WOMEN AND THE CHURCH

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LVI, 10 April 1924, Page 7

WOMEN AND THE CHURCH

A PRESBYTERIAN DEBATE (By Telegraph.—Special to The Mail.) CHRISTCHURCH, April 9. The great movement for the emancipation ot women did not receive a fillip to-day, nor did the Christchurch Presbytery become wildly enthusiastic over the proposal to have women as elders of the church. The voice of women will not tie hoard in the Presbyterian Church pulpits of' the land—not, for some time at any rate. In other words, the Christchurch Presbytery turned down tiie proposal to have woman elders. Rev. \V. Li. B. McKenzie moved that t'- t Presbytery initiate the necessary steps to amend the Hook of Orders to admit, women as elders o! the ritincti. Mi McKenzie said there was uo satis factory Veasou why uomeii should .not be admitted to eldership. There was a feeling of aversion, almost of repugnance amongst members of the Presbytery to (lie scheme. He believed that that fooltug was only a relic of primitive belief. In these days when women wore lighting for sex equality, the church should encourage them, because that \*is Christ inn.

Rev. -1. Dickson: ‘T don't' think, we can endorse the motion.' He thought that if women were made elders they might also become ministers, and eventually that would lead on to women holding Lhe Moderatorship of the Gen era! Assembly. There were many difficulties in the way and these would have to be considered. He quoted Scripture to show cause for Lhe stand he,.took up. 1 1, one of his epistles Ptittl stud that a l;ishop—that is an elder—should be the. husband of one wife. That would have, to he altered that the bishop must be the wife of one husband —(laughter)and that surely would be a reflection on Lie feminine sex. They must not insinuate that women had more than one husband.

Another minister thought the matter should not he laughed out of court. .Something ought to he done.

Rev. .1. , Paterson said there was a strong body of-women workers in the 1 i c s.livteriai. l Church-—for example, the P.W.M.U., and if there were anv desire tn serve with the men as elders it

would be made known through the P.W.M.r. 'lf that appeal were made the Presbytery would have to give it serious consideration, lie did not think there was anv desire on the part of the v.omen to taTTe that over, and until that was done there was no need for the 1 'rrsbvl cry to inteifere.

Rev. \Y. H. Howes look the same view as Rev. Paterson. The Presbytery should wait unlit" there was strong public opinion at the back ol the proposal. Rev. McKenzie admitted that perhaps the strongest opposition to the move would come from the women of the, church, but he could not see why the eldership should be. restricted to men. \v | vv was the Presbytery frightened at a matter like that. ’ People outside tlic church judged its members by an attitude like the one which they took up. The motion was lost, only the mover and seconder voting for it.