The breakfast coincided with the 2006 Covenant Midwinter Pastors Conference under way at the Hyatt Regency O’Hare Hotel here.
The organization, which has experienced a few name changes during its history, offers a variety of resources and opportunities designed to equip women in the Covenant for service and to encourage them in their own faith journey.
It was on January 21, 1916, that the first of two groups of women signed a charter establishing the Swedish Mission Covenant Women’s Society, later to be called the Covenant Women’s Auxiliary. Ninety three women signed the charter on January 21, 1916, and the following month another 32 women signed, bringing the total charter membership to 125. The first group met January 21 at Northside Mission Church, with the second meeting held February 18 at Englewood Mission Covenant Church on the south side of Chicago.
To read more of the history and key accomplishments of this group, please see History of Women Ministries. For a list of executive leaders and chairpersons over the years, please see Covenant Women Leadership.
“Through connecting women in transformational relationships, Women Ministries strengthens the local church,” says Ruth Hill, executive minister. “It provides entry points into the family of God, opportunities for spiritual nurture designed for a woman, and opportunities to connect the compassionate hearts of women to hurting people at home and around the world.
“And by uniting them in Christ to impact our world, Women Ministries has mobilized women to address challenging issues – illiteracy of Congolese women, needs of disadvantaged adults, suffering of women who’ve experienced abuse,” Hill notes. “Hundreds of lives have been impacted by these examples alone!”
A special video presentation was developed to commemorate the 90th anniversary, available on DVD, titled “Celebrating the Story – Creating Its Future.” The presentation recounts how God has used Women Ministries in shared ministry to advance his kingdom. “It has been so inspiring,” Hill says. “The Evangelical Covenant Church has felt its impact at all levels of its ministry – locally, regionally, denominationally and internationally.”
Women Ministries enjoys widespread support throughout the Covenant, including Henry Greenidge, active in the African American Ministers Association, who says he is as much a fan of Hill as he is the organization.
“As I reflect, I am not only supportive of woman’s ministry, I am supportive of Ruth Hill as a leader – she just happens to be a leader in women’s ministry. But, I guess that is illustrative of the point. A gifted visionary leader with tremendous capabilities, she has moved the agenda of women’s ministry from tangential status to front and center of the mission – because that’s where it belongs. I’m not sure we fully recognize the paradigm shift that has occurred (in the direction of Women Ministries), but down the road, the impact will be noticed as more gifted women are released, empowered, and encouraged to do ‘battle’ on the front lines in every aspect of our expanding mission. We’re moving in a new direction – praise God!”
Doreen Olson, executive minister of the Department of Christian Formation, notes that since the inception of the church, “women have been using their God-given gifts in witness and in service. I’ve been especially encouraged and challenged by the life story of my father-in-law’s mother, Anna Olson, who consistently and courageously engaged in ministries of compassion and justice. Today, I am very impressed by the leadership and personal investment of courageous young women in some remarkable and groundbreaking initiatives.
“Whether they are simply being the loving presence of Christ in their homes and work places or addressing hunger and poverty and suffering, their work throughout the world bodes well for the continued development of the Covenant as a church that is obedient to the Great Commandment (loving God and our neighbor) and the Great Commission (spreading the good news of Christ),” Olson says. “The vibrancy of our life today as a denomination is dependent on the transformation of God’s people – men and women, boys and girls – into disciples of such depth and radical obedience that they are able to address the complexities of the profound brokenness we see in the world around us. Focusing our resources and energies on such development among women is central to the growth and effectiveness of this church.”
One of Hill’s heroes in the Covenant’s women ministry movement is Erma Chinander, who led the ministry from 1972 to 1980. “Erma said it was never meant to be an organization – it was meant to be a movement,” Hill notes. “That was the inspiration behind the transition from a membership organization, dating back to our origin as a dues-based auxiliary, to a ministry of the church. The church has one vision – to advance God’s kingdom. Women Ministries is one of its tools to do that.”
To learn more about Women Ministries and its programs, please see Women Ministries.
Copyright © 2011 The Evangelical Covenant Church.
