10
RALEIGH CHRISTIAN ADVOCATE.
Thursday, April 21, i910
fH g Woman's Work SH H
HOME MISSIONS
Please send all communications for this De
partment to Mrs. R. O. Burton, Raleigh, N. C
Officers of the W. H. M. S., of the
N. C. Conference, 1908-'09.
President Mrs. R. B. John. Raleigh, N. 0.
First Vice-President Mrs. T. W. Costen,
Gates, N. C.
Second Vice-President Mrs. J. C. Angler,
Durham, N. C.
Third Vice-President Mrs. J. A. Spiers.
Selma, N. C.
Recording Secretary Mrs. B, N. Mann, Dur
ham, N. C.
Corresponding Secretary Mrs. S. H. Scott,
New Bern, N. C.
Treasurer Mrs. N. E. Edgerton, Selma, N.C.
Superintendent of Supplies Mrs. I. T. Wil
kins. Weldon, N. C.
Superintendent of Press Work Mrs. R. C.
Craven, Henderson, N. C.
Editor of Column in Raleigh Christian Advo
cateMrs. R. O. Burton.
District Secretaries.
Raleigh District Mrs. W. H. Call, Selma,
N.Q
Durham District Miss Lillie Duke, Durham,
N. C.
Fayetteville District Miss Florence Parker.
Salemburg, N. C.
Rockingham District Mrs. J. E. Underwood,
Rockingham, N. C.
Wilmington District Mrs. Edgar L. Hart,
Wilmington, N. C.
New Bern District Mrs. W. H. Truernan.
New Bern, N. C.
Warrenton District Mrs. Lee Johnson, Wel
don. N. C.
Elizabeth City District Mrs. Lee Morgan.
Washington District-Mrs. J. W. Parker,
Farmville, N. C.
WOMAN'S POSITION
In the Protestant Churches of Amer
ica. Is is not generally known evrn tn
Methodists themselves that Southern
Methodist women have fewer legal
rights in their own Church than the
women of any Protestant church in
America.
Episcopal Church.
In the Episcopal church women
vote on elections of local officers and
on the calling of preachers, though
these laws are made by each dioceso
for its own government.
Baptist Church.
In the Baptist church women vote
on the calling of preachers, election
of officials and also on admission of
members.
Dr. John E. White, pastor Second
Baptist Church, Atlanta, Ga., says:
"There is absolutely no right enjoyed
by the male member which under
Baptist law is not enjoyed by the fe
male member. In a word, there is no
discrimination. Each soul is treated
as an independent individual entity
in a perfect democracy."
Mrs. S. A. Hollensbe, of Mississip
pi, says: "Baptist women are sent
as delegates to Baptist State Conven
tions on equal terms with male dele
gates." She also gives the names of
eight women who were members of
the last State Convention of Missis
sippi. Presbyterian Church.
In the Presbyterian Church women
vote on elections of local officers and
on the calling of preachers.
Rev. w. L. Lingle, pastor of the
First Presbyterian Church, Atlanta,
Ga., says: "All men, women, and
children who are members of the
church may take part in the legal
proceedings of the church. This is
the most unlimited election law on
earth with which I have any acquaint
ance. I trust the women of your
C?Wh wjl f, yh5t they sr vorlc-
ing for. To a Presbyterian outsider,
it seems reasonable."
Christian Church.
Tn the Christian church women not
only vote but also hold office. In the
State and National Conventions of
the Christian Church there are many
women delegates.
Rev. Bernard P. Smith, pastor of
the West End Christian Church, At
lanta, Ga., says: "The women of our
church have all the rights and priv
ileges of the men. The church will
send a woman delegate to any con
vention as readily as they would send
a man. Our women not only have
representation in the local churches,
but also in the State and National
Conventions. The best organized and
safest managed Board in the Chris
tian church to-day is the Christian
Woman's Board of Missions which
makes fewer mistakes than any board
of our church."
Congregational Church.
Every member of the Congrega
tional church has exactly the same le
gal standing in the church, without
any limitations because of sex. Ev
ery woman has same relation to the
government of the church that the
men have.
M. K. Church.
The M. E. Church granted laity
rights to the women sixteen years
ago.
Dr. H. K. Carroll, the church sta
tistician of the United States Census
Bureau, also Secretary of the Meth
odist Board of Missions, says in press
report in Atlanta Constitution, Feb
ruary 20th:
"The General Conference of the
Methodist Episcopal Church, South,
will do wisely to give the women
what they ask. Our own General
Conference placed women practically
on a level with men in the matter of
voting sixteen years ago, and only
good has resulted. Women not only
vote for delegates to the General Con
ference, but are eligible themselves
to serve in that capacity. They are
not eligible to the Annual Confer
ence for the simple reason that this
Conference is composed exclusively
of clergymen. They are represented
in the Quarterly Conferences and by
various officials of their own sex, such
as Epworth League Presidents, the
Presidents of Ladies' Aid Societies,
and others."
M. K. Church, South.
The women of the M. E. Church,
South, have no legal status in the
church whatever, as they have no
vote in any of the conferences of the
Church. They have no representa
tion in the General Conference and
no voice in creating that body which
has control of their work and can
change or abolish their organizations
at will. So far as we know, ours is
the only church which has in its Book
of Government definite discrimination
because of sex. (See paragraphs 675
and 653 of Book of Discipline, 1906.)
