UNITARIAN PASTORS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20303, 10 July 1929, Page 13

UNITARIAN PASTORS.

ARRIVAL IN AUCKLAND.

FIRST WOMAN MINISTER.

Looking forward fo (heir work in a new country, (he Rev. \V. A. Constable, and his wife, tho Rev. Wilna Constable! who have been appointed joint pastors of tho Auckland Unitarian Church, arrived from Sydney by the Ulimaroa yesterday. They were met on tho wharf by members of tho Church, who gave them a. most cordial reception. Mr. and Mrs. Constable both came from Warwick. Mrs. Constablo was minister of tho Unitarian Church there for 7} years before she and her husbaud received the Auckland appointment. This was tho longest single pastorate ever held by a woman in England. For nine years Mr. Constable was county staff lecturer in literature to tho Warwickshire County Council, a position in what was tantamount to University extension work. Before going to Warwick, Mr. and Mrs. Constable, who are both graduates of Edinburgh University, were joint pastors of the Congregational Church, Sheffield.

"Wo met (lie Rev. Albert Thornhill in Sydney, and he 1 old us many things which have made us look forward to our work in Auckland," Mr. Constable said. "Wo shall work together in tho same way as wo worked during our joint ministry in iShetlield. Wo shall not be in tho city together nil the time, as there arc great numbers of isolated Unitarians in tho North Island, who arc members of the Church. They have to bo visited oni'o a vear."

Mrs. Constable said that she was not, in tho least frightened of being the t>nly woman minister in Auckland. She thought, that women could exercise a humanising influence on the Church, and in theso days when women were entering into practically every branch of public life it was only right that some of them should turn to Church work. Many women . were doing valuable work for churches of all denominations iu England.