from pulpits of our Churches, 1 and it is for this reason that I cannot ', agree with the requests contained in 'your letter."