Description
Lowestoft’s celebration for the Mayflower anniversary in 1920 was held under the auspices of the Lowestoft Free Church Council. In a highly unusual move, it was a female preacher who gave the service. The Rev. M. Marie Varney came from America and spoke of the relationship between Britain and the US. She saw her mission as being to interpret the US for a British audience. She spoke of the challenges posed by the irreligiosity many young men especially felt in the wake of the war. That and a love of money kept many from the life of ministry, and in America, the gap was being filled by women. Her moral message was a transatlantic one: churches should not be closed six days out of the week, and there was need of them as social places for young people. In regards to the Pilgrim Fathers, what both nations could learn from them was to have faith in God granting them victory. In general the service was more moralistic than diplomatic in nature, particularly aimed at the behaviour of young people – dancing was to be discouraged, and the evils of alcohol and tobacco were ever-present dangers. However, Rev. Varney did emphasise that the League of Nations would be rendered “useless unless underneath it was the spirit of humanity amongst the nations and churches”. She concluded, somewhat vaguely, that the message of the Mayflower must be ”a part of their lives”.
Source
Eastern Daily Press, “Celebrations at Lowestoft”, 2 October 1920.