ORDINATION OF A FEMALE DEACON

(The Reformed and Presbyterian Covenanter, Vol 27 no 6 June 1889, Page 194)

In my wanderings and sojournings, in the divine and gracious providence of our Saviour King, I found myself at Youngstown, O., and received a cordial invitation from the pastor, Rev. H. W. Reed, to attend their communion services on the fourth Sabbath of October, an important part of their preparatory services being the examination and ordination of the elders and deacons elected by the congregation some time before. There were four elders and five deacons elected. One of the elders was absent, and one had been ordained before, so there were but two to be ordained. Of the five deacons elected, two were men and three were women. The two men and two of the women declined ordination, so it left but one lady (Miss Jennie S. Gault) to be ordained as deacon. It was a great trial and a novel experience to her, as well as to the congregation and all others. But she had made up her mind to obey the call and enter into the service of the divine Master and His church, and she proved herself to be well prepared and eminently qualified for the position. Being kindly invited by the session, with Brother Laird the assistant, I took part in the exercises. I cannot describe the emotions and feelings of delight and satisfaction I felt, in thus reaching the climax, triumph, and realization of my own convictions and contendings for the last twenty years or more, in being allowed, with others, to place my hand on the head of the first lady-deacon ever set apart to that office in this country, or perhaps in any other for a long time. This is the exemplification. We have had theorizing enough. Now let the exemplification go on. Christians love and treat their children alike in the family, public school, Sabbath school, and many of the privileges of the church. Why stop, when in Christ Jesus there is neither... "male nor female," etc.

As I have always striven to be in the vanguard in every moral and beneficial reform, I hope and pray for the time when nothing but physical or moral deficiencies will exclude women more than men from any position in church or state which they are found qualified to fill, and I hope that our church will "mount higher," until she at least awards to our brave missionary, Miss Wylie, of Latakijeh, the position she richly deserves. I have seen some women in the pulpit, I have seen some women in the pulpit, and they acquitted themselves with credit. If all the men would do as well, we should have a good ministry. I can remember one young lady, a Miss Rankin, who was a very acceptable supply to some pulpits in the First New York Presbytery, as far back as thirty or forty years ago. She belonged to a family of ministers. She taught a classical school, and I have no doubt she taught theology and church history as well as any professor in any seminary, and I have no doubt she made a better preacher than some of the graduates. I can remember when some of the good brethren of the Old Covenanter Church said that it was not "proper" to make a woman a ruling elder, though a good many women ruled their elders. Well, they have learned better. I have had, for a number of years, a church officer who has rendered most valuable assistance, and without whose aid I should have been in difficulty; and it is not long since I saw a woman take charge of the proceedings of an ecclesiastical court, the same as any other member of the court.

I have always felt that the distinction made between male and female members of the church in regard to service was unscriptural. It is artificial and has no foundation in the Word of God, and I am glad to see this distinction being broken down, and women are being allowed to enter into the work of the church more freely than formerly. God has endowed them with abilities for His service, and it is a wrong done to the church, as well as to the women themselves, to shut them out of the exercise of these talents. The ordination of a female deacon is a step in the right direction.

In conclusion, I can only express the hope that this movement will go forward, and that the church will continue to advance in its understanding and application of the principles of the New Testament in regard to the place and work of women in the church. I believe that the time will come when the church will recognize that the distinction of sex, in regard to official service, is no more valid than the distinction of nationality or social position, for "in Christ Jesus there is neither Jew nor Greek, bond nor free, male nor female."

Thomas Wylie, Youngstown Ohio, Oct. 28, '88