From December 11-13, 1941, 100 women from three interdenominational women’s groups met in Atlantic City, NJ to form the United Council of Church Women (UCCW). That Council represented women from seventy Protestant denominations who had been involved with the Council of Women for Home Missions, the Committee on Women’s Work of the Foreign Missions Conference, and the National Council of Federated Church Women. UCCW began as a movement of prayer, action and advocacy by Christian women to express their unity of Jesus Christ.

Today, CWU is a women’s movement fundamentally grounded in the biblical principles of the Christian faith and the richness of denominational diversity. In many communities, CWU is best known for three annual worship celebrations: World Day of Prayer, May Friendship Day (formerly May Fellowship Day), and World Community Day. World Day of Prayer is an international prayer movement that began in 1887 as a day of prayer for confession of individual and national sins, with offerings that appropriately express contrition. May Friendship Day, first observed in 1933, emphasizes creative and healing relationships in local communities. World Community Day, first observed in 1939, is an occasion for Christian women to pray and work for lasting peace. Through prayer, study and action, Church Women United has celebrated and strengthened a diverse community of Christian sisterhood and action.

1945 CWU’s second vice president was an official observer who witnessed the signing of the UN Charter at San Francisco. At the time of the UN’s founding, UCCW’s first citizen action was to circulate a petition signed by nearly 84,000 church women “urging the United States to join and take its full responsibility in a world organization.” The action received wide publicity in the press, and First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt sent a note of thanks from the White House.

1950 In the growing spirit of church unity, the United Council of Church Women became one of the twelve interdenominational agencies that formed the National Council of Churches of Christ (NCCC) in the USA. Within the NCCC, the movement became the General Department of United Church Women (UCW).

1961 ”Assignment Race” challenged the vestiges of racism within the UCW movement, the church and the larger society. UCW women were involved in leadership, marches and as “behind-the-scene workers” in the civil rights movement in the United States.

1963 When the ecumenical Church Center for the United Nations opened, UCW was one of the first tenants. Officially, UCW was among the first non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to assign an observer with consultative status to the UN’s Department of Public Information.1966 UCW once again became autonomous, and the name was changed to Church Women United (CWU) in order to encourage the participation of Orthodox, Roman Catholic and other Christian women beyond the denominations and communions represented in the NCCC. CWU has maintained its autonomy and is not structurally related to any other movement or organization.

1970s CWU engaged in a study to listen to church women on their quality of life and their hopes for the future. The People’s Platform for a Global Society: Mandate for Action that evolved listed food, shelter, health, education, work, justice, peace and human rights as basic needs essential to the development of a whole human being and a healthy society.

1972 CWU’s NGO representative initiated the Religious NGO’s Committee. Since then, representatives of UN-accredited national and international religious organizations have met regularly to share information, resources and insights related to complex issues and events.

1975 CWU’s role at the United Nations expanded. The CWU staff of Christian World Relations served as chairperson of an NGO committee to organize a series of tribunals for women, meeting simultaneously with the UN Conference in Mexico to provide an international forum for women. These tribunals brought attention to issues such as education and health, offering an opportunity for women to air priorities of their own.

1984 CWU established an office in Washington, DC to educate and resource our constituents and influence public policy from a faith-based perspective.

1986 CWU initiated a project, “The Imperative,” a five-year commitment to break the cycle of poverty of women and children by eliminating the root causes of poverty.

1991 When war threatened in the Persian Gulf, CWU circulated a peace petition asking that war be avoided which gathered more than 30,000 signatures in a few weeks. The original action taken in 1941 on war and peace was reissued. CWU celebrated its 50th anniversary with the theme, “Set Free! Be Free! Jubilee!” It was a time of gathering to remember, celebrate and confirm a renewed vision and commitment to a world of peace and justice.

1992 After the Los Angeles uprising, a city-wide riot in response to the verdict in the Rodney King trial, CWU leaders met with African-American, Anglo, Korean and Latina women in Los Angeles to understand and unravel the negative consequences of the intersection of race, economics and gender in the US society.

