April 19, 2000

Percentage of women in clergy almost tripled from 1983 to 1999; their enrollment in Master of Divinity programs has risen even more sharply; Association of Theological Schools says in 1972, about 1,000 women, representintg less than 5 percent of students, were enrolled in such programs, by 1998, there were almost 9,000 women, or about 30 percent of total; National Council of Churches says average age of divinity students has risen from mid-20's in early 1970's to mid-30's today; Catholic Church, recognizing that fewer people are willing to take vows of celibacy, has created more positions for deacons, who have many of same responsibilities as priests but are allowed to marry and have children; graphs (M)

Jet Crashes in Philippines An Air Philippines Boeing 737 carrying 131 people crashed in the southern Philippines. All aboard the aircraft were feared dead. PAGE A3

Marketers of financial products are moderating their pitches, playing down irrational exuberance in favor of counseling balance; they are cooling down considerably a category that had been positively giddy in its ebulliently optimistic assertions about how easy it is to make money by buying stocks and mutual funds; onslaught of such campaigns, primarily humorous, to promote brokers, online and traditional, has been one of most noticeable signs of galloping bull market; changes in some ad campaigns noted; photo (Advertising column) (M)

Baruch Israel Hertz, who actively promotes his MyTrack online stock trading system to even market novices, faced heavy margin calls on own investments when market plunged and pledged 25 million shares of his Track Data Corp to four unidentified brokerage firms to cover $45 million in margin debt; has become most public victim yet of kind of trading he promotes (M)

New York State Senate approves bill to remove state's notorious barriers to putting candidates on Republican presidential primary ballot and to make primary winner-take-all contest; acts after Sen Joseph L Bruno, majority leader, waives some minor qualms to create united front with Gov George E Pataki, who proposed bill after being hurt in polls by his effort to keep Sen John McCain off ballot this year (M)