The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-05-06
The DEACONESS.
Rev. w. W. Clark, D. D.,
Tells What She Does
For the Methodist Epis-
copal Church.
AN AMBASSADOR OF CHRIST
Visits Rich and Poor Alike in
a World Wide Mission
Among the Churches.
AN AMBASSADOR OF CHRIST

The peaconess is a woman who. 'relin-
cuishing wholly all other pursuits affef
two years of careful training and tesehs'
and having been found blameless in char
acter and skillful in service, mas re-
ceived the sanction of the chafeh s'u
been set apart to the holy WORK 80
Deaconess.
She becomes an ambassador Tor enitsl.
I'm His Name she bears glad uoihss "
great JOY TO all. Her mission Is "o.'
wide. She ministers 10 rich anu posl
alike She visits the sick, pfass VIZ
the diving. cares for the orphan, seems
wandering. comforts the sorrowhs' aHa
saves the SHINING" h Deaconess iuea
e The Christ idea. Like Him she goes
aho,,t aao,ng good" Like him she loves
Il, svnnathizes with all. and gives ner-
self for all. Hoary heads weighed GOWN
r.,th no,,artv and infirmity rejoice m her
.ar.sn. pale faces. from which the tiae
~ lie Is ebbing fast, light up with new
nrasance Women with un-
snaakahie burdens take fresh courage -
her approach, Men with ungoVernaDe
anpetities listen TO her story anu
aal,varance. Children encompasses W
destitution and sin are guided by ner 10y
tng hands into green pastures n py inc
sim waters into green pastures anu ~
tba sill, waters where the heavenly Shep-
nerd leads. Lazarus is hungry and dying,
and needs some crumbs and a physlciah'
and she supplies both. Simon anu "a
thanael are ready to follow the h
some one viii point him out ana assnte
them of his Messiahship. me mutt
rude may be Indifferent but some Ae
booking for the coming of Christ IN Ing
yerson of one who lives and loves AAe
Christ
i n not a fitting thing that MethoaisHi,
whose origin and success are iarseis
-. ,the guiding hand and loving hearl o.
eorsecrated ~vomanhood, should pc Inc
&rst In this country to give eceiesidssicai
sanction to- the female diaeonateE In re-
xnonse 70 earnest petitions the Geaerai
conference of 1883 restored to the Church
x4his primitive order OF workers eihoe
5rhen the order has spread with great rap
tidity, not only in this country out ~ ou'
foreign field, until today our ehusci
Numbers on It's Deaconess roll over pss
hundred noble women who nave de'oteo
AlQLA
themselves to the ministry OF love.
The fears of those who seem to think
that Methodism is drifting towari Ho-
manism in organizing this sisternooo'
are utterly groundless. The term sis
serhood, is not used in our Discipline,
.nd If IT were might not the same or
similar terms represent very different
tbings2 AS Methodists We believe IN
apostolic succession"-not the transniis-
sion of some mysterious authorlty u ~
tue by. the touch of episcopal nanus' no
taught by Romanism and rituatsm. put
The transmission of apostolic 1aith anu
zeal and conservation by the baptism Oh
the Holy Ghost. So. also, we peneVe III
slsterhoods or deaeonesses-not sor'etes
at women bound by the triple vows u
eelibacy, poverty and obedience winch
ignore the divine order and surrender IN
diyidual Responsibility, but associations nl
trained Christian women. fully giving
themselves to works of love and mercy
mons the poor and needy and Christ
less
we need trained workers in this held
as Well as In any other field OF christiah
service. If the usefulness of men IS M
creased by being trained for the WORK OF
pastors and teachers, why WIZ NOT the
usefulness of women be equally m
creased by being trained Tor the Wofk 70
which they are called? To meet this feit
want. and give this desirable framing,
h for Deaconesses have beer es'
tahlished-notably the Lucy Webb fiayes
Training school at Washington. =, c.-
from which we are reaping the most
blessed results. The cours of study COW
ers a period of two years, embracing
biblical, Doctrinal. Historical and other
departments. The students spend .aelr
3-orenoons and evenings in the theoresiaai
work of the school,, and their afternoons
In the practical work of house-to-nouse
visitation.
How are the Deaconess Homes sup
ported? BY voluntary contributions.
The Deaconesses and probationers tnat
reside in the Home give their services
their board, car fare, and a small month";
ly allowance for clothing and inciden5a's'
The money to dc this comes, in Homes
carried on by the Woman's Home Mis-
sIonary Society, from the auxiliaries OF
this society, and from the generous dona-
fions oil individuals and churches.
Surely. money cannot be more wisely
invested than in thu helping to bring IN
Christ's kingdoml