This Week in Texas Methodist History June 28

The Christian Advocate came down firmly on the side of keeping married women out of the workforce.

Here is an editorial from June 30, 1939.

Few will deny the statement that we have too many married women working outside the home.  It is significant that legislatures in twenty states are considering methods of curbing the “working wives”, and in four states bans have already gone into effect.  This restrictive move, which began in 1932 when the Federal Government eliminated many married women from public payrolls, is opposed by women’s organizations everywhere.  They argue that marriage does not deprive women of their civil rights, one of which it to work for wages.  Our economic condition is doubtless one reason for keeping women out of industry, thus giving more jobs to men.  However the jobs argument is only a small part of the real objection to married women working outside the home.  The wife is inescapably the builder of the home and guardian of the children.  These duties are necessarily neglect by working wives.  Probably no law could or should be enacted to bar married women from jobs.  But business and industry by agreement, could establish rules under which married women would be employed in exceptional cases, the first of which would be that the husband was not able to provide a living for the family.  We want no dictators telling women what to do; but the country cannot ignore the deterioration of the home, due to the presence of married women in industry.

An unintended consequence of this  workplace discrimination plays an interesting role in Texas Methodist history. 

Since women who married were at risk of being fired and newspapers of the day printed applications for marriage license, it became fairly common for couples to travel to some other county to apply for a license and marry.  In the case of Houston, a favorite destination was Richmond, the County Seat of Fort Bend County.    Richmond was a small town at the time, and parsonage for St. John’s Methodist Church happened to be on the courthouse square.  One of the pastors placed a sign in the yard “Methodist Parsonage.”  Couples coming out of the court house naturally wanted to find clergy to perform the wedding.  The St. John’s pastor was right there!

The additional income from wedding fees during the 1930s made Richmond St. John’s a highly desirable appointment.

In one of the ironies of history in just a few years the Federal Government completely reversed its course.  Instead of keeping women out of industry, the Government began a campaign to induce women to go into the war time industrial production.  The campaign is remembered today through the iconic Rosie the Riveter.  After World War II, there was another push to fire women so that returning servicemen could have their jobs. 

This Week in Texas Methodist History June 21

Debate Over Pacifism in Southwestern Christian Advocate, June 1940

Although not known as one of the historic peace churches, Methodism has had a significant number of pacifists, and in its official statements passed at several General Conferences,  conscientious objection has been listed as an acceptable option for Methodists when confronted by possible participation in war. 

Congress made provisions for conscientious objection during World War I, and more Methodists than Quakers and other historic peace  groups claimed the status.  Of course there were far more Methodists than members of the historic peace churches. 

The horror of World War I created a surge in conscientious objection.   The use of modern machinery of destruction had created death of on a scale not seen before and produced revulsion at the carnage. Some Christians promised never to let something this horrible happen again.  The Nye Committee (1934-1936), convened by Senator Gerald Nye of North Dakota, created even more of an anti-war sentiment by detailing the war profiteering U. S. banks and munitions companies during World War I, most notably the Dupont Corporation. 

Germany’s invasion of Poland created a crisis for pacifists.  Unlike World War I, in 1939 there was a clear aggressor and Chamberlain’s sad defense of appeasement made pacifists seem unrealistic. 

In June 1940 Bishop John M. Moore, interim editor of the Southwestern Christian Advocate, published an editorial in which he excoriated isolationists and pacifists.  Here is some of the editorial. 

In this country we have three classes of citizens.  First there are those who continually cry “Stay out of the war.’  It is their fight.  It is none of their business.”   These are Hitler’s friends and allies, whether of their own purpose or not. Second, those who say, “my conscience would not allow me to endorse war of any kind, war is a sin.  I am a pacifist.   These also are Hitler’s friends and allies.  Whatever their intentions. 

As one would expect, Moore’s editorial brought letters from his readership in reply. 

Two Southwest Texas Conference pastors,  A. W. Munk of Waelder and H. M. Ratliff of Jourdanton-Christine protested most vigorously at the idea of being called Hitler’s allies because of their pacifist beliefs. 

Mrs. Ratliff also signed the letter. 

