In 1869, two wives of missionaries in Boston gathered with eight other women to raise funds to send two missionaries to India to address both the physical and spiritual needs of the women in that country.

Soon after these initial efforts, the group formally organized as the Methodist Women’s Foreign Missionary Society. This marked an important step in the formalization of women’s involvement in missionary work.

Around the same time, women across the United States began organizing and voicing opposition to discrimination and injustices faced by women. Some established missional societies, including the Woman’s Missionary Association of the United Brethren Church in 1875 and the Woman’s Foreign Missionary Society of the Methodist Protestant Church in 1879. These organizations and others concentrated their efforts on sending nurses and providing education to care for women in foreign countries. Additionally, they began advocating for women, children, and families within the United States.

In 1972, United Methodist Women became the official women’s mission organization as part of The United Methodist Church’s Board of Global Ministries.

Today, the United Women in Faith is a fearless force driven by God’s love and united in sisterhood. The mission of United Women in Faith is to seek, connect, and nurture women through Christian spiritual formation, leadership development, creative fellowship, and education so that they can inspire, influence, and impact local and global communities.

The West Ohio Conference United Women in Faith has scheduled a variety of events, trainings, and programs in 2026, including West Ohio UWF Mission u and the East and West Ohio UWF Spiritual Retreat, to name a few.

To learn more and to become involved, click here to visit the West Ohio Conference United Women in Faith website.

To learn more about United Women in Faith, click here.