1993 CWU’s historic commitment to universal health care was renewed against the backdrop of the US debate on health care reform. More than 30,000 women (and men, too) participated in the “Ethical Choices in Health Care” workshops, analyzing proposed legislative reforms from a faith-based perspective. Women of Color and Young Women’s consultations explored the needs and concerns of these women as they relate to the church and to CWU.

1994 A cable television program featured 700 workshop participants in a question and answer forum on health care reform with First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton. CWU also participated in the mammogram campaign on breast cancer prevention and awareness.

1995 As a United Nations NGO, fifty-two women affiliated with CWU attended the Fourth UN World Conference on Women and NGO Forum in Beijing, China. Since that time, volunteers and staff have worked to interpret and implement the global women’s agenda in the US.

1996 CWU continued its advocacy on behalf of women and children, urging opposition to punitive welfare reform measures. A local unit member in Illinois participated in a breast cancer awareness panel in Washington, DC.

1997 Women Leading in Community (Women LinC), a leadership development project funded by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, was developed by a volunteer planning committee. More than fifty women were trained as facilitators. They, in turn, trained established and emerging women leaders in bringing about social and economic change in their communities.

1998 CWU, partnering with the Stanley Foundation, sponsored a Global Mission Consultation to explore globalization and to envision creative ways for the movement to do its global work. CWU participated in a four-day Festival in Harare, Zimbabwe, marking the end of the Ecumenical Decade of Churches in Solidarity with Women, World Council of Churches. CWU representatives joined the more than 1,200 men and women to reflect on the decade’s accomplishments and to develop recommendations for the future. CWU hosted an “issue hut” and early morning worship services at the Festival.

1999 More than 100 new Women LinC facilitators were trained across CWU’s eight geographic regions. The resource materials for Women LinC were translated into Spanish, Korean and Malayalam languages of our constituents. Working with local, state and regional constituents, CWU began a process for setting priorities for the new quadrennium and developed a Policy Statement on Violence. CWU participated on the President’s Initiative for Racial Justice, was granted roster status for participating in UN conferences and commission meetings, and hosted its first Human Rights Awards Luncheon.

2000 The first multilingual training session was held for Women LinC facilitators in Puerto Rico. The Common Council met in Toronto, Canada and adopted new governance structure, new leadership, the 2000-2004 priority, “Strengthening Families Worldwide in the 21st Century” addressing issues related to diversity and anti-racism, health and health care, education, economic justice, violence and images in media and technology, and linked CWU with the Women’s Interchurch Council of Canada. CWU was among the fifteen women’s movements invited to provide a display at the new National Women’s Museum in Dallas, Texas. CWU shared the “People’s Platform for a Global Society” adopted in 1976. The Human Rights Awards Luncheon was established as an annual tradition. CWU began a significant reorganization initiative and transitional phase which resulted in staff reductions that included the executive director, four program managers, and two part time staff persons. 2001 Changes in staff at the national office brought both challenges and opportunities for the Movement during this year of transition dedicated to program assessment, research and study of its communication and resource distribution processes, and reconfiguration of staff in the national office.

2002 CWU’s experience in the aftermath of 9/11 brought an increased commitment and focus on spirituality as manifested in ecumenical interfaith worship and dialogue, global prayer and prayerful action. A Celebrations Committee Retreat focused on the development, training and promotion of the three ecumenical worship celebrations: World Day of Prayer, May Friendship Day and World Community Day.

CWU’s Legislative Director provides research support and maintains liaison with this Office. The CWU-UN Office volunteers continue to sponsor the CWU-UN Human Rights Awards Event designed to call attention to and honor the work of women who devote their lives to human rights causes.

Additional Historical Information

Did you know that the archival records of Church Women United's 102 year movement and pre-organizing activity pre-date 1902?

In 1988, Church Women United members Dodie Younger and Anne Martin were invited to join the project and learned to set up archives by the Religious Archivists of NYC. A couple of years later, Jane Burton joined Dodie on a 15-year venture as volunteers, and filed all the Church Women United historic materials they could find.

