Australia’s First Woman Minister

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 88, 5 July 1927, Page 6

Australia’s First Woman Minister

Mother of Three Babes THE HOME BEFORE CAREER Australia’s first ordained woman minister, Mrs. Winifred Kiek, 8.A., 8.D., is wholly feminine, not feminist. A creche, no matter how scientifically conducted. is no substitute for a mother’s arms, says Mrs. Kiek, who recently became entitled to place “Rev.” before her name. “Say what you like about the equality of the sexes, a woman must stay at home to nurse her babies through their childhod,” she said. “No one can take the place of the mother. Besides, the mother who places a career before her children is missing such a lot. To me my babies are the greatest joy in life, and I never miss a day with them.”

Principal E. S. Kiek, M.A., B.D. (of Parkin College), and his charming little wife have three bonny children. Noel, Margaret and Laurie. Their, ages range from 14 to eight years. No Blue Stocking

Mrs. Kiek dreads nothing more than to be regarded as a “blue stocking.”

“A woman who is clever or who is supposed to be clever has a very solitary row to hoe. She is sought by neither men nor women. Personally, I have always tried to keep my degree a secret,” she confessed with a twinkle.

She began her ministry as a girl. Brought up in the Society of Friends, she was encouraged to speak at meetings. Her early life was spent in Manchester, where she preached for the adult schools established by the Friends in the slums. “What an effort it was,” she said, recalling her first essays at public speaking. “It still is, but I have to a large extent outgrown my nervousness. The stern self-discipline demanded by my early religious training has helped me tremendously in overcoming my fears. Self-control comes very hard on one sometimes, but it is a blessing to one’s friends,” she added. Preached to 1,000 Men The Brotherhood movement first brought Mrs. Kiek prominently into public life in England. On occasions she preached to 1,000 men—“and I never once felt that I was a woman.” she said. “The men did not make any fuss about showing old-fashioned gallantry. A spirit of comradeship prevailed between men and women. This is how it should be. There is no place for sex in religious life.” Mrs. Kiek then took the lead in the ' Sisterhood movement at Square Church, Halifax, England, and became keenly interested in Band of Hope work. On her marriage to Principal Kiek she undertook preaching in Congregational and United Methodist churches. On occasions she took three services in a day. On her arrival in Australia she preached in both Perth and Sydney. After settling in Adelaide she looked round for a course of study to pursue, as her children were growing up. Finding that attendance at Adelaide University would keep her away too much from her kiddies, she decided to study theology at Parkin College. In 1922 she took her degree of Bachelor of Divinity, and a year ago took charge of Colonel Light Gardens Church.

Speaking of her call to the ministrv Mrs. Kiek said: “I feel that it has been taken out of my hands altogether. I had no thought of ordination when I began my studies. Women have acclaimed it another triumph for womanhood and the breaking down of on° more barrier to progress, but although that light thlS ’ Id ° not ‘° ok Upon Uin

“It is too sacred a thing to be made 1 ” to A he glorification of self or sex ?Kt n d6Sire is to emphasise the fact that a woman may have a message from God just as a man. There is fn some quarters a prejudice against 2

woman in the pulpit, but I have never met it, and my church has as large a proportion of men as any other. There should be no rivalry between the sexe in church life. By throwing open the church to women, the field of available ministers is greatly enlarged, and wit:: it the standard is raised. Sex should not enter into the question at all, a: least consciously, -although I suppo.‘' it is bound to exert an unconscious influence.” Mrs. Kiek has always sought the normal way of life, and she puts forth a strong plea for members of the ministry to be regarded as norma! human beings. “Why should clergymen be regarded as a race apart,” she asked. ".Somfone even asked my husband if I were intending to wear a ‘dog collar’ after my ordination. I cannot see why I should not wear a coloured frock, or why I should turn my face from, the brighter side of life. And I do not intend to.” she concluded.