THE METHODIST WOMEN FELLOWSHIP
History – Methodist Women’s Fellowship
The Methodist Women’s Fellowship began 75 years ago by God’s grace. After several attempts by many such as Rev. Gaddiel Acquaah proved futile, an invitation to tea by Sister Frances Green, then a Tutor at the Wesley Girls High School was the seed that birthed the great oak which is now aptly known as The Methodist Women’s Fellowship.
Those present at that very first Meeting held in Cape Coast in 1931 were Mesdames Sarah Acquaah, wife of the Rev Gaddiel Acquaah, Hannah deGraft-Johnson, Lydia Selby, Henrietta Philips, Faustina Daniels and Charlotte Bart-Plange, who have all obviously gone to be with the Lord.
The aim of the Founder, Sis Frances Green was that women would be organized to bring honour to God, the Church and the Community. With those six pioneers she searched the nooks and cronies of Cape Coast for less privileged women and taught them lessons from the Bible, how to read, write and sew and also good housekeeping and child care.
Barely a year later, the Lord having blessed the efforts of the Founder and the Pioneers, the Synod approved a recommendation for more branches to be opened countrywide. By 1932 the work of the Fellowship had reached Accra and its environs for Sister Rose Little, a Missionary and Headmistress of Accra Wesley Girls’ High School had successfully established branches in Accra, Nsawam, Aburi and Somanya.
Another encouraging Report to the Synod of 1934 resulted in the establishment of the Fellowship in Ashanti. The then headmistress of Mmofraturo, Sister Persis Beer was charged with that mission and she with God’s help succeeded in that quest. Branches were opened all over mostly under the guidance of the women Missionaries.
When ill-health threatened Sister Green’s work another able Missionary and Tutor of W.G.H.S, Cape Coast, Sister Irene Maison, was appointed and she did a good job helping to strengthen old branches while establishing new ones. She was remarkable in that she learnt the Fante dialect so she could work successful among the mainly illiterate women and girls in and around Cape Coast. She worked extensively until she retired and she was replaced by another able hand, Mrs. Julia Abban, a sister of the Rev. F.C. Grant, who was appointed first African Women Worker in 1949 and had worked with Sister Maison.
As the work extended many more Women Workers were appointed and more Missionaries too. One of them then Sister Irene Morrow as Irish was stationed at Kwadaso in 1956 and she in 1964 established the Methodist Girls Fellowship. The good work of the Fellowship drew the attention of the wife of the Presbyterian Moderator in the early forties Mrs. S.S. Odonkor who with the permission of Sister Rose Little joined the Fellowship as an Affiliated member and in 1945 established the Presbyterian Women’s Fellowship. Again the Fellowship’s good work prompted the Asantehene and Queen mother to establish the Kwadaso Women Training Centre in 1948.
About the Fellowship
The Fellowship’s “good” works have ranged from Society to Diocese to Connexion and its membership had grown to date to almost fifty thousand.
Its emblem is the TREE OF LIFE.
Its Motto is derived from the last two lines of the MHB 427 which the Hymn writer borrowed from Psalm 37:4 thus “Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart”.
The Uniform of white signifies purity and the blue head kerchief signifies the love and glory of God while the black footwear is to stamp out sin in this dark world of sin.
The AIM of the Fellowship is to unite Christian Women in the Connexion in the Fellowship with Christ and with one another so that their spiritual lives would be enriched and by working together joyfully give their fullest support to the Church of Christ.
Promises: Every member upon joining the Fellowship and ever thereafter makes promises to obey Christ, make her home a Christian home, be loyal to the Fellowship and to take part in some definite Christian service.
IMPACT:
It is thus no wonder that the Women’s Fellowship has since its inception proved a stalwart in the Methodist Church Ghana with God’s help. From within its ranks have come many female Ministers of the Church. Many Local Preachers, Leaders, Society & Chapel Stewards have been and are members of the Fellowship. Also many members of the various Church Committees at the Society, Diocesan and Connexional levels are members.
Further more the first female Vice President of Conference Sister Sophia E. Moore was a member and in fact rose through the ranks to Connexional President and Secretary of the Fellowship. Five of the Diocesan Lay Chairmen of the Methodist Church Ghana have been and are members of the Women’s Fellowship.
Apart from that many a Ghanaian has received help from the Fellowship as it strives to help the sick and destitute person irrespective of their faith and leanings.
Several of the Fellowship’s projects are aimed at obeying our Lord’s command and ensure that on the final day its members hear the lord commendation to wit
“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'” [Matthew 25”42-44]