WOMAN MINISTER

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVII, Issue 19668, 9 December 1933, Page 11

WOMAN MINISTER

VISITOR TO NEW ZEALAND. THE REV. DOROTHY WILSON. One of the few fully-accredited English woman ministers of religion, the Rev. Dorothy F. Wilson, M.A., B.Litt., Oxon, arrived in Auckland last week by the Niagara from Honolulu, on a month’s visit to New Zealand. She will spend some months in Australia later.

Miss Wilson, has been a minister of the Congregational Union of England and Wales for the past six years. She is a daughter of Sir Courthope Wilson, K.C., Vice-Chancellor of the County Palatine of Lancaster. She was trained in religious educational work at Westhill Training College, Birmingham, and later became young people’s secretary to the Presbyterian dhurch of England, having charge of the development of work among young people in all parts of the kingdom. In 1923 she became preaching assistant at Crosby Congregational Church, and in the following year she entered Mansfield College, Oxford. After obtaining the university diploma in theology with distinction, which no woman had ever done before, she was awarded the degree of B.Litt. in theology for a thesis entitled “Child Psychology and Religious Education,” later published In book form.

Work in Australia. Since Presbyterianism, in which she had been brought up, had no place for women in its ministry, Miss Wilson offered her services to the Congregational Church, and was ordained in the famous Carr's Lane Church, Birmingham, in 1927. She was assistant minister there for a year, preaching at regular intervals and helping in the varied work of the church. For health reasons she was obliged to resign, and for a time was minister of Hest Bank Congregational Church, near Lancaster. In 1931 she accepted a year's appointment as college pastor and professor of religion at Mills' College for Women, Oakland, California. Most of last year she spent in Australia, preaching at Collins Street Church, Melbourne, and Stow Memorial Church, Adelaide, and lecturing in the principal cities of the Commonwealth, chiefly upon religious education. "It seems strange that the Christian Church should lag behind other societies in giving an equal place to women," said Miss Wilson recently, in discussing her ministerial work. “One might reasonably expect it to lead in such a matter. Of course, I realise that preaching should only be open to those women who really have something to say and are capable of saying. Still, there is great scope for women in personal ministry. When I was at Birmingham numbers of women used to bring their troubles and perplexities to me—some of them miles to do so—and I believe that I was able to give them a great deal of help." Miss Royden's Example. So far the progress of women in the ministry had been slow in Britain, she continued. There were seven or eight in the Congregational Church, and Unitarians brought the total up to about 25. The Presbyterian and Methodist churches had approved the [ principle, but had delayed putting it j into practice. The Church of England j was unlikely to admit women to its ministry for another century at least, although such leaders as Dean Inge, who was a friend of hers, and Canon Streeter, under whom she had studied at Oxford, and Canon Raven, of Cambridge, were strongly in favour of it. j Miss Wilson spoke admiringly of J Miss Maud Royden, the celebrated i woman preacher, who visited New Zea- I land some years ago. She said that at j times she had occupied Miss Royden's pulpit in the Guildhouse Chapel, Lon- t don. Miss Royden had been deser- \ vedly honoured by the University of j Glasgow, which had made her an j honorary Doctor of Divinity. Mr. Ram- j say McDonald was one of her most re- j gular hearers, and it was probably j through his regard that she had been made a Companion of Honour by the ! King.

Children and Religion. "I am certain that if Christianity is to keep its place in the modern world we must give more attention to religious education." said Miss Wilson, and In that there is much work for women to do. We cannot use the methods of a century ago if we are to help the child to a right adjustment of self with God and society. The ideal was to have efficient religious teaching in the day-school, but where '.ills was unobtainable it was necessary v) rely upon the Sunday School. This offered a real problem, but much was being done to solve it by thorough permanent organisations for training Sunday School teachers and leaders, nnd for guiding and assisting them week by week."

A SCISSOR HINT. If a pair of scissors, when new and rather tight, does not open and shut smoothly, draw your thumb or finger ] gently up the Inside of the edge ol i each blade two or three times. This re- : moves grift and dust and slightly lubri- j cates the edge. You will be surprised at i the difference it makes.