Abstract & Overview
The first Evangelical minister whom I ever met, once asked me to preach in St Peter's Church Hobart. It was part of a very novel decision to involve laymen and so the minister thought that for a six weeks' trial period he would have lay people delivering the sermons. I knew nothing about Evangelicalism and I was to be the first of the six speakers. I and two of my colleagues had just had a long, tiresome but victorious struggle for equal pay for women teachers, so I chose as my text Hebrews 11:1 \Now faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen\" and my sermon was to be about a better and more equal deal for women in the church. The novel decision was cancelled immediately and I learned quite an amount about Evangicalism especially that it is not given to a woman to be the bringer of good tidings. In cases where it does happen it is customary to shoot the messenger. I wish to thank the late Reverend Herbert Condon Archdeacon Lou Daniels Dr Richard Ely and Joanne Webb for their considerable help and interest in this project."