South Indiana Conference United Methodist Women records

The organized effort of women in churches of South Indiana began in 1869. The works began when women began to commit themselves spiritually in prayer, and two cents a week for stewardship. There were women of the United Brethren in Christ, Methodist Episcopal Church, and the Evangelical Church. The first 40 years of the twentieth century could be called the Golden Years of Missionary Outreach for all the women's groups. Through these years, the women and children of southern Indiana supported missionaries in such places as India, Philippines, China, Africa, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Malaya, and Puerto Rico. Home missionary support included workers in most states. Indiana women were especially involved in the deaconess work in Indianapolis. Schools of Missions were begun in July of 1928 by the Indiana Conference of the Woman's Home and Foreign Missionary Societies of the Methodist Episcopal Church In 1939, the Methodist Episcopal, the Methodist Protestant, and the Methodist Episcopal South churches merged to become The Methodist Church. The various women's missionary groups then united to become the Woman's Division of the Board of Missions with conference and local units being called the Woman's Society of Christian Service. Soon after the national merger, conference and local groups began the process of reorganization. The work of the Home and Foreign Missionary Societies, as well as that of the Ladies' Aid, was united into one organization. In September of 1940, the WSCS, as it became commonly known, was organized in many local churches. In 1968, with the merger of the Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church into the United Methodist Church, the name of the women's organization was changed to the Women's Society of Christian Service. But, there was to be yet another change. The organization and name were changed again in 1973 ­­ to become the United Methodist Women, administered by the Women's Division of the General Board of Global Ministries. The first president of the South Indiana Conference United Methodist Women was Lois Ludwig. The conference was divided into ten districts with all districts coming together for a one day Annual Meeting in the fall.