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Vision and Valour: A Profile of the Women Called United Methodist

Heather Elkins
Professor of Worship and Liturgical Studies
Drew University

It’s early fall, the light is fading, and the creek is rising in Moorefield, West Virginia. Two black sisters, in their 8o’s, prepare for bed, knowing that they may not survive the night because of fast-rising flood has cut them off from their community. They kneel to say their prayers by the antique bed in which their mother had given birth to all of her children. Before lying down, they place a set of airline and hotel tickets on the highest shelf in the room. The tickets are for the General Assembly of the United Methodist Women. As they explain later, if they don’t survive the flood, it will not matter because they will be with Jesus. If they do survive, they want to be sure, no matter what else is lost, that they will be able to join their sisters in the faith for that meeting.

This is one of the hundreds of little known stories about women and mission in the United Methodist Church that needs to be shared as a part of the work of General Conference and the theological education of those leaders called into ministry. This is the kind of history that shapes the future, particularly when it’s linked with issues of institutional identity. As an ordained UMC clergywoman at a university that houses the United Methodist Archives, I see that living “tie that binds” history, mission, and women’s work as one that deserves the greatest respect and support and understanding from all corners of this church. Seminaries, in particular, can serve as centers for corporate memory for this legacy of women and mission as embodied in the Women’s Division, and the United Methodist Women.

Twenty five years ago, toward the end of a semester in a seminar class on mission, I finally raised my hand and asked, “When will we hear about women and mission?” After a moment the professor answered, “Gentlemen, you need to get along with them if you want to survive in ministry.” That was the point, as well as the lecture. Twenty five years later, there are still missing lectures, courses, as well as basic knowledge about what is one of the best organized sources of theological formation and missional education in this country. Drew has partnered a course with the Women’s Division entitled, “Vision and Valor: Women and Mission”. Initially designed, researched and taught by Ruth Daugherty and Barbara Campbell at Drew, the course has become an on-line course, designed to share with United Methodists any where in the world.

This brief essay is directed to that goal of learning and sharing the good news of United Methodist women in mission by presenting some of the core questions that will be presented to the delegates of this General Conference and direct replies to those questions from the Women’s Division.

What is the connection between the Women’s Division, the United Methodist Women, and the local church? Where is this described in The Book of Discipline?

1. The Women’s Division and United Methodist Women are a part of the church, The United Methodist Church. Action of the 1939 General Conference provided for one women’s group in each local church. “In every local church there shall be an organized unit of United Methodist Women.” This kind of statement first appeared in a Methodist Discipline in 1940. It was referring to the Women’s Society of Christian Service, one of the predecessor groups of United Methodist Women. (The Book of Discipline 2000, ¶255.4). This same general conference also provided for the unification into a single national organization the six women’s groups of the three uniting denominations that merged to form The United Methodist Church.

2. The Women’s Division has been an integral structural and administrative entity within the mission board of the denomination since 1940. From 1940 until 1972 the division was a part of the Board of Missions and Church Extension. The Board of Missions was redesigned in 1972 and became the Board of Global Ministries. The present Women’s Division of the Board of Global Ministries was formed in 1968, when The Methodist and the Evangelical United Brethren Churches joined to become The United Methodist Church.

3. The Women’s Division authority, responsibilities, structure, and placement in the “mission agency” of the church has been determined by the General Conference, and set fort in ¶¶1317-1325 of The Book of Discipline.

4. The “Pledge to Mission”, undesignated gifts, given by members of the organization of United Methodist Women is the primarily source of funds for the mission program administered by the Women’s Division through the Board of Global Ministries (¶1318.4).

5. As a structural part of the “mission agency” of the church, the division is governed by The Book of Discipline and The Book of Resolutions of the denomination, and is accountable to the General Conference of The United Methodist Church, United Methodist Women members and most importantly to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

6. Paragraph ¶721 of The Book of Discipline, states that all meetings of councils, boards, agencies, commissions and committees of the church shall be open. ¶1319.2 of The Book of Discipline states that the division shall meet annually at the time of the meeting of the board (Global Ministries) and at such other times as it shall deem necessary. In addition to the annual meeting, the division also meets in the spring of each calendar year. All meetings of the Women’s Division are open and press representatives are welcomed and often in attendance.


