Lilian Lelean Scholes (14 May 1902 - 7 November 1972) was a

Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a Protestant Christianity, Christian Christian tradition, tradition whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's brother ...

preacher, theologian and author in

Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...

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who in 1934 was the first woman to graduate with the degree of Bachelor of Divinity (Honours) from the

Melbourne College of Divinity The University of Divinity is an Australian collegiate university with a specialised focus in divinity and associated disciplines. It is constituted by twelve theological colleges from seven denominations and three schools. The University of Di ...

Early life and education

Lilian Lelean Scholes was born on 14 May 1902 in Northcote, Victoria to Samuel and Clara (Lelean) Scholes. Her maternal grandfather and uncle were Methodist ministers in Australia and Fiji, and her father, also a Methodist minister, was President of the Methodist Conference of Australasia in 1917. She attended Melbourne High School and studied for a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts from the

University of Melbourne The University of Melbourne (colloquially known as Melbourne University) is a public university, public research university located in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1853, it is Australia's second oldest university and the oldest in the state ...

. She also held a Diploma in Education and was registered as a teacher in Victoria in 1926. She worked as a secondary school teacher, including two years of teaching in a mission school in Fiji. In 1934 she graduated with the degree of Bachelor of Divinity (Honours) from the

. Only one woman,

Winifred Kiek Winifred Kiek (; 27 July 1884 – 23 May 1975) was the first woman to be ordained in the Christian Ministry in Australia. She was ordained on 13 June 1927 in South Australia to the Congregational Union of Australia (now part of the Uniting Churc ...

, had previously completed the BD at the MCD, but Scholes was the first woman to complete the degree with honours. Her aim was to attain the MCD's highest award, the Doctor of Divinity, although this never eventuated.

Career

Scholes was a local preacher in the Methodist Church, and worked for the Methodist Home Mission Society. She intended to seek ordination to the ministry, however this was not permitted by the Methodist Church and she had to relinquish this path following the Methodist Conference which in 1935 decided not to open ordination for women. Scholes' own view was that ordination should be restricted to unmarried women, and that a high standard of education was required for either men or women to be considered for the ministry. She continued to minister as a local preacher throughout the 1940s and 1950s, earning a living as a teacher at the Austral Coaching College in Melbourne. She authored over two dozen books or pamphlets including biblical, theological and historical studies, and a book ''John Wesley's Silver Buckles'' (1967) on the origins of Methodism and the Lelean family history.

Death

She died on 7 November 1972 at Mont Albert, Victoria aged 70 and her remains were interred at Springvale.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Scholes, Lilian 1902 births 1972 deaths People from Northcote, Victoria Australian Methodists University of Divinity alumni Women theologians University of Melbourne alumni Clergy from Melbourne