Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-06-11
WOMEN DEMAND
VOICE IN RULE
Of CHURCH
ShH
Leaders in M. E., South, Declare
They Do the Work, but Men
Do the Voting.

Failure Of Southern Methodist
women to have a voice in the laity
affairs of the church. which is being
agitated just now by the publica-
ton of The Laity Advocate. is sim
ply the old, old story of taxation
without representation" declares Mrs.
w. f. Trenary, second vice presi-
dent, and Mrs. ]. N. McEachern, cor
responding secretary of the home de-
partment of the North Georgia Con-
ference. In substance, the views of
Mrs r. P. Milan and Mrs. R.; &.
Rambo, two other prominent Method,
list workers, are the same.
All four Of these women declare
that the Methodist Church women
deserve more rights than they now
have in laity church affairs, since
they do most of the work. The men,
they say sit idly by in a great many
cases, while the women do the work.
and yet when the time comes to put
through big issues II is for the men
to say yes" or no"
This, each one of these women
church workers declares. is manifest
ly unfair, and sooner or later will be
thing of the past. The reforma-
ton will not be as easy, however, as
some think, for the next general con-
ference two years hence, according
to all indications, will seek to down
the measure. To head off this pro-
nounced opposition The Laity Advo-
cate. quarterly magazine, is being
published.
Not in the Church.
1.-THE organization uenind The Laity
Advocate" said Mrs. McEachern, lis
entirely outside Of the church and
is composed of men and women who
want to see the women have more
rights within the church. The move
ment, in my opinion, Is a good one
and ultimately will be successful, The
whole thing is a matter Of education,
and when the people see II they viii
cease to oppose tin fact, they win
actually favor 1t.
And ii should be distinctly under
stood that the movement is not be-
ing planned simply TO give women Of
fee This is not what we are work.
ing for What we do want is a voice
in the laity affairs of the church
Mrs. w. F. Trenary, second vice
president Of the North Georgia Con-
ference, lined up with Mrs. McEach-
ern. Said she:
THE question is similar in many
respects TO the equal suffrage move
ment. The women do most of the
work and yet they have no voice n
affairs-in other words. It's a case Of
taxation without representation.
have stood for the laitv movement
and was keenlv disappointed that t
failed Of passage two years ago before
the general conference"
Mrs. R. p Milan was very empha:-
ic in her statement that she favored
the laity movement. The women. she
said. do most of the work, and there
fore they should have representation
on the general laity boards of the
conference. The woman's council, ac-
cording to Mrs. Milan. is a body Of
highly intelligent women who de-
serve a voice in the affairs OF the
church.
Mrs. Rambo Conservative.
Mrs R. K Rambo declared herself
to be more or less conservative, but
at the same time highly in favor OF
better representation. The present
representation in the General Council,
she said, is more a matter of cour-
tesy than anything else.
While no organized movement in
favor Of the laity matter has been
launched In Atlanta, much individual
work by advocates of the measure
will be done before the General Con-
ference, It is said. The majority Of
Atlanta Methodist Church women are
In favor of the measure, according
to the leaders, and will leave no stone
unturned to get equal rights for wom-
en- in the church.