This week in Christian history: missionary society founded, Oscar Romero assassinated, Samuel Seabury consecrated

Woman’s Foreign Missionary Society founded – March 23, 1869

This week marks the anniversary of when the Woman’s Foreign Missionary Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church was founded.

The society was officially launched with a meeting held by eight women at Tremont Street Methodist Episcopal Church in Boston, Massachusetts.

According to the United Methodist Church General Commission on Archives & History, the meeting was instigated by local ladies Mrs. Clementina Butler and the Mrs. Lois Parker.

“Though small in number these courageous women voted to move ahead with the formation of a Society of women to minister to women in foreign countries. They called a second meeting, one week later, to solidify the organization and elect officers,” explained the commission.

Massachusetts Gov. William Claflin chaired the first public meeting of the missionary society, which was held in Boston on May 26, 1869.

To mark the 20th anniversary of the society’s founding, stain-glass windows were placed at Tremont Street MEC. Although the church would eventually close down, the windows were preserved and given to the Boston University School of Theology.