Women's World Day of Prayer History
The
origins of Women's World Day of Prayer date back to the 19th century when
Christian women in the USA and Canada initiated a variety of cooperative
activities in support of women's involvement in mission, at home and abroad.
These activities centred around the following areas:
Concern for women and children -
In
spite of strong opposition from all-male mission boards, from 1861 onwards
women founded numerous and effective women's boards for foreign and home
missions, whereby they could work directly with and for women and children
AND
The
role of prayer in mission work - Since 1812 women had encouraged one another
to engage in personal prayer and to lead communal prayer within their
mission auxiliaries and associations. This emphasis on prayer led to annual
days and weeks of prayers within individual denominations.
1887
- Presbyterian women called for a Day of Prayer for Home Missions and
Methodist women called for a Week of prayer and self-denial for foreign
missions.
1891
- A Baptist day of prayer for foreign missions began.
1895
- A day of corporate intercessions for mission was initiated by the Women's
Auxiliary of the Anglican Church of Canada.
But
Women Had A Vision of Christian Unity
By
1897 the women of six denominations formed a joint committee for a united
day of prayer for home missions and.
In
1912 The Women's Boards of Foreign Missions called for a united day of
prayer for foreign missions.
Women Organised Interdenominational Structures That Were Effective And
Cooperative:
1908
- Women founded the Council of Women for Home Missions that took
responsibility for joint work with immigrants and other social issues and
for preparation of the joint day of prayer AND
1910-1911 - Women celebrated 50 years of women's missionary activity by
organising a series of talks across the United Stated that provided a
powerful experience of ecumenical cooperation, local and global networking,
prayer and information sharing and biblical reflection.
Out
Of This Experience Many Local Interdenominational Women's Groups Were
Formed.
Efforts for unity continued and in 1922 two separate united days of Prayer,
one in Canada and one in the United States, came together with a common date
- the first Friday of Lent. In the second half of 1926 the women of North
America distributed the worship service to many countries and partners in
mission. The response worldwide was enthusiastic and Women's World Day of
Prayer came into being.
Women's World Day of Prayer in the British Isles
It
was in 1928, at an international missionary conference in Jerusalem, that
Scotswoman Grace Forgan first learned of the world day of prayer and brought
the news to these islands.
The
first services were held:
1930
in Scotland.
1932
in England
1933
in Wales
1934
in Ireland
The
Second World War was a time of great growth - drawing women together in
prayer and fellowship.
In
1941 the WOMEN'S WORLD DAY OF PRAYER office in London was bombed and all
property and records destroyed. There was no loss of life and minutes
recovered from members enabled the bare bones of the first 9 years to be
preserved.
Often the planning committee in London met in an air-raid shelter but every
year Orders of Service were produced and supplied to the rest of the
country.
It
was not until the reforms of the second Vatican Council that Roman Catholic
women were able to take a full part in the day of prayer and in 1967 the day
was celebrated at a special service in Westminster Cathedral, by invitation
of Cardinal Heenan.
In
1969 the World Union of Catholic Women's Organisations encouraged Roman
Catholic women worldwide to participate in WOMEN'S WORLD DAY OF PRAYER and
to make this possible WUCWO moved their own Day of Prayer from March to May.
In
1982 the service was prepared by the women of Ireland, both north and south.
In
England, Wales and Northern Ireland there are now over 3,000 branches
holding 5,000 services every year. Last year (2006) 275,000 copies of the
Order of Service were printed.
It
is from such roots as these that WOMEN'S WORLD DAY OF PRAYER has taken its
present shape- a worldwide ecumenical movement of informed prayer and
Prayerful action.
