The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1892-03-12
Female Representation In The
Methodist General Conference.

The Rev. A. J. kynett D D
made an able and logical argument
on the question of Female Repre-
sentation in the General Conference"
at the meeting of the Methodist
Episcopal Preachers OF Philadelphia
on Monday last As it contains
valuable information as to the status
OF woman in the Methodist Church,
we give the following synopsis of the
Rev. Doctors line of reasoning:
The question is not shall woman
be delegates to the General Confer
ence. That question will &c deter
mined in the Electoral Conferences.
The question pending before the
church is: Shall woman be excluded
Shall they be declared ineligible to
serve as delegates to the Electoral or
General Conference? Are women
members OF the laity OF the Metho
dist Episcopal Church? Webster,
who is recognized as authority, d
fines layman to be one OF the PEG
pie in distinction from the clergy
Iaity, the people as distinguished
from the clergy. The Century Die
tionary defines layman as a non,
professional man, specifically one
who does not belong to the clerical
professional church member who is
not a clergyman. 1t defines the
laity as the body OF the people not in
orders. A lay sister is defined a
person who occupies a position III a
nunnery. AS to legal definitions,
Blackstone says the lay part of his
Majesty's subjects may be divided
into three distinct states-the civil,
the military and the maritime.
Bowler says lay applies to things
not ecclesiastical. No special priv
leges attach to the clergy in their civil
relations in this country. All authori
ties concur, there is no dissent, and
there is no idea of sex connecte
with the terms lay, laity. God said:
"Let Us make man" male and
female created He them"
The articles OF religion OF the
Methodist Episcopal Church were
quoted by DR.. Kynett in support of
his argument. The terms clergy,
laity, lawyer and layman, physician
| and layman make distinction be
tween two classes, and there never
has been third class. In all The
States Of the Union, with bat four
exceptions, the status of woman is
the same In the State of Maryland
males only Can become members
OF bodies polite for religious pur
poses In the State OF New York
the Protestant Episcopal Church
limits its voting privileges to
males. In the State of New Jersey,
in the exercise Of the privileges of
the Church, women can't be barred
In all the preliminary discussion
which led up to lay representation
in the Methodist Episcopal Church,
prior to 1868, DIR. Kynett was able
| ~ llllNi III LClOiSllN " y. L nc
Committee on Lay Delegation was
appointed on the first day of the
session of 1868. The two reports
were presented on the 18th day of
the session, and on the 22d day DR..
Hunter moved as a substitute, to
insert the word male" so as to
connt the suffrage. The amendment
was Incorporated in the report of
the Committee OF Conference. A
motion was made to strike out the
word "male." The word male"
was stricken out by vote Of I42 to
~ By that act, with deliberation,
the distinction between the male and
| females in the laity of the Methodist
Episcopal Church was wiped out.
In the General Conference OF 1872
the vote of the ministers stood 49I5
in favor Of the admission of lay del
egates, 1897 against, and there were
four blanks. On the eleventh day
of that session DR.. Nesbitt presented
paper on the eligibility ol local
preachers to membership in the Lay
Electoral Conference, and on the
goth day the Committee on the State
of the Church reported that, in all
matters corrected with the election
of lay delegates all are eligible to
membership in The Electoral Confer
ence who are not members * Annual
Conferences. The General Confer
ence adopted that definition Tho