United
Methodist Women
Celebrate 135 Years in Mission
In 2004, United Methodist Women across the country celebrated 135 years in mission...1869 to 2004.
Our 135th Anniversary Celebration Purpose
To celebrate United Methodist Women and predecessor women's missionary organizations
To commemorate the contributions of women to the life of the church and society
To renew our commitment to continuing ministries with women, children, and youth
Our 135th Anniversary Celebration Goals
135th Birthday Party in every local and district unit!
135th Anniversary Party in each district and annual meeting!
30% increase in Response magazine subscriptions!
Contribution of $1.35 per member
to the anniversary offering!
(Let's give one penny for every year of our organization's mission service!)
Remember our legacy of 135 years of giving!
Leave a legacy for the next 135 years!
Participate!
In our lively organization...United Methodist Women!
Give a Special Mission Recognition
pin!
Send a Gift to Mission Birthday card!
Recognize one historical woman in our community!
Share stories of mission!
Share stories about our history!
From 1869 to 1893, our foremothers organized eight foreign and home missionary societies...the first was the Woman's Foreign Missionary Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church and the last was the Woman's Home Missionary Society of the Methodist Protestant Church. Through various denominational unions and mergers, the organization that became known as United Methodist Women experienced changes in names and structure. However, the purpose has remained the same. Like our predecessors, members of United Methodist Women have made a lifetime commitment to Christ's mission in the world. For over a century, members have united to pray together, to raise funds for mission, and to improve the lives of women, children, and youth around the world. Let's renew our life in mission with the zeal of our foremothers!
Resources for the 135th Anniversary Celebration
VIDEO: Celebrate: A Seed Is
A Promise
“Celebrate: A
Seed Is A Promise” is a new video to help women
celebrate United Methodist Women. With a song written for the
video, and with footage of the work of United
Methodist Women over the past 135 years, this video will be useful even beyond
this year.
How a Garden Grows - A Special Worship Service Celebrating 135 Years in Mission
(WORD)
How a Garden Grows - A Special Worship Service Celebrating 135 Years in Mission
(PDF)
135th Anniversary - Recommendations for Celebration (WORD)
135th Anniversary - Recommendations for Celebration (PDF)
Special Brochure about
135th Anniversary Celebration (PDF)
(Brochure is a large file...will take a while to come up)
History Resources for United Methodist Women - Women's Division Website
UMW - 135 Years In Mission (Article by Genie Bank, Women's Division President)
United Methodist Women Celebrate 135 Years At General Conference
Special 135th Anniversary Logo Graphics
To Download these images:
Click on small logo to see larger image. Then,
to download the image, right click on the larger image, and click on "Save Picture
As", and save the image to your computer. If you have trouble, email
Lynne Gilbert, and she will send you the files.
You may also use our own Western North Carolina Conference Annual Meeting logo, which references the celebration of 135 Years of United Methodist Women in Mission. The Annual Meeting logo is shown below:
Click on small logo to see larger image.
To download image, right click on larger image, and then click on "Save Picture
As", and save the image to your computer.
United
Methodist Women Celebrate
135 Years at General Conference
by Kelly
Martini (Women’s Division – Executive Secretary for Communications)
135 years of mission with women, children and youth was the focus of the speech by United Methodist Women’s Division president, Genie Bank, before General Conference on Monday morning. The speech before the legislative body preceded a video made for the anniversary.
Ms. Bank began the speech with a paragraph from an 1869 newspaper: ‘On November 2, 1869, Bedford Street Church in New York was crowded to the doors with a sympathetic audience [waiting] to see this strange sight, two single ladies about to sail the ocean to a new and untried task, with no pledge of support save that handful of women!’
The idea of two women – a doctor and teacher – sailing the ocean alone to work as missionaries for women and children in India and supported by a few took much faith. It started with the perseverance of two missionary wives, who recognized the plight of women in India who would not see male missionaries, doctors or teachers. ‘They returned to the United States and pleaded for the women of India until the Tremont Church Ladies’ Benevolent Society in Boston finally heard,’ said Ms. Bank.
‘The church was locked when the earliest arrived on the rainy night of that meeting. But once inside, the women prayed and listened to the stories told by Clementina Butler and another missionary wife, Mrs. Parker. Within minutes, the Tremont women organized a woman’s missionary society with dues at two cents a week and a prayer, so that membership might be within the means of every woman in the church,’ she said.
It led to United Methodist Women, an organization that is now 1-million members strong and raises $25 million each year on behalf of women and children.
The history of this work is still evident today, according to Ms. Bank. They began home missionary societies to meet the needs of the newly freed slaves and the poor and oppressed women and children within their own communities. They built schools, hospitals, skills training programs, orphanages, community centers and more for women and children. More than 100 of these mission institutions exist in U.S. communities today.
They started anti-lynching leagues and stood against
lynchings in their own communities. They were instrumental in the Supreme Court
decision Brown versus Board of education with their research on the states’ laws
about race and color. Fifty years ago, they built the
Church Center for the United
Nations to work for peace and justice in the world. They worked in coalitions
and funded programs and projects in more than 100 countries around the world
that empower women and children and exist today.
To educate themselves about the world justice issues, the Bible and leadership
skills, they began schools of mission and national seminars.
“United Methodist Women for the past 135 years have listened to God’s call to liberate and love in the name of Christ. For these women, their work, and their continued response to God’s call – we celebrate! Happy 135th birthday United Methodist Women!” said Ms. Bank.
United Methodist Women is a one-million member organization whose purpose is to foster spiritual growth, develop leaders and advocate for justice. Members raise around $25 million a year for programs and projects related to women, children and youth in the United States and in more than 100 countries around the world.
The Book of Resolutions of The United Methodist Church
APPROVED BY GENERAL CONFERENCE 2004
New Resolution – Support for Women’s Division
WHEREAS: the Women's Division of the General Board of Global Ministries is charged by the Discipline to "be an advocate for the oppressed and dispossessed with special attention to the needs of women and children; (to) work to build a supportive community among women; and (to) engage in activities that foster growth in the Christian faith, mission education, and Christian social involvement" (paragraph 1317); and
WHEREAS: the Women's Division continues its educational ministries, its outreach in the name of Christ, its work for justice, peace, human community, and its compassionate service with women, children and youth; and
WHEREAS: for over 135 years, the Women's Division has never wavered from its total commitment to the Gospel of Jesus Christ and serving women, youth and children with mission education, opportunities for spiritual growth, opportunities for Christian social involvement and financial support for mission at home and around the world; and
WHEREAS: the Women's Division continues to stand in solidarity with women, youth and children by addressing issues such as violence, rape, incest, terrorism, exploitation and all levels of discrimination and work with other Christian groups to address and eliminate poverty and hunger as the Gospel of Jesus Christ requires; and
WHEREAS: the Women's Division continues to be at the heart of the denomination's missionary movement by working with Bible women, missionaries and deaconesses and to function as an integral structure and administrative entity with the General Board of Global Ministries;
Therefore, be it resolved, that the General Conference affirms the powerful witness of the Women's Division in our church and our world, 135 years of faithful service to Christ and the church, its current commitment to mission, and its dedication to work within the General Board of Global Ministries;
Be it further resolved, that the General Conference upholds the current structure of the Women's Division and the organization of United Methodist Women.
The PURPOSE of
United Methodist Women
The organized unit of United Methodist Women shall be a community of women
whose purpose is to know God and to experience freedom as whole persons through
Jesus Christ; to develop a creative supportive fellowship; and to expand
concepts of mission through participation in the global ministries of the
church.
This page was last updated on Saturday, June 16, 2007.
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