11-24-94 Women of Achievement and Herstory

    Thank you Violet Miller for the following information:

    1826: the Presbytery of Philadelphia voted to chastise two

congregations which had allowed an "itinerant female" to preach in their

churches, the first recorded instance of American Presbyterian

judicatory vote on the role of women in the church.

    1832: a pastoral letter approved by the general assembly went out

"... To teach, exhort, or to lead in prayer, in public and promiscuous

assemblies, is clearly forbidden to women in Holy Oracles."

    1872: Quaker preacher Sara F. Smiley was invited to preach at the

1,400 member Lafayette church, Brooklyn.  The minister Theodore J.

Cuyler was promptly rebuked by the Brooklyn Presbytery.  Cuyler

described Smiley as "a woman of maturity, of sweet Christian character,

and gifted with extraordinary powers as a preacher."

    1891: the ordination of women deacons study reflected "a majority

in the church are in favor of securing in some orderly way the

services of godly women to assist in religious work, and are desirous

of clothing them with some measure of authority."

    Finally in 1922, the ordination of women as deacons was approved

but the ordinations had to wait until 1923 for the ordinandi were

amended and the word "brothers" removed.

    1920: the general assembly voted overwhelmingly to approved the

ordination of women as elders and defeated in the presbyteries.

    1930: the ordination of women as elders was approved while the

ordination of women as ministers was defeated.

    1956: the Presbyterian Church approved the ordination of women

as ministers.  It took 150 years, but it did happen.

    Now the next step which won't take 150 years because more and

more women are taking leadership roles and women are notoriously more

understanding of diversity.

    1978: the General Assembly refused to ratify a study committee

recommendation and prohibited practicing homosexuals from being

ordained as elders, deacons, or ministers.

    1992: Practicing lesbian Janie Spahar had her pastoral call from the

Downtown United Church, Rochester, NY, revoked.

    Sigh! only 148 years to go ??? 

    (RESOURCE: - Boyd, Lois A. and Brackenridge, R. Dougals. 

Presbyterian Women in American, Two Centuries of a Quest for Status.

Presbyterian Historical Society, 1983.)



    BTW, this Thanksgiving how about sending a donation to the Women

in Military Service for America Memorial Fund, 5510 Columbia Pike, Suite

302, Arlington, VA 22204.  The first and only national memorial to the

many, many million women who served in our armed services (and many

who died).  With few exceptions, there are no memorials or tributes to

these brave women anywhere while every town has at least a plaque

devoted to the MEN who were in the service.  Even $5 will help.

Anniversaries -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

B. 11-24-1848, Lili Lehmann, German operatic soprano known for lieder

singing and her Wagnerian interpretations.

B. 11-24-1849, Frances Hodgson Burnett, English author, _Little Lord

Fauntleroy_ (1886), (the film adaptation 1936) and _The Secret Garden_

(1911), (musical adaptation 1991). Burnett had turned to writing to

support her widowed mother. 

 (C) 1994 Irene Stuber, PO Box 6185, Hot Springs National Park, AR

71902, irenestuber@delphi.com. Distribute verbatim copies freely with

copyright notice for non-profit use.