WOMEN AS MINISTERS

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29363, 16 November 1960, Page 2

WOMEN AS MINISTERS

Presbyterians’ Report

(New Zealand Press Association) PALMERSTON N., Nov. 15. Although relatively few women were likely both to possess the needed qualities and to feel the call to office of the ministry, some women may have both the call and the qualities, said the report of a special committee On the position ot women in the church, which was presented to the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of New Zealand in Palmerston North tonight.

The Church should not, in view of the equal spiritual status of men and women in the Christian society, exclude solely on the grounds of sex those women who might feel the call to serve in the Church, and who were considered to have the necessary qualifications to do so,” said the report.

“The admission of such women to the ministry may well enrich the Church.” said the report. The traditionalist in religion was apt to view the entry of women into the ministry with unreasoning disapproval. More serious was . the fact that while the Greek Orthodox, the Roman Catholic and the Anglican churches gave women honoured places as deaconesses and teachers. none of these churches had, as yet, favoured admitting women to their ministry or priesthood. Nor had the Church of Scotland opened its ministry to women. “Thus the opening of our ministry to women would be a step, though possibly a fully justified step, away from traditional practice. and would be one more obstacle to reunion, say, with the Anglican Church, although it would lead to closer alignment with such churches as admit women to their ministry,” said the report.