In 1990, an arrangement was made with The Archives and History Center of the United Methodist Church to store CWU archives in a 156 cubic foot area of the library on the campus of Drew University in New Jersey. Over 200 boxes containing our important collections of material were transported to the library. They are arranged in hard-back books by ascending dates into twenty-two volume series.

While the official records of meetings date back to 1907, each local unit has its history. There are many additional stories of CWU in local communities across the country.

Here are a few samples of the many things of historical interest Included in the archives:

Since 1955 - CWU has conducted Causeways, exchange visits between Christian women of different backgrounds. Causeways offer opportunities to meet across geographical divides in order to express mutual support and solidarity in the search for justice, peace and global community.

1961 - Assignment Race challenged the vestiges of racism within the CWU movement, the church and larger society. CWU women could be found both in leadership and as "behind the scenes workers" in the U.S. Civil Rights Movement.

1963 - CWU was among the first Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) to assign an observer with consultative status with the United Nation's Department of Public Information.

1968 - In response to urban riots in this country, CWU created an urban action program of workshops and unique United States causeways that extended over a period of ten years.

1968 - 1976 and continuing, CWU began and continued to raise questions regarding the role and status of women in the church and in society, providing consultations and program materials.

1970s - CWU engaged in a study to listen to churchwomen about their lives and hopes for the world's future. The result was "The People's Platform for a Global Society, A Mandate for Action." It was presented to President Carter at the White House.

1975 - Esther Hymer, who helped establish relationships for CWU at the UN, was chosen as chairperson of an NGO committee to organize a series of tribunals for women. It met simultaneously with the UN Conference in Mexico to provide an international forum for women to express priorities of their own on such issues as education and health.

1984 - CWU established an office in Washington, DC to educate, resource and shape public policy.

1985 CWU provided the Karibu Center, a place for women of faith, in Nairobi, during the celebration of the close of the UN Decade for Women.

1986 - CWU initiated a project known as The Imperative--a five-year commitment to break the cycle of poverty of women and children by working to eliminate the root causes of poverty.

1991 - In its 17th national Assembly, CWU celebrated its 50th anniversary, with the theme "Set Free! Be Free! Jubilee!" CWU also planned and conducted an educational campaign in opposition to the Gulf War.

1993 - "Seeding Sisterhood," Consultations bringing together women of color and young women, were held to explore the needs and concerns of these groups of women as they relate to the church.

1993-1994 - CWU's commitment to universal health care resulted in wide use of its Ethical Choices in Health Care workshop materials that analyzed proposed legislative reforms from a faith-based perspective. A cable television program featured CWU workshop participants in a Forum on Health Care Reform with First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton.

1995-96 - Women LinC, a leadership development project, funded by the Kellogg Foundation, trained over 50 women as facilitators who, in turn, trained other established and emerging women leaders in bringing social and economic change to their communities. This grant was renewed a year later to translate these materials into Spanish, Korean and Malayalam (an Indian dialect used by women in the Mar Thoma Church).

1995 - 2000 In these years CWU developed a web site, began a program of Integrated Program Planning and adopted policy statements in support of Native Americans and against violence.

CWU history comes alive on the website! For more information, take a look at General Commission on Archive and History United Methodist Church; click on “On Line Catalog”; then “On Line Finding Aid”. A screen comes up for a search: in the first box choose “creator”; in the next box type “Church Women United”; then choose “exact.” On Display Order click on “Record Creator”, then Submit Query.

Or, plan a trip to New Jersey to see our history first-hand! The library is open to the public Monday-Friday from 9:00AM-5:00PM. You will be amazed and appreciate of the work that Dodie and Jane beautifully gathered to preserve our rich history.

The preservation of the archives and records is an important task for each of us. It provides valuable information that we can use to carry on Church Women United’s mission. Begin interviewing experienced women in your unit and state, keep record of important information happening within your unit and pass on to the next leadership.