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 plead 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 135^th 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.