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Historically Speaking
"Our Women In Mission"
by Louise Fox, Church Historian
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It is most fitting that we should take out time to celebrate the United Methodist Women's part in missions, especially as we are now observing our one hundred and thirty-fifth anniversary. Indeed, there is "a great deal to celebrate as we continue the journey begun more than 133 years ago by our faithful and courageous foremothers."
Women were the first Christian missionaries. They have been missionary-minded from the beginning as followers of Jesus Christ. Let us start with the story of Jesus in Samaria when He asked the Samaritan woman for a drink of water from the well where she had come to draw water. John 4:7. After their conversation she hastened, in true missionary fashion, to tell the Good News about Christ to other Samaritans.
After Jesus had been crucified on Friday, Mary Magdalene, Mary, the mother of James, and Salome went to the tomb, after the Sabbath was over, to anoint the body of Christ. Mark 16. To their amazement, they discovered that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance, and a young man in a white robe told them that Jesus was not there but had gone on to Galilee. Then He first appeared to Mary Magdalene who, in the true missionary spirit, hastened to tell others that Jesus was alive. So the first missionaries of Christianity were women.
In the early years of the women's mission organization, the focus was on sending missionaries to foreign lands to help change the lives of women and girls in India (1869); China (1871); Mexico, South America and Bulgaria (1874); Sierra Leone (1875); Japan (1876); Italy (1877); Malaysia (1887); Korea (1888); and the Philippines (1903).
Upon arrival in these countries the missionaries would start schools, and orphanages for girls and boys; establish medical clinics, teach English as a second language; work with women on health issues; set up educational institutions; and of course, teach the Bible. These are the very things missionaries are doing today.
Many of our churches had both the organizations for home missions (Ladies Auxiliary) and foreign (Foreign Missionary Societies). However, there were some churches that only had one of these organizations.
It was not until 1884 did the General Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, authorize the organization of the woman's foreign missionary societies. There were a few groups who began organizing them without authorization. First United Methodist Church in Hampton was among the pioneers, organizing a Woman's Foreign Missionary Society in 1882. In 1925 there were 738 missionaries of the Woman's Foreign Missionary Society.
Our United Methodist Women, from its beginning, has been based on the conception that God is the creator of all people and all races. One of our goals has been the creation of a community and social order without racial, ethnic, and language barriers. It was an important accomplishment when the Central Jurisdiction was abolished, and the black and white races were united.
The following dates are some of the highlights in the United Methodist Women's history, taken from the Internet and paraphrased:
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If you have any comments on any of these pages, please email me: Robert W.(Bob) Mckitrick, thanks.
Last update: April 3, 2004