The Methodist Missionary Society Women's Work and The Women's Fellowship of the Methodist...

• <corpname>Methodist Missionary Society Women's Work, North Lancashire branch</corpname>
• <corpname>Women's Fellowship of the Methodist Church, North Lancashire branch</corpname>

Deposited by Mrs M Knowles, per Rev. SJ Wild, Ingol, Preston, 26 August 1988 (acc 6325)

The North Lancashire Methodist Missionary Society Women's Work group was founded in 1932. Its members concerned themselves with Christian mission work abroad, and supported the movement financially and spiritually. The organisation consisted of 26 local circuits which sent representatives to a thrice yearly district council and the executive committee. The Women's Work group had close links with the Girls' League and the Young Wives Society within the Methodist Church. As part of its work, it would make donations to missions and attend many conferences in England devoted to furthering the understanding of missionary work.

In 1943 another Methodist Society was formed, calling itself The Women's Fellowship. Its aim was stated as being "to call women and girls to a Christian womanhood which accepts responsibility in the Home, Church and State." Like the Women's Work group, it was divided into circuits, each of which would send representatives to both the District and executive meetings, which were held at various locations across Lancashire. The members would report to the Synod every year, although one of their main concerns was to be allowed a representative in the Synod. Their report of 1964 concluded that "the W.F. is taking an active interest in many vital questions appertaining to the spiritual, moral and social welfare of women and girls, not only in our own denomination but in the Nation as a whole."

The relationship between these two societies was a seemingly troublesome issue for many years. They described themselves as "interdependent" and each had a representative on the other's executive, but there was debate for many years about whether closer affiliation was necessary or desirable. The matter was resolved after the Swannick consultation report of 1986, which recommended joining the two societies to form the Network District Women's Committee, the first meeting of which was held in September 1986.