More information is available on the WOMEN'S WORLD DAY OF PRAYER website................here
|
Year |
Theme |
Writer |
|
1927 |
Pray Ye Therefore |
Mary Hough, USA |
|
1928 |
Breaking down Barriers |
Mrs M H Lichliter, USA |
|
1929 |
That they may All be One |
Florence G Tyler, USA |
|
1930 |
That Jesus may be Lifted Up |
Helen Kim, Korea |
|
1931 |
Ye
shall be My Witnesses |
K
W McArthur, Canada |
|
1932 |
Hold Fast in Prayer |
Helen Tupper, India |
|
1933 |
Follow thou Me |
C
C Chen, China |
|
1934 |
Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem |
Mrs J W L Hofmeyer, S Africa |
|
1935 |
Bear ye one another's Burdens |
Baroness Boetzelaer Dubbeldam, Holland |
|
1936 |
On
earth, Peace, Goodwill toward Men |
Laura Jorquera, Chile |
|
1937 |
Thou art The Christ, The Son of The Living God |
Mabel Shaw, Africa |
|
1938 |
The Church, a World Fellowship |
Alice Henderson, New Zealand |
|
1939 |
Let us put our Love into Deeds - and make it Real |
USA |
|
1940 |
In
Quietness and in Confidence shall be your Strength |
Muriel and Doris Lester, England |
|
1941 |
Thy Kingdom Come |
WWDP Committee of Shanghai, China |
|
1942 |
I
am the Way |
Emily Werner, and a group of refugees. |
|
1943 |
That they may All be One |
Georgina Harkness and Mary Mays, USA |
|
1944 |
God wondered that there was no Intercessor |
Missionaries from over 100 countries |
|
1945 |
Called you out of darkness into His Marvellous Light |
WWDP committee of UK |
|
1946 |
The things that make for our Peace |
Mabel Shaw, Central Africa |
|
1947 |
Make level in the desert a Highway for our God |
Isabel Caleb, India |
|
1948 |
The World at Prayer |
Jessie Bader, et al, USA |
|
1949 |
The Lord is thy Keeper |
Women of China |
|
1950 |
Faith for our Time |
Michi Kawai, Japan |
|
1951 |
Perfect Love casteth out Fear |
Else Niemoeller and H Schaeder, Germany |
|
1952 |
Christ, our Hope |
Native Americans, USA |
|
1953 |
Walk as Children of Light |
Women of Africa |
|
1954 |
That they may have Life |
Sarah Chakko, India |
|
1955 |
Abide in Me |
Jorgelina Lozada, Argentina |
|
1956 |
One Flock, One Shepherd |
Cook Christian Training School, USA |
|
1957 |
Who shall Separate Us....? |
Serena Vassady, Hungarian in exile |
|
1958 |
The Bread of Life |
Women of Australia |
|
1959 |
Lord, I believe |
Women of Egypt |
|
1960 |
Labourers together with God |
Women of Canada |
|
1961 |
Forward through the ages, in everything give Thanks |
Sue Weddell, USA |
|
1962 |
For God so Loved the World |
Violeta Cavallero, Uruguay |
|
1963 |
More than Conquerors |
Women of South Korea |
|
1964 |
Let us Pray |
Madeleine Barot, France/WCC |
|
1965 |
What doth the Lord Require? |
Pearl McNeil, USA |
|
1966 |
You are My witnesses |
WWDP committee of Scotland |
|
1967 |
Of
His Kingdom there shall be no end |
Queen Salote, Tonga Islands |
|
1968 |
Bear Ye one another's Burdens |
Rathie Selvaratnam, Ceylon |
|
1969 |
Growing together in Christ |
Women of West and South Africa |
|
1970 |
Be
of good courage! |
Women of Jamaica, Egypt, USA |
|
1971 |
A
New People for a New Age |
Women of Jamaica |
|
1972 |
All Joy be Yours |
Women of Europe |
|
1973 |
Alert in our time |
WWDP committee of New Zealand |
|
1974 |
Make us Builders of Peace |
Women of Japan |
|
1975 |
Become perfectly One |
Women of Egypt |
|
1976 |
Education through Living |
Women of Mexico and S America |
|
1977 |
Love in Action |
Women of the German Democratic Republic |
|
1978 |
Community Spirit in Modern Living |
Women of Canada |
|
1979 |
Spiritual Growth |
Women of East Africa |
|
1980 |
Responsible Freedom |
Women of Thailand |
|
1981 |
The Earth is the Lord's |
Native American women, USA |
|
1982 |
Gathered for Worship, Scattered for Service |
Women of Ireland, North and South |
|
1983 |
New persons in Christ |
Women of the Caribbean |
|
1984 |
Living water from Christ, our Hope |
Women of Sweden |
|
1985 |
Peace through Prayer and Action |
Women of India |
|
1986 |
Choose Life! |
Women of Australia |
|
1987 |
Come and Rejoice! (Centennial anniversary of WWDP) |
WWDP International Committee |
|
1988 |
Open Doors |
Women of Brazil |
|
1989 |
Lord, teach us to Pray |
Women of Burma |
|
1990 |
A
Better Tomorrow, Justice for All |
Women of Czechoslovakia |
|
1991 |
On
the Journey Together |
Women of Kenya |
|
1992 |
Living wisely with Creation |
Women of Switzerland, Austria, Germany |
|
1993 |
God's people: instruments of Healing |
Women of Guatemala |
|
1994 |
Go, See and Act |
Women of Palestine |
|
1995 |
The Earth is a House for All People |
Women of Ghana |
|
1996 |
God calls us to Respond |
Women of Haiti |
|
1997 |
Like a Seed which grows into a Tree |
Women of South Korea |
|
1998 |
Who is my Neighbour: |
Women of Madagascar |
|
1999 |
God's Tender Touch |
Women of Venezuela |
|
2000 |
Talitha Kumi - Young Woman Stand Up! |
Women of Indonesia |
|
2001 |
Informed prayer, Prayerful action |
Women of Samoa |
|
2002 |
Challenged to Reconcile |
Women of Romania |
|
2003 |
Holy Spirit, Fill us |
Women of Lebanon |
|
2004 |
In
Faith, Women Shape the Future |
Women of Panama |
|
2005 |
Let Our Light Shine |
Women of Poland |
|
2006 |
Signs of the Times |
Women of South Africa |
|
2007 |
United under God's Tent |
Women of Paraguay |
|
2008 |
God's Wisdom Provides New Understanding |
Women of Guyana |
|
2009 |
In Christ there are many members but one
Body. |
Women of Papua New Guinea |