Thus it will be seen that the South
ern Methodist Church stands alone
among all the great denominations of
America in the attitude towards its
women. Her women have no part in
planning for the development of the
church, Until 1866 the entire gov-
hands of the clergy. In that year
the laymen of the church asked for
representation in the legislative bod
ies and their request was granted.
Now the Woman's Board of Home
Missions is asking that the women
also be allowed to share in planning
and developing the work of the
church to which they have given their
love and time and service.
Surely it is no radical or danger
ous thing that the Woman's Board
of Home Missions is asking for the
women of the church, when it asks
for them to be permitted to stand,
not with the apostles (the ministry),
but with their lay brethren that to
gether they may walk carrying the
knowledge of the love of Christ to
the ends of the earth!
MRS. LUKE JOHNSON.
WITH OUR CHARMING AND GRA
CIOUS ELIZABETH CIT1 SIS
TERS. Dear Mrs. Burton: I regretted
very much that in the Elizabeth City
Edition of the Advocate of recent is
sue there was no mention made of
the meeting of the Conference of the
Woman's Home Mission Society
which was held in that city Mhrch
22-25 inclusive. Understanding that
this may have been unavoidable,
when another week's edition reached
us and the Home Mission page con
tained no reference to the meeting,
I am puzzled to know the cause. I
shall not undertake to report the
meeting, feeling sure that our faith
ful and efficient Secretary will do
this later.
There are some points, however,
on which I wish to express our en
joyment and appreciation, viz: the
hearty welcome extended; the cor
dial greetings of the people of the
city; the strong and appropriate
sermon by the pastor of the first
church, Rev. J. D. Bundy; the beau
tiful music by the choir, the enter
tainment by the children, and the re
ception given all were full of love
and interest in the work and in us
as its representatives in the Confer
ence. There was quite a large attend
ance, and an advance was reported
along all lines of the work. Mrs. R.
B. John, our President, presided with
grace and dignity. There were ques
tions of importance discussed and
Brother Bundy publicly referred to
the spiritual atmosphere which per
vaded the entire session. Miss Nell
Rogers, deaconess, who is now em
ployed by W. Market Street Church,
Greensboro, N. C, stated that she
literally belonged to Greensboro,
whenever there is need of her ser
vices, but she can safely say the wo
men who were at Elizabeth City, be
long to her, so pleased were they
with her personality and beautiful
talk on the call to service and the
deaconess work.
It was our privilege to have with
us Mrs. R. E. Willis, Conference
President of the Woman's Foreign
Missionary Society, and Mrs. L. B.
Hendren, of Newbern, Superintend
ent of Juvenile Work, who conducted
the noontide prayer service each day.
A pleasing episode was the intro
duction of little four-months-old
Miriam Elizabeth Bundy, who with
her sweet cooing smile captured the
her a life member of the Society
There were two others made life
members at this meeting.
Another circumstance which was
much appreciated was that the
Young Ladies' Society of Elizabeth
City, instead of presenting the visit
ors with souvenirs of the occasion,
presented the society with a purse of
$25 for our Brevard School. We ad
journed at noon on Friday to meet
in Raleigh next year, after a cordial
invitation to return to Elizabeth City
for another session.
Very sincerely,
IDA T. WILKINS.
I am very glad to give this enter
taining account of our delightful
meeting and thank Mrs. Wilkins for
it. She, doubtless, would have sent
it earlier if she could have done so,
but a little delay does not lessen our
interest. I was denied the privilege
of attending and, therefore, have
been dependent on others for notes.
A WORD OP EXPLANATION TO
OUR WRITERS.
Because of unusual press of mat
ter, Dr. Ivey can only give us space
fortnightly and sometimes your val
ued contributions must be delayed.
What a day it will be when this
mortal puts on immortality! When
the barriers are down and time and
physical restrictions are no more,
when the boundless liberty of Go-1
is ours, when frailties of the flesh
have vanished as the darkness goes
out at the dawn, when sorrow ends,
when pain is no more, when there
are no final farewells! Is it not
worth waiting for? Can we not bear
the pressure of the night and the
faint glimmer of the stars when we
know that the peaks of life are al
ready beginning to glow with the
glory of the morning? Be not im
patient, child of God! There is rest
beyond the river, and with every dip
of the oars the coast line draws near
er. United Presbyterian.
A lady rang a door-bell and wait
ed. Meanwhile she heard a musical
voice evidently from the cellar ring
ing forth in a rollicking song, ac
companied by a noise as of shovel
ing. She rang again. A youth came
to the door and laughed, saying:
"You must have been highly enter
tained." "I did enjoy your music,
truly." she replied. The singer ex
plained: "You see, I don't like to
shovel ashes one bit, so I always
tune up when it has to be done. It
seems to make the job shorter or
easier, some way."
Wasn't that good philosophy? It
is very adjustable philosophy, too;
can be made to fit many situations.
It is also guaranteed to work alto
gether better than sighs and frowns
and sharp words when one has to do
an unpleasant bit of work. Try it.
Anon.
What does your anxiety do? It
does not empty tomorrow, brother,
of its sorrows; but oh! it empties to
day of its strength. Ian Maclaren.
Nothing endures but the eternal
commonplace; and if one departs
from that, it is to run the mcut perl
lpx rksgharje Wagner,