Woman's Missionary Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South

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The Woman's Missionary Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South (WMS of the MEC,S) was a American women’s group that organized and carried out Christian missionary work at home and abroad. It grew out of early efforts to involve Southern women in missions and became part of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South.

Origins and early work
- The first clear effort to organize women for mission work in the South goes back to 1858 with Mrs. Margaret Lavinia Kelley. The group supported Mary Lambuth’s school in Shanghai, China.
- The Civil War interrupted those plans. In 1861, Southern women, led by Elizabeth Caroline Dowdell, began to think more about organized mission service for their region.
- In Nashville, Tennessee, Kelley kept the vision alive. By 1873 a small group of women formed a local society to aid the poor and to support foreign missions, especially Mrs. Lambuth’s work in China.
- That Nashville effort helped grow interest across the South. Other local groups formed in Baltimore, New Orleans, and various Southern towns.

Organization and opening work
- In 1877, Miss Lochie Rankin offered to go to China as a missionary, giving a new sense of purpose.
- At the General Conference in Atlanta in 1878, the women were authorized to organize a missionary society. The General Executive Association of the Woman’s Missionary Society was formed and 54 women enrolled at the opening meeting in Atlanta. The founders named leaders and began organizing auxiliaries and conference societies.
- The first auxiliary organized outside Atlanta was in Marietta, Georgia. The society’s early work included sending funds to support Mrs. Lambuth’s school in Shanghai and planning to send female missionaries abroad.

Growth and activities (1879–early 1880s)
- The first meeting of the General Executive Board took place in Louisville in 1879. By then there were 15 conference societies, 219 auxiliaries, and about 5,890 members. That year the group began publishing a missionary magazine.
- A second missionary, Dora Rankin, joined in 1879 to help run a new school at Nantziang, while the Shanghai school was managed by Mrs. Lambuth. A Baltimore donor even gave a home for missionaries in Nantziang, called the Louise Home.
- In 1882, the organization changed its name to the Woman’s Board of Missions. Later the word “foreign” was added to emphasize its international work.
- The Nashville base published the Woman’s Missionary Advocate and worked to expand the movement. By 1890 the Board owned property in China, Mexico, Brazil, and Indian Territory, totaling about $176,000 in value. That year the society raised about $99,000.

Expansion and impact
- By 1891 the society had 34 conference societies. The Home force included auxiliaries and youth groups with tens of thousands of members, and the organization supported hundreds of missionaries, teachers, and students abroad.
- Abroad, the Board supported missions in China, South America, and Mexico, with many missionaries, native teachers, boarding and day schools, and hospitals. The China field grew to include multiple stations and a hospital in Soochow opened in 1888.
- Brazil joined missions in 1880, with schools and missionaries in Piracicaba and Rio de Janeiro. Mexico work began in 1881 at Nuevo Laredo and Saltillo, expanding to several towns.
- The Board also cared for Indian Territory missions, including the Harrell International Institute in the Osage Nation and a school at Anadarko.

Leadership changes and union
- The 1890s saw continued growth but also leadership challenges. In 1895 the president died, and the corresponding secretary stepped in to keep the work going. The presidency later passed to new leaders as health issues affected some officers.
- In 1910 the Woman’s Board of Foreign Missions merged with the Home organization, uniting the home and foreign mission work.

What the Society did
- The WMS helped send women and teachers to mission fields to work with women and children.
- It built and supported schools, hospitals, and mission houses; published literature and magazines to spread information; trained and funded missionaries, Bible teachers, and local workers.
- It created a network of auxiliaries across the South and connected many local efforts to a broader mission program.

Fields and facilities
- China: the first and largest field, with several schools, Bible women, and a hospital.
- Brazil: schools for girls and boys and several missionaries.
- Mexico: girls’ and boys’ schools and mission stations.
- Indian Territory: schools and missionary work among Native communities.
- The Society also published and distributed large numbers of leaflets to spread its mission.

Publication and reach
- The Woman’s Missionary Advocate became the society’s monthly magazine, based in Nashville, with a wide circulation. It supported mission work and kept the network connected.
- In addition to its magazines, the society printed millions of leaflets to educate and inspire supporters.

The Woman’s Missionary Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South grew from small, local efforts into a large, organized network that funded and managed missions at home and abroad, working to educate, heal, and uplift women and children around the world.