Women's Ministries
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Although women's role in the church remained important as they sought new ways of serving and nurturing, by 1970 attendance at Central's CWF meetings began to drop. More women were employed outside the home and societal pressures began to alter priorities. It was up to those remaining not to let Avis Bradbury's "flame" die, and the challenge was accepted. The challenge was met by reorganizing groups, revising bylaws, and instigating new services and activities. The women's groups remained strong.
In the early seventies there was a shift from number designations of groups to name designations. Very appropriate biblical names, such as Mary-Martha, Rebekah, Ruth, Priscilla, and Lydia, were chosen for the circles. Lydia Circle chose a name that was not only a biblical character, but also of the daughter of one of its members. A group called Mildred Reynolds, another known as Mothers of Teenagers, and an evening group named Adam and Eve were evidently very short-lived. The five circles, the Guild, and two new groups, the Dorcas Disciples and Deborah Circle, are existent today. The Dorcas Disciples, a night group, was organized in about 1975 and is primarily service-oriented. Deborah Circle, a mixed-age group, was founded in 1985. The Guild retains its status as the oldest, intact missionary group at Central.
The bylaws were revised in 1975. Article V, Section 3 was amended so that officers would be elected for one year only, but could be eligible for immediate re-election after having served one year. It was in this era also that the second and third vice-presidents, as such, were dropped from the slate; however, the chairs of worship, program, and service were assured. A membership chairperson was added, and the immediate past president was designated as an advisor. Since a discussion of bylaws can be extremely tedious, suffice it to say other amendments to the constitution and/or bylaws were made in 1971, 1978, 1985, and 1987.
The day of the week set for general meetings has been somewhat varied during these two decades. In one year alone it changed from Sunday to Tuesday to Wednesday to Thursday. Of course one reason was the differing nature of the meetings. At least four general meetings were held each year. Typical special days were a tea in September, a special cookie tea in December, a salad luncheon in April with guests from other churches, and a breakfast in May with installation of officers. In addition, Bible-study sessions with three ministers were scheduled in January, February, and March.
Worship has always been an important part of all meetings. Each meeting has opened with a prayer and ended with the CWF benediction. Quite often a special service of devotion was included, and music, especially by the Ladies Ensemble (later called Central Singers), has frequently been an enjoyable part of the meetings.
As for study, each year the International Office of the Christian Women's Fellowship issues a theme to encourage new insights and learning. The Christian response to change, the power of a transformed people, put love first, and dare to be courageous were just a few of the themes suggested during these years. A choice could be made by the individual groups as to whether or not they wished to follow these guidelines. Consequently, there were times when other subjects were selected to investigate and explore. This was also the case with the general group. During this period Dr. J. Roger Miller, president of Millikin University, showed slides and spoke to the group about his visit to China, and Sister Mary Louise Utan, ASC of Taylorville, gave a lecture on her missionary work in China and trips to Rome. "A Quiet Interlude," a poem published in The Disciple in December 1984, was read by its authoress, Claudia Quigg. A contemporary drama, "Women Speak," consisting of five monologues by women who knew Jesus, was presented. Walter and Inabell Kirby gave a slide show on their trip to Russia, and a style show of fashions from biblical times was staged. These are only a few of the many fine programs that were provided. Other speakers included Rabbi Pine, Claudine Nichols, Eugenia Lynch of Mt. Pulaski, Sue Simcox, Karen Smith, a regional minister, and, of course, our own three ministers. One program chairman, in the early 1970's, designed some general programs with action projects, such as arranging flowers and taking them to shut-ins, working on bazaar items, and sharing projects for DOVE with guests from other Christian churches in the area.
Around 1970 the Bi-County Missionary Society incorporated a third county into its group and became the Tri-County Missionary Society. Macon, Christian, and Sangamon were the counties included. It should be noted that Central's CWF members were and are still very much involved in the business and fellowship of Tri-County CWF and have served as hostesses several times for this group. They also continue to participate in the work and activities of the Women's Council of Decatur and Macon County and Church Women United (formerly Decatur Council of Church Women) with a delegate to each.
"All service ranks the same with God," wrote Robert Browning in Pippa Passes in 1835. The women at Central continued in the 1970's and 1980's with many worthwhile service projects. The baking for Fun Fair, helping with Meals on Wheels, sewing at Decatur Memorial Hospital, sending Christmas gifts to Jacksonville, and remembering all shut-ins at Christmas-time were a few of the projects that were carry-overs from the preceding decade. A quick scan of the endeavors accomplished can be seen in the following list of projects highlighted in each month of 1984: September, DOVE; October, school kits for Church World Service; November, Senior Citizens Center; December, Woodhaven Learning Center and Meals on Wheels; January, health kits for Church World Service; February, Good Samaritan Inn; March, Barton W. Stone Home and Soup Day; April, St. Louis Children's Home and Meals on Wheels; and May, Blanket Sunday. DOVE and the Good Samaritan Inn, along with the Emergency Fund, have perhaps been a part of our social conscience locally more than others in recent years. CWF has also been responsible periodically for the food bin at Central. Other undertakings have included making walker caddies, bed pads, and layettes for Church World Service; making flannelette sleepers to send to Yakima, Washington; collecting commemorative stamps and Campbell's soup labels; donating cookies to the Mental Health Clinic; sewing gowns for Bangladesh; making drawstring bags for DOVE's abused-women division; and supplying layettes, diapers, sleepers, etc. for the local hospitals. For Central, CWF purchased material for children's choir robes, nursery equipment, a hot-water heater, an ice machine, a dishwasher, carpeting for the youth room, paper cups and napkins, dining room tables, a vegetable slicer, books for the church library, etc.
