Women in Church Pulpits

Southland Times, Issue 20147, 6 April 1927, Page 13

Women in Church Pulpits

Much controversy has arisen out of the invitation given to women to preach in churches as at Liverpool last July, and more recently in the Parish Church of Birmingham. In reply to a letter received from the secretarj’ of the English Church Union, the Bishop of Birmingham states that at the Lambeth Conference of 1926 the most impressive gathering of bishops in the history of the Anglican Church—a resolution was passed recording the opinion that, in view of the prospects and projects of reunion, a bishop was justified in giving occasional authorisation to ministers, not

episcopally ordained, who, in his judgment, were working towards an ideal of union such as was described in the appeal, to preach in churches within his diocese. Bishop Barnes added that the resolution was not confined to ministers who were men. He also called attention to the encyclical letter issued by the conference, in which it was said, “We feel bound to respect the customs of the Church,, not as an iron law but as the results and records of the Spirit’s guidance. In such customs there is much which obviously was dictated by reasonable regard to contemporary social conventions. As these differ from age to age and country to country, the use which the Church makes of the service of women will also differ.” In such words, the bishop comments, “I discern a wise understanding of the need of progressive development and an opposition to the inertia which shelters behind such a phase as ‘the order and discipline of the Catholic Church.’ ”

Alluding to the fact that women duly qualified and approved by himself have spoken at a series of exceptional mid-week services, arranged by the Rector, the Bishop says.: “Large congregations have assembled to hear them. They have used their especial gifts for the spiritual welfare of the city. No cause of offence has been given by their ministry. I conceive that I should be hindering the spread of true religion were I to prohibit such invitations as the Rector has issued. Neither in this matter nor as regards sermons by Free Church ministers from the pulpits of our churches am I prepared to repudiate the Lambeth resolutions. The cause of Christian reunion I have deeply at heart. I earnestly desire that the Church shall make the fullest possible use of the religious gifts of educated women, and for these reasons I must return a decisive negative to the requests implicit in the resolutions which you have sent to me.”