050674 Women's Lib hits the Presbyterian church

By ROSS BLAKE
Gannett News Service

The women's liberation movement has hit  the Presbyterian Church, but at least in certain places it has a long  way to go. This was epitomized at, a recent Presbytery Convention in Syracuse.

Item 1: A nominating report proposed nine names, for a judicial committee --- no women among them. A woman among the 200 persons present questioned. A man in power gave no answer, fumbling and bumbling with so-called fact savers: The committee wasn't  important. it hardly ever met. etcetera. et cetera. And then with a candor only hinted At. he admitted that the committee hadn't thought of it.

THE MODERATOR asked the woman if she had any proposal?      No., she had only  wanted to raise a question. No otherr woman, and they were
thee. came forth with a motion.Then a man rose quickly and moved the committee re
consider the issue  was readily passed.

But later when the clerk read the minutes, the motion was read for the committee to
consider nominating a woman to the Commission. Now that's not what the  motion was at all: Again no alert scorn from anyone. No murmur of bewildertment when it was read.

Once MORE a man stood and questioned whether the minutes were accurate. They were not.

They Were corrected.  No Intentional, malicious slip, I am sure Just that sometimes we
catch on ever so slowly.


Item 2 The moderator  of  the general Assembly, the church's highest office spoke that night, He's an articulate, thoughtful, forthright. urbane black. And in his speech he touched on the problem of sexism in the church. and while he came out on the progressive side of that issue, he Went, through all the old sickening ploys. He gave them good old fatherly advice. suggesting  that when they got into the power structure of the church. that they be subtly devious so the men would think the  good ideas the woman brought were really theirs.

And the ladies all laughed and giggled like little girls, comfortable on a daddy's lap.