United Methodist Women

Mathewson Street United Methodist Church

Membership

Are you a woman? You're a member!

In the United Methodist Church, every woman is a member of United Methodist Women. It's automatic! No initiation rites, no dues–all are invited to attend meetings and to take part in the mission and activities of the United Methodist Women.

Meeting Dates

UMW meets next on Saturday, July 12th, for a Summer Potluck Picnic, at the Ramsbeys' (please call the church office for directions: 401.331.8900).  The next meeting will be held September 11th at Barbara Griffing's home. Rides are available just call one of the officers.

Officers for 2008–2009

President:  Theil Ramsbey    401.231.4196
Secretary:  Julie Del Deo      401.539.8915
Treasurer:  Barbara Griffing  401.467.6419

Where Did UMW Come From?

One Sunday in March of 1869, three women organized the Woman's Foreign Missionary Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church (a forerunner of the United Methodist Church). Mrs. Parker, Mrs. Flanders, and Mrs. Butler met after church services at Tremont Street Church, Boston, Massachusetts, as they were feeling that a new beginning was needed. The Civil War had just ended, and the country was reuniting after Lincoln's assassination.

The Missionary Society women regularly gave a small amount to support mission. The first missionaries to be commissioned were Isabella Thoburn, a teacher, and Clara Swain, a doctor. They were sent forth to minister to the women of India, where the United Methodist Church still maintains a strong presence.

Today, United Methodist Women continue to provide for and to support the lives of women, children, and youth- around the world and in our neighborhoods.

Reading Program: Window on the World

This program from the national organization recommends books in these categories:

The purpose of the reading program is to encourage United Methodist Women ...

* To expand understanding of and participation in God's mission;

* To increase sensitivity to all human beings—their needs, interests, and concerns;

* To encourage critical thinking about issues facing humanity today;

* To grow in understanding of Scripture as it relates to Christian faith in contemporary life;

* To enhance self-knowledge and to act from that knowledge;

* To strengthen involvement in local and global Christian mission.

Mission: Gifts of Personal Hygiene Items

Many of the people who walk through the doors of our church are in need of basic personal hygiene items such as soap, shampoo, deodorant, combs, hairbrushes, toothbrushes, toothpaste, tissues, etc., and things like socks, mittens, etc. (People who stay at hotels and motels often contribute the hygiene items provided.) Anyone can contribute.

Please contact Mathewson Street UMC congregant Jane Stewart (401–331–8900) or leave items at the office for distribution. You may also make a donation by check or credit card; to do this, please click here: Donate.


UMW and Racial Justice

In 1978 the Women's Division of the General Board of Global Ministries of The United Methodist Church wrote and adopted "A Charter for Racial Justice Policies in an Interdependent Global Community" and recommended adoption by the whole denomination. This Charter was adopted by the 1980 General Conference of the United Methodist Church.

A Charter for Racial Justice Policies in an Interdependent Global Community

Because We Believe

1. that God is the Creator of all people and all are God's children in one family;

2. that racism is a rejection of the teachings of Jesus Christ;

3. that racism denies the redemption and reconciliation of Jesus Christ;

4 that racism robs all human beings of their wholeness and is used as a justification for social, economic and political exploitation;

5. that we must declare before God and before each other that we have sinned against our sisters and brothers of other races in thought, word, and deed;

6. that in our common humanity in creation all women and men are made in God's image and all persons are equally valuable in the sight of God;

7. that our strength lies in our racial and cultural diversity and that we must work toward a world in which each person's value is respected and nurtured;

8. that our struggle for justice must be based on new attitudes, new understandings and new relationships and must be reflected in the laws, policies, structures and practices of both church and state;

We commit ourselves as individuals and as a community to follow Jesus Christ in word and deed and to struggle for the rights and the self-determination of every person and group of persons, therefore, as United Methodist women in every place across the land ...

We Will Unite Our Efforts with all groups in The United Methodist Church

1. to eliminate all forms of institutional racism in the total ministry of the church with special attention given to those institutions which we support, beginning with their employment policies, purchasing practices and availability of services and facilities.

2. to create opportunities in local church to deal honestly with the existing racist attitudes and social distance between members, deepening the Christian commitment to be the church where all racial groups and economic classes come together.

3. to increase our efforts to recruit women of all races into the membership of the United Methodist Women and provide leadership development opportunities without discrimination.

4. to create workshops and seminars in local churches to study, understand and appreciate the historical and cultural contributions of each race to the church and community.

5. to increase local churches' awareness of the continuing needs for equal education, housing, employment and medical care for all members of the community and create opportunities to work for these things across racial lines.

6. to work for the development and implementation of national and international policies to protect the civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights of all people such as through support for the ratification of United Nations covenants on human rights.

7. to support and participate in the world-wide struggle for liberation in the church and community.

8. to support nomination and election processes which include all racial groups employing a quota system until the time that our voluntary performance makes such practice unnecessary.