United Methodist Women
Celebrate over 150 Years!!
The History of UMW in the Palatine Methodist Church United Methodist Women is founded on the work of the organization’s foremothers and women’s groups in the eight predecessor churches of The United Methodist Church. The beginning of United Methodist Women can be traced to an 1869 meeting of eight women in Boston. They gathered to learn about women’s health and education needs in India. They organized the Methodist Woman’s Foreign Missionary Society and sent two missionaries to India later that same year. Women in the Methodist and Evangelical United Brethren traditions organized at about the same time in history (1869-1893). Home missionary organizations worked to change situations for women and children within the country. There was little service to women during this time period because of prejudice and limitations of cultural attitudes in the church and in society. For more information on the early organization, see www.unitedmethodistwomen.org
In Palatine, the earliest artifact of women’s work in the missions of the Methodist Church is the 1897 Cookbook compiled by
“The Ladies Aid of the M. E. Church, Palatine, Illinois.”
Ladies Aid Societies were common in the Methodist church at the time, but were never made an official denominational agency. During the period from 1875-1939 women of The Methodist Episcopal Church created a variety of missionary aid groups. These included groups for younger women, children and circles that met in small groups.
In 1939 the arms of the Methodist Episcopal Church merged to become The Methodist Church. The various women’s home and foreign missionary societies were joined to become The Woman’s Society for Christian Service (WSCS). The Coffee Servers used today in the FUMCP kitchen are engraved with the initials of the WSCS.
Other artifacts reflecting women’s work in the church are the charming felt animal Christmas tree ornaments made by women of the church and sold at the annual Holiday Bazaar organized by The Women’s Christian Service Guild (WCSG). The Guild was created by the Evangelical Church in 1944 for employed women. WCSG and WSCS were tireless in fundraising for their mission projects. In the 1960s the Swedish Smorgasbord was an event attended by hundreds.
In 1968 the Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren merged to form the United Methodist Church.
The women’s groups merged under the names Women’s Society of Christian Service and Wesleyan Service Guild.
1972 brought another change: the Women’s organizations of the United Methodist Church merged to form one, inclusive organization called The United Methodist Women.
Another cookbook was published by the UMW Donna Bischoff Circle in 1981.
The 2012 General Conference of The United Methodist Church approved actions from Women’s Division and the General Board of Global Ministries to make United Methodist Women an autonomous organization within the Church, separating the national policy making body of women from Global Ministries.
The membership in The First United Methodist Church of Palatine declined during the 2000s. The United Methodist Women’s circles were disbanded and regrouped into a central mission team that continues to meet their mission pledges and support causes that help women, children and youth.
Learn more about UMW at: https://www.unitedmethodistwomen.org/