During this time the five major endeavors for raising money to support the financial goals of CWF have been as follows:
The one that stands out in everyone's mind is the annual bazaar, usually held in the fall. It has sometimes included a presale and lunch. Booths have assumed such names as the Christmas Sampler, the Calico Corner, Green Thumb Shop, Sweet Tooth, Yum-Yum Shop, And Sew Forth, Trash and Treasure, Country Store, and Klondike Kitchen. The work effort put into this undertaking each year has been immeasurable and the financial gain satisfactory. Central's bazaar has long enjoyed a reputation of being one of the best in Decatur. Serving wedding receptions, dinners, luncheons, etc. has also been a main source of income for CWF. Although somewhat diminished the last few years, the women at Central frequently served 50 to 60 such events during the year. Rules and regulations regarding procedures and costs were carefully made and revised several times. In 1976 The Kitchen Sampler, a superb cookbook of recipes contributed by members of CWF, was printed and approximately 500 copies sold. A small blue and white-checked cookbook, vintage 1934 and compiled by the Mothers Club, still remains in tattered form on shelves in several homes of Central's members. Cookbooks also were published in 1961 and 1968. At salad luncheons and cookie teas in recent years, recipes were collected, later printed and distributed free. This is a delightful bonus. And then there was the quilt! This unique project was launched in July 1985 with a program of sharing quilts from members' homes and a speech on the relation between quilts and our faith. The Rebekah Circle sponsored this undertaking. The plan was to sell quilt squares for ten dollars and let those purchasing the squares complete them as they desired. A beautiful quilt resulted as approximately 80 squares were quilted, each representing a family of Central. With 80 quilters participating there must be at least one tiny mistake, so this quilt would be in the Amish tradition. The Amish consciously stitch an error into each quilt, assuring that their work will not approach perfection, for they believe only God is perfect. At any rate, the lovely quilt that the women at Central made is hung in the church. Rev. Deborah Butt, ministerial advisor of CWF, correlated a sermon, "Piecin' a Quilt," with this effort on Sunday, August 10, 1986. The Hearts and Flowers Luncheon began in 1987 and was repeated in 1988 and 1989. This luncheon, combined with a style show and given around Valentine's Day, helped displace winter concerns with thoughts of spring. And it was a financial success.
There were various other means of making money, plus offerings, pledges, and, last but not least, blessing boxes. CWF continues to support the whole mission of the Disciples of Christ, giving a major portion of its budget to the Church Finance Council (Central was rated 33rd nationally in giving in 1988), with another sizable amount going to home missions such as Woodhaven Learning Center, Barton W. Stone Home, St. Louis Christian Home, and DOVE, Inc.
The year 1984 was an important milestone for the Christian Women's Fellowship. It marked the 110th anniversary of the beginning of organized women's groups in Illinois and Wisconsin. In 1987 an in-depth study of CWF was carried out. The program was called ACE (Activate, Celebrate, Evaluate). Its purpose, according to the survey, was for CWF to "evaluate its image, celebrate its uniqueness, and activate its chosen goals." An extensive work-up by a committee composed of Rev. Deborah Butt and the two immediate past presidents, in collaboration with the executive board, was carried out. It included a seven-page survey and opinion poll of 106 people and covered such subjects as
"The CWF As An Organization Meets My Needs Because..."
"The CWF As An Organization Could Meet My Needs By..."
"I Do Not Participate in CWF Because..."
"I Do Participate in CWF Because..."
In other words, women at Central were asking themselves how they could improve the organization and increase membership involvement (CWF automatically includes all women of the church in its list of members). The future of CWF will always be a challenge and, most of all, a commitment to God's work.
--written by Virginia Robbins
As the CWF approached the nineties, the focus shifted from a parent organization supervising activities to each of the circle groups selecting what projects or activities they would concentrate their efforts on. Each circle meets regularly, choosing its own officers, and bonding together to carry out a project. The Dorcas Circle plans the Holiday Bazaar, while the Lydia, Priscilla, New Disciple Women's Group, and others meet for fellowship and service.
Women have become very active in the leadership of Central's congregations. Rev. Deborah Butt and Dr. Sue Amyx have served as associate ministers. Other leadership roles have been in the serving diaconate, vice presidents of the various standing divisions of the church, and especially, as elders. Women are serving faithfully as Stephen Ministers, and Ernestine Mrozinski has been elected President of the congregation for 1995-96.
--written by Debbie Downey
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Central Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
(217) 428-4336
email the webmaster at gbarron@cccdisciples.org