South Bend District, North Indiana Conference, United Methodist Church records

The first 40 years of the twentieth century could be called the Golden Years of Missionary Outreach for all the women's groups. 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 Women'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 as 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 Wesleyan Service Guild was auxiliary to the W.S.C.S. It was organized in the former Methodist Episcopal Church in 1921, and continued in the Methodist Church. It was composed of employed women who of necessity had to set other times for their meetings than those which were held during normal business hours. This Guild used the same materials as the W.S.C.S., and through pledges and gifts aided in the support of the same type of mission to community local and general work.