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Archiver > BRETHREN > 2010-02 > 1265940688


From: Merle C Rummel <>
Subject: Re: [BRE] Divideing wall in the church
Date: Thu, 11 Feb 2010 21:11:28 -0500
References: <4B74608F.2060105@frontiernet.net>
In-Reply-To: <4B74608F.2060105@frontiernet.net>


> I was rather taken back by the fact that a wood head high wall divided
> the church with women on one side and men on the other. What was the
> thinking that a wall have to be placed between the men and women. I
> have thought that it was perhaps because many of the women may have had
> infants that they would need to nurse during to church. Other than
> that I am stumped why a wall was placed done the middle of room.
> Were all Brethren churches built like this or was in just one group
> that choose such separation.
> Thanks, Dove
>

Keep in mind that there were very few church buildings before the early
1800s. Most seem to have been built about 1820-1840. There are a
number of them that had the divided assembly - with the wall, in the
east and out into Ohio and maybe Indiana.

I think it had to do with Biblical interpretation -

The reference of St Paul, to women not speaking in church - has more to
do with this, than with the more frequent interpretation that women had
no part in the church worship. The early synagogues had the men sitting
in the center, with "balcony" areas on one or several sides. Paul is
saying that the noise of children et al, in the balcony, might hinder a
person there (a woman) from hearing what happened - and he cautions her
to not make more noise trying to find out what was said, but to listen
instead, then when she gets home to ask her husband about what she missed.

Our early Brethren knew their Bibles better than most of us. The
ministers - some of them - could read the Greek New Testament - and
directly translate it into German (or English). I studied Greek, but no
way am I that able - thank goodness for the "pony" (an interlinear
English translation written below the Greek text) and the lexicon (a
Greek-English dictionary) - or the easier "Amplified Bible" (where the
several meanings of the Greek words are given - along with the accepted
translation.

Merle C Rummel

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