In his reply, Bishop Moore did walk back his use of the word “allies”: , but stuck to his guns about every isolationist and conscientious objector helping Hitler.   He used the traditional arguments such as the New Testament scriptures “I do not come to bring peace, but a sword.”: and use of the lash in the cleansing of the Temple.  Moore also uses a patronizing tone along the lines of “you young men. . .”

Moore was well acquainted with Germany—he had done graduate study in theology in Germany. 

This Week in Texas Methodist History June 14

Andrew J. Weeks Reports on Travel to Aldersgate Bicentennial, June 16, 1938

One of the great historic observances in Methodist history was the celebration of the bicentennial of John Wesley’s Aldersgate experience.  The observance included about a week of services, hymns, and excursions to Wesleyan sites such as Epworth. 

Southwestern Christian Advocate Editor, A. J. Weeks, attended, leaving Dallas on May 7.  Upon his return he published an account of his experiences in the June 16, 1938 issue of the Advocate.

In addition to the events of the observance, Weeks also included a marvelous account of his travel.

Dallas is well known as one of the most important air transportations hubs in the world.  DFW is well known as a gateway not just to other US cities, but also to Latin America, Asia, and Europe.  The story of how Weeks got back home is illustrative of the way things have changed. 

Upon his return to New York in an ocean liner, Weeks preached at John Street Methodist Church then began his journey home in one of the 21 airplanes American Airlines then owned..  From New York he flew to Buffalo, Chicago, St. Louis, Tulsa, Oklahoma City, then to Dallas.  The longest layover was 3 ½ hours. 

We are accustomed to flying nothing but non-stops.  A scan of the American Airlines site shows there are 11 per day between Dallas and New York.  Weeks marveled at how effortless his travel by rail, liner, and air plane were—how times have changed!

This Week in Texas Methodist History June 7

Texas Methodists Embark on Major Expansion of Wesley Foundations, June 1947

One of the most important pieces of legislation ever passed in the United States was the G. I. Bill.  Among the other provisions was funding to supply tuition and living expenses for veterans of World War II to obtain higher education.  The G. I. Bill thus provided an opportunity for higher education to thousands of Americans for whom a college education had been almost impossible. 

Veterans took advantage of the opportunity presented and Texas campuses experienced huge increases in enrollment.  The G. I’s tended to be older than traditional college students, and many professors noted their maturity.  The education they received in engineering, business, sciences, and humanities held fuel the economic boom as they entered the work force.

The increase in enrollment strained campus facilities—most notably married student housing.  There are many oral histories of young couples living in converted military barracks, including Quonset huts.

Another set of campus buildings under strain were the Wesley Foundations, the student centers through which the Methodist church offered ministries to college students. 

The earliest attempt of Texas Methodists to minister to college students were women’s organizations during the Progressive Era.  Women built dormitories to provide a Christian “home away from home.”

By the 1920s there were also ministries at the University of Texas and Texas A&M College (not yet University.)  At UT the effort included a Bible Chair in which for credit courses were taught.  At A&M it was a pastor at a local church who was instructed to spend time with Methodist students studying in College Station. 

The post war increase in enrollment prompted Methodists to upgrade the Wesleyan Foundations. 

All of the 1945 annual conference sessions of the annual conferences agreed to raise a total of $440,000 from the South Central Jurisdictional Conferences in Texas. .  The Texas Conference was assessed $120,000.  By June 1947 the fund raising efforts were still in the planning stage.  Each conference would decide on its own fund raising program.  So that donors would know they were supporting Wesleyan Foundations within their own conference, the allocation of the $440,00 was announced.   In the Texas Conference Sam Houston State Teachers College (today Sam Houston University) and Stephen F. Austin College (today Stephen F. Austin University) would each be allocated $32,000.  The balance would be equally divided among Texas A&M, the two state universities in Denton, Texas Tech, and the University of Texas.

The Wesleyan Foundation movement became one of the most important ministries in Texas Methodism.  Very soon Foundations were established at other universities, colleges, and junior colleges.  They used various models, including some ecumenical efforts.  Some offered for-credit classes in addition to the fellowship and spiritual development offerings.  Some, such as the one at UT became known for their social activism and influenced campus life far beyond the Foundation. 

In recent years Wesleyan Foundations at state schools have become a major source of candidates entering the ordained ministry.