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And he suggested that the men look beneath the surface:
Our sisters all over the Southern Baptist Convention territory are feeling the throbbing of soul, and only the resistance of the grand men whom they and all of us delight to honor, has hushed up their witness for Jesus. Do you say that is not true? Let all the convention submit the case to the women who compose the "auxiliary" and proof abundant will be given. BS , June 9, 1892, p. 3.
In short, he felt that the imperative to preach the gospel was of far greater importance to Christians than the need to keep women in proper subjection.
Mr. Cole's article was
cheerfully printed,but judged extreme by the Baptist Standard editor. Letter-writers either satirized it or attacked it in future issues. See BS , June 28, 1892, p. 3. No woman offered a comment.
Baptist women were well aware that the anxiety generated over their increased activity within the church stemmed from men's fear that their bastion of authority and power—the ministry—would be challenged or invaded. Since male cooperation was contingent upon women's refraining from preaching or requesting ordination, the women were careful throughout the organizing phase of their missionary society work to assure the men that they
knew their place.At every point of progress they let the men know that all they wanted to do was raise money and approach other women—that there was no
dynamitein their movement. Occasionally, however, they let a note of condescension creep into the repeated reassurances that they were operating within approved boundaries:
Another notable feature in our work is that none of our women workers have applied for ordination to the ministry. Not even have any of them ascended the lecture platform. They are keeping silent in the churches in the most orthodox fashion. But their work speaks in trumpet tones and discounts the work of our brethren, not only in the amount of money raised according to our facilities, but in the expense of its collection and distribution. BS , June 1, 1893, p. 3.
Interestingly, it was clear that it was
the brethrenwho stood to be offended rather than God. BS , October 26, 1893, p. 2. Women felt timid and blundering in their initial public efforts, but they emphasized the God-ordained nature of their limitations less frequently than did men:
. . .our Bible women are constantly reminded by some of our very careful brethren, that ‘woman's sphere is quite limited.’ Oh, brethren of the church, do not be alarmed. We women are not going to preach (and that is what you are afraid of). BS , October 3, 1895, p. 7.
Rather than feeling restrained by God's commands, women believed that God's strength would help them overcome their timidity and lack of skill. They did not anticipate that he would call them to seek pastorates or ordination, but they viewed God as the authority and source of their emancipation for wider Christian service. Their obstacles were critical men and their own weakness and lack of faith.
Around the turn of the century, it became clear that women had kept their bargain—they had built a missionary society and developed avenues of service that did not encroach upon the males' ministerial authority. The Texas Baptist Women Mission Worker minutes of 1901 noted that
we are happily past the narrows where there was dread expressed lest the women break away from New Testament teachings and ‘Usurp Authority.’Proceedings of the Baptist Women's Mission Workers of Texas , 1901, p. 172. Texas Baptist life moved out of the quarrelsome, restrictive phase of the 1890s and into a period of growth and vigor. In a more relaxed and confident atmosphere, women were able to address all-church gatherings without the censure Mina Everett reaped in her 1895 speech in the Nacogdoches church yard. See Chapter III, pp. 42-43.
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