What is the primary mission of the Women’s Division and how is that mission carried out in the church and the world?

1. ¶¶120-124 of The Book of Discipline addresses both the mission and ministry of the church. The mission of the church is to make disciples of Jesus Christ. This is to be done by proclaiming the good news of God’s grace and thus seeking the fulfillment of God’s reign and realm in the world (¶121). We carry out the mission of the church as we: proclaim the gospel, seek, welcome and gather persons into the body of Christ; lead persons to commit their lives to God through baptism and profession of faith in Jesus Christ; nurture persons in Christian living through worship, the sacraments, spiritual disciplines, and other means of grace; send persons into the world to live lovingly and justly as servants of Christ by healing the sick, feeding the hungry, caring for the stranger, freeing the oppressed, and working to develop social structures that are consistent with the gospel; and continue the mission of seeking, welcoming and gathering persons into the community of the body of Christ (¶122).

2. From the inception, more than one hundred thirty-three years ago, organized Methodist women have been at the heart of the denomination’s missionary movement including its total outreach ministries. Because women were denied membership into the ordained ministry of the Church, they sought other avenues to meet the combined evangelical, physical, and social needs of marginal people – especially women and children, who could not be reached by male missionaries abroad and who were ignored by church and society here at home. They did this chiefly by establishing mission institutions staffed by women. As a structural part of the Board of Global Ministries, The Women’s Division/United Methodist Women continue to be vitally involved in the mission and outreach ministry of the church.

3. The program of the Women’s Division is mission – mission that affirms the wholeness of the gospel of Jesus Christ and our commitment to proclaiming that gospel in its many forms. As stated in ¶125, the heart of Christian Ministry is Christ’s ministry of outreaching love. Christian ministry is the expression of the mind and mission of Christ by a community of Christians that demonstrates a common life of gratitude and devotion, witness and service, celebration and discipleship.

4. Also included in the responsibilities of the Women’s Division are those formerly carried by the Woman’s Society of Christian Service of The Methodist Church, and the Women’s Society of World Service of The Evangelical United Brethren Church, the Women’s Society of Christian Service of The United Methodist Church, and those other groups of women organized for mission in the churches forming the United Methodist tradition (¶1319.3(a)). All of these organizations were official structures approved by the denomination’s general conferences.

5. Through the General Board of Global Ministries, the Women’s division is participating in God’s mission. We see mission as a gift that God has given us that requires us to witness in both word and deed to God’s presence in the world. This understanding takes the form of service, presence, and advocacy. We take the passage from Luke 4:18ff as both model and mandate:

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

6. To fulfill this mandate, the division implements an interlocking program of mission education, social action, spiritual growth and financial support for mission at home and around the world. We provide educational avenues and materials on mission arenas and topics on current issues confronting today’s world; opportunities for leadership development for leaders and members of the organization; and opportunities to study, advocate and respond to specific social issues affecting women and children. The division is committed to proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ and works passionately for justice for all God’s people.

7. United Methodist Women and the Women’s Division are partners in God’s mission in the world. As we exercise our gifts through participation in the global ministries of the church, we share in the God’s mission around the world. The Purpose of the Women’s Division is found in ¶1317 of The Book of Discipline. This statement puts forth our mission and our only agenda. Convinced that the church is called to minister to the physical and spiritual needs of persons, the division creates opportunities for members of United Methodist Women to be advocates for the oppressed and dispossessed with special attention the needs of women and children; to build supportive communities among women; and to engage in activities that foster growth in the Christian faith, mission education, and Christian social responsibility.

8. The division exists to deepen its members’ spiritual life and their involvement and effective leadership in the total mission of the church. For the church to be obedient in the whole of its life and mission, it is essential that all participate in “the laos.” This task belongs to the whole church, not just United Methodist Women.


How is the leadership for this Division chosen? How does its structure serve its mission?

