Church Women United

Church Women United (CWU) is a national ecumenical Christian women's movement in the United States. It brings together Protestant, Roman Catholic, Orthodox, and other Christian women through a network of local and state units, denominational partners, worship gatherings, educational resources, and social-justice activities. The organization describes its purpose as building unity across racial, cultural, and theological differences while working toward a world characterized by peace and justice, particularly for women and children. CWU was founded in 1941 under the name United Council of Church Women. Its creation brought together three existing women's and missions organizations: 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. The founding meeting took place in Atlantic City, New Jersey, in December 1941, during the early period of U.S. involvement in the Second World War. The new body represented women connected with approximately seventy Christian denominations and organizations. The movement's founding action established a pattern that has continued throughout its history: combining prayer, ecumenical cooperation, and public action. At the 1941 gathering, members circulated a petition calling on the United States to participate fully in an international organization when the United Nations Charter was signed. The petition was signed by 84,000 church women and received national attention. CWU leaders were subsequently involved in a White House conference associated with Eleanor Roosevelt on how women could participate in postwar policymaking. CWU's central activities are four annual worship celebrations. World Day of Prayer, held on the first Friday in March, connects participants with a worldwide observance involving women in approximately 170 countries. May Friendship Day, generally observed on the first Friday in May, emphasizes relationships, intergenerational fellowship, Bible study, worship, and local action. World Community Day, usually held during the first weekend of November, links Christian worship with projects and prayer for global peace and has increasingly accommodated interfaith participation. The Human Rights Celebration, originally organized as a national event connected with United Nations Human Rights Day, is now commonly organized by local units to recognize people and groups engaged in human-rights work. CWU also serves as the custodian in the United States for the International Fellowship of the Least Coin, a global ecumenical prayer and reconciliation movement. Participants set aside a small coin whenever they pray for people affected by violence, hatred, jealousy, or injustice, turning a spiritual practice into a tangible offering for peace-related work. Advocacy is organized around periodic quadrennial priorities. These priorities provide a framework for local, state, and national action on issues such as health, economic justice, environmental care, peace, human rights, hunger and poverty, diversity, and inclusion. A documented 2008–2012 priority was “Building a World Fit for All God's Children,” while the 2017–2020 priority was “Learning and Leading … Using the Principles of God’s Word.” The organization has reported more than 1,200 local and state units in the United States and Puerto Rico and participation from 26 supporting denominations and organizations. Its denominational relationships include African Methodist Episcopal, African Methodist Episcopal Zion, American Baptist, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Christian Methodist Episcopal, Episcopal, Evangelical Lutheran, Mennonite, Presbyterian, United Methodist, United Church of Christ, Quaker, Moravian, National Baptist, and other Christian traditions. CWU is not a commercial product brand or publicly traded company; its principal offerings are religious gatherings, educational and advocacy resources, ecumenical networking, recognition programs, and opportunities for prayerful community action.

Church Women United developed from the interdenominational movement among Christian women in the United States that sought to coordinate home-mission work, foreign-mission women's work, and federated church women's activities. In 1941, 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 united to create the United Council of Church Women. The founding organization represented women associated with roughly seventy Christian denominations. The founding meeting occurred in Atlantic City, New Jersey, in December 1941, during the period when the United States was entering the Second World War. Rather than limiting its work to internal church cooperation, the new organization immediately addressed international responsibility and peace. Delegates circulated a petition urging the United States to join and fully support a world organization when the United Nations Charter was established. The petition ultimately carried 84,000 signatures and attracted public attention. The initiative also helped bring CWU leaders into a White House discussion connected with Eleanor Roosevelt concerning women's role in postwar policy formation. The movement's history is built around the principle that worship and action belong together. Its ecumenical identity has allowed women from a broad range of Protestant traditions, as well as Roman Catholic, Orthodox, and other Christian communities, to participate in shared services and advocacy. Over time, the organization became known as Church Women United and developed local and state structures across the country. It has reported more than 1,200 units in the United States and Puerto Rico, with relationships involving 26 supporting denominations and organizations. Four recurring worship observances became central to CWU's public and spiritual life. May Friendship Day had already been observed by 1933 and developed into a program emphasizing creative and healing relationships, local fellowship, intergenerational activity, Bible study, worship, and community action. World Community Day was first observed in 1939 and grew into an annual occasion for prayer and projects related to international peace. World Day of Prayer connects CWU participants with an international observance held on the first Friday of March. The Human Rights Celebration began as a national observance associated with United Nations Human Rights Day and later became a flexible local program recognizing individuals and organizations engaged in human-rights work. CWU's international and peace-oriented work also includes its role as the United States custodian for the International Fellowship of the Least Coin. Participants in that movement pray for people affected by injustice, violence, hatred, and conflict and set aside a small coin as a material sign of their prayers. CWU's custodial role links its domestic network to a wider ecumenical practice of reconciliation and solidarity. The organization has periodically used quadrennial priorities to direct education, worship, and advocacy. The 2008–2012 priority addressed the construction of a world fit for all God's children through four themes: health, economic justice, environmental care, and peace. The 2017–2020 priority focused on learning and leading through principles of Christian faith, with attention to human rights, hunger and poverty, health and wellness, and diversity and inclusiveness. CWU's records and local history are preserved in several archival repositories, including collections associated with units in Berkeley-Albany, Dallas, Houston, Illinois, Kansas, and Naperville, as well as records held by the United Methodist Church's archival commission. These collections document the organization's local organizing, denominational relationships, worship programs, and social-justice activities. In the contemporary period, CWU remains a U.S.-based ecumenical women's movement whose principal work consists of prayer, worship, education, relationship-building, and coordinated action rather than commercial production.

