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Women's missionary societies

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Women's missionary societies include a diverse set of scopes, including medical, educational, and religious. Societies provide services in-country and in foreign lands.[citation needed]

History

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Canada

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  • Canada Congregational Woman's Board of Missions - 1886[1]
  • United Baptist Woman's Missionary Union of the Maritime Provinces - 1906[1]
  • Woman's Baptist Foreign Missionary Society of Ontario (West) - 1876[1]
  • Woman's Baptist Foreign Missionary Society of Eastern Ontario and Quebec - 1876[1]
  • Woman's Missionary Society of the Methodist Church, Canada - after 1834[1]
  • Woman's Missionary Society of the Presbyterian Church in Canada[2]
  • Woman's Missionary Society of the Presbyterian Church in Canada (Eastern Section) - 1876[1]
  • Woman's Missionary Society of the Presbyterian Church in Canada (Western Division) - 1877[1]

India

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The missionary sister and others eating at the Women's Retreat (Mennonite mission)

United Kingdom

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United States

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A missionary society formed in 1799 to assist in increasing an interest in its work in foreign countries, and in raising missionary efforts for the same, a woman's missionary society was organized in 1801. With the same object, "Cent Societies” among women, were active until 1815, when Maternal Associations were established throughout the churches and flourished until about 1842. The missionary society of 1799 emerged into the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions, early in whose history it began its efforts to reach foreign women through the labors of single women.[3]

All Christian denominations had strong convictions of duty towards countries where Christianity was not prevalent. When it was felt that female teachers were a necessity, self-sacrificing, earnest Christian women responded to the appeals for teachers.[3]

As early as 1800, the women of the U.S. were interested in "home missions". In 1803, the first Woman's Home Missionary Society was formed at the First Church, Providence, Rhode Island, with the name of "FEMALE MITE SOCIETY" of First Baptist Church. Its object, "To aid in sending the gospel to the wilds of western New York and Pennsylvania". Other societies of like character followed, and for a number of years, were independent of any general organization.[4]

Coincidentally or providentially, the necessities of the American Civil War called forth their sympathy, fortitude and endurance. They became conscious of their power to relieve distress and to comfort the sick. Thus there was developed an ability to cooperate successfully and to work collectively. When peace was restored, women were prepared to engage both at home and abroad. They also felt that they could work more effectually in connection with their several denominational boards of missions.[3]Some notable women's missionary societies included:

  • Woman's Board of Foreign Missions - 1868[3][8]
  • Woman's Board of Missions of the Interior - 1868[1][8]
  • Woman's Board of Missions for the Pacific - 1873[1][8]
  • Woman's Board of the Pacific Islands, 1871

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u Foreign Missions Conference of North America Committee of Reference and Counsel (1919). Foreign Missions Year Book of North America ... Committee of Reference and Counsel of the Foreign Missions Conference of North America, Incorporated. pp. 103–05, 156. Retrieved 30 May 2022. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Tiedemann, R. G. (1 July 2016). Reference Guide to Christian Missionary Societies in China: From the Sixteenth to the Twentieth Century: From the Sixteenth to the Twentieth Century. Routledge. p. 288. ISBN 978-1-315-49732-7. Retrieved 31 May 2022.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h Stinson, Mary H. (1884). Work of women physicians in Asia. J.H. Brandt. pp. 4–. Retrieved 31 May 2022. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  4. ^ Annual Report of the Woman's American Baptist Home Mission Society. The Society. 1894. p. 3. Retrieved 6 June 2022. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  5. ^ "Home Missions Council (1912-1950) - Council of Women for Home Missions - Home Missions Council of North America" (PDF). p. 1. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
  6. ^ Forssberg, Grant. The Origins of Knox College. Knox College. Retrieved July 30, 2019.
  7. ^ Bliss, Edwin Munsell (1891). The Encyclopædia of Missions: Descriptive, Historical, Biographical, Statistical. With a Full Assortment of Maps, a Complete Bibliography, an Lists of Bible Versions ... Funk & Wagnalls. p. 494. Retrieved 13 November 2024. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  8. ^ a b c Elliott, Wendy (2018). Grit and Grace in a World Gone Mad: Humanitarianism in Talas, Turkey 1908-1923. London: Gomidas Institute. p. 8. ISBN 9781909382442.
  9. ^ Bliss, 1891, p. 499
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