1. The Women’s Division does not relate to the total church membership nor to total church structures in the same manner as other general agencies. Rather the division relates directly to those women who have joined the organization of United Methodist Women and are committed its Purpose. United Methodist Women is a membership organization whose concerns encompass all women of the church, but its responsibilities are to its membership. The division does not represent all the women of The United Methodist Church.

2. Central conference women are organized according to their own bylaws and constitution and are self governing. The Women’s Division has no authority over these organizations. Therefore, representation of central conference women on Women’s Division is inappropriate.

3. No members of any general board or agency of The United Methodist Church are elected by General Conference. The nomination and election of membership to general boards and agencies of the denomination is carried out by the jurisdictional conference and the jurisdictional nominating committee, not General Conference.

4. United Methodist Women is a membership organization auxiliary to the Women’s Division/General Board of Global Ministries. Since the Women’s Division is representative of United Methodist Women, nominations from the floor of general conference would go against the meaning of representation of the membership.

5. The Women’s Division members are elected representatives of the organization of United Methodist Women, and are nominated and elected through the organizations according to provisions outlined in 1324 of The Book of Discipline. Actual elections take place at the jurisdiction quadrennia meetings. Of the fifty (50) Women’s Division directors, thirty (30) also serve as members of the Board of Global Ministries by provision of ¶705.3(a).

6. Like the General Board of Global Ministries, the General Commission on United Methodist Men is a general agency of the church and thus its membership is governed by ¶705.

Women have historically funded missional work for the entire church. Please review its responsibility for stewardship and explain the critical importance of maintaining the authority to secure and administer these funds as presently described in The Discipline.

1. General Conference has given United Methodist Women at the local and national levels authority to secure and administer funds received through the channels of United Methodist Women members for the fulfillment of the Purpose (¶1318.4 of The Book of Discipline). All funds received by the division are disbursed within the bounds that are clearly defined in The Book of Discipline and historically rooted (¶1319.1, ¶1323).

2. As a general agency of the church, The Board of Global Ministries receives funds from World Service, the basic benevolence fund of the church. World Service money comes from the giving of individual members of the church and provides support for boards and agencies of the denomination. Women’s Division receives no monies from World Service.

3. The Women’s Division manages an annual income of approximately nineteen million dollars which it receives from members of United Methodist Women. These “pledge-to-mission dollars” come to the division totally undesignated and are appropriated for national and international mission programs and activities in the U.S. and around the world. These gifts are the major source of funds for the total annual budget of the division, and are not general church funds.

4. As stewards of these gifts, the Women’s Division is accountable to both the give of the financial resources and to the ultimate receiver/user of the funds. Its fiduciary responsibility regarding fund management and stewardship means that annual audits are conducted and regular financial reports are made to regulatory agencies including the General conference and the General Council on Finance and Administration. The division also publishes annual program and financial reports that are available to members at all levels of the organization.

5. The General Council on Finance and Administration has fiscal responsibilities for holding and distributing World Service funds contributed by local churches to any general fund of the Church, as defined in ¶810.1. It shall only have authority to disburse monies contributed to any of these funds in a manner specifically authorized by ¶806 of The Book of Discipline.

6. In compliance with General Conference mandate, the Women’s Division does conduct audits annually, has established internal auditing functions, and submits financial reports to General Conference and the General Council on Finance and Administration.

7. Like our predecessors, United Methodist Women and Women’s Division, have dedicated our gifts and our services to ministries which help to relieve the suffering and improve the quality of life for women and children. Our commitment is to the gospel of Jesus Christ and the mission it demands of us.


As this General Conference addresses complex questions of governance, effective witness, prophetic leadership in ministry and mission in the 21st century, there may be a temptation to think that we’re in over our heads and sinking fast. I invite us to remember the two sisters, these United Methodist Women in almost heaven. They will help us to remember into the future. Come hell or high water, the gospel of Jesus Christ and our gifts and service will, by God’s grace, endure until the morning comes.

 

See more: Woman's Foreign Missionary Society          Woman's Home Missionary Society


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