• 2017

  Quadrennial priority emphasizes learning and leading

  [1]Church Women Uniteden.wikipedia.org

  CWU's 2017–2020 priority focuses on human rights, hunger and poverty, health and wellness, and diversity and inclusion.

• 2008

  Quadrennial priority addresses a world fit for all children

  [1]Church Women Uniteden.wikipedia.org

  CWU adopts a 2008–2012 priority organized around health, economic justice, environmental care, and peace.

• 1941

  United Council of Church Women is founded

  [1]Church Women Uniteden.wikipedia.org

  Three national Christian women's organizations merge in Atlantic City to form the body that later becomes Church Women United.

• 1941

  Founding petition supports a world organization

  [1]Church Women Uniteden.wikipedia.org

  The newly formed movement circulates a petition with 84,000 signatures calling for U.S. participation in an international organization.

• 1939

  World Community Day is first observed

  [1]Church Women Uniteden.wikipedia.org

  Christian women begin an annual observance combining prayer and projects for global peace.

• 1933

  May Friendship Day is first observed

  [1]Church Women Uniteden.wikipedia.org

  The observance that later became one of CWU's four annual celebrations begins as a Christian women's program centered on friendship and community relationships.

A racially, culturally, and theologically inclusive Christian women's movement positioned at the intersection of ecumenical worship, community fellowship, and advocacy for peace and social justice.

• Ecumenical worship celebration

  World Day of Prayer

  An annual observance held on the first Friday in March. It connects Church Women United participants in the United States with a worldwide Christian women's prayer movement involving women in approximately 170 countries. The event uses a shared annual theme and emphasizes global fellowship, prayer, and concern for peace and justice.

• Community worship and fellowship program · 1933

  May Friendship Day

  Usually held on the first Friday in May, May Friendship Day centers on creative and healing relationships in local communities. Participating units may include intergenerational activities, ecumenical Bible study, worship, fellowship, and practical opportunities for local service or advocacy.

• Peace and community worship program · 1939

  World Community Day

  Typically observed during the first weekend of November, World Community Day combines Christian prayer with projects supporting global peace. The program has also been adapted to allow interfaith participation, reflecting CWU's commitment to peace and justice among people of different nations and traditions.

• Human-rights recognition and worship program

  Human Rights Celebration

  Originally conceived as a national event connected with United Nations Human Rights Day, this program is now commonly organized by local CWU units. It honors people and organizations that have made notable contributions to human rights and provides a setting for worship, education, and community recognition.

• Prayer and peace offering movement

  International Fellowship of the Least Coin

  A worldwide ecumenical practice in which participants pray for people affected by violence, hatred, jealousy, and injustice and set aside a small coin as a tangible sign of prayer. Church Women United serves as the custodian for Fellowship of the Least Coin offerings in the United States.

• 2017Learning and Leading … Using the Principles of God's Word

  United States · Puerto Rico

  CWU's 2017–2020 priority linked Christian learning and leadership with work on human rights, hunger and poverty, health and wellness, and diversity and inclusiveness.

  Outcome. The priority provided a common advocacy and educational framework for the movement's units during the stated period.

  Source
• 2008Building a World Fit for All God's Children

  United States · Puerto Rico

  CWU's 2008–2012 quadrennial priority directed social-justice education and action toward health, economic justice, environmental care, and peace.

  Outcome. The framework served as a guide for local, state, and national activities during the four-year priority period.

  Source
• 1941Founding petition for an international organization

  United States

  At the founding meeting of the United Council of Church Women, delegates urged the United States to participate fully in a future world organization. The petition gathered 84,000 signatures from church women.

  Outcome. The action received public attention and was followed by involvement of CWU leaders in a White House conference on women's participation in postwar policymaking.

  Source

• 2017

  Adopt a learning, leadership, and inclusion priorityStrategy

  Background

  CWU uses four-year priorities to coordinate social-justice work across local, state, and national levels.

  Action taken

  For 2017–2020, the movement selected “Learning and Leading … Using the Principles of God’s Word,” with emphasis on human rights, hunger and poverty, health and wellness, and diversity and inclusiveness.

  Aftermath

  The priority supplied a common framework for worship, education, and advocacy during the four-year period.

  Source

• 1941

  Create a national ecumenical women's movementStrategy

  Background

  Three Christian women's organizations sought a unified national structure representing women across many denominations during a period of international crisis and war.

  Action taken

  They merged to form the United Council of Church Women, the predecessor of Church Women United.

  Aftermath

  The new organization established an enduring model of interdenominational worship, prayer, education, and public action.

  Source

1. 1Church Women Uniteden.wikipedia.org
2. 2Church Women United official websitechurchwomenunited.net