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WOMEN AND THE CHURCH

AN ADDRESS AT NEWTOWN.

An address upon "The Ministry of Women" was delivered by Mies EngUtnd at a meeting of tho Church of England Men's Society held in St. • Thomas's 'Church,,Newtown, last night. .'.

Having explained that the opponents to women being given equality in Church matters were the Anglo-Catholics, and that the supporters were the Modernists, Miss England briefly traversed the history of the movement. She said the real storm burst at the meeting of Convocation in 1921, when the Anglo-Cath-olic clergy led the opposition and. t^ie Bishop of Lou-Jon's amendment limiting women's ministration to congregations of women and children was passed by one vote. Since then there had been a rapidly increasing support for a, complete equality of status of men and women within the. Chruch and the admission of women to the priesthood on the same terms as men. Well-known clergy invited Miss Royden and Miss Picton ■ Turberville to preach in th(#r churches, and so important a body .as the National Union of Societies for Equal' Citizenship, .which represented all that'was best and' most progressive in English feminist circles, at its . annual meeting passed a resolution affirming that it gave definite support to the principle of equality of status and opportunity for men and women within the Church.

The advanced position of women in the Church in other countries was described, and then, turning to Britain, Miss England said that the Free Churches were being begged to unite with" the Anglican Church, and their attitude,.to this question had to be considered. • Most Baptist pulpits were open to women speakers on special missions, and their own women members had wide ■po\v/.:"y The English Congregationalists, to whom ihe London City Temple belonged, invited Miss Royden to be coadjutor to their minister, and for three years she preached regularly every Sunday to over 3000 people. As to the Society of Friends, women had had absolute equality with men ever since its founding in the reign of Charles 11., and to-day some of its most honoured members were women. The committee on women in church work and office (Presbyterian) reported to the Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in England that they saw no barrier in principle to the admission of women to the ministry, and asked the Assembly to find accordingly. .'. . In conclusion, Miss England asked: Was there any reason, save custom/to bar women from the ministry? Women, asked for such positions to serve their fellows. The Church would not need to lower its standard for them.

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Permanent link to this item

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/EP19210810.2.152

Bibliographic details

Evening Post, Volume CII, Issue 35, 10 August 1921, Page 13

Word Count
419

WOMEN AND THE CHURCH Evening Post, Volume CII, Issue 35, 10 August 1921, Page 13

WOMEN AND THE CHURCH Evening Post, Volume CII, Issue 35, 10 August 1921, Page 13