Church Women United

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This is the cover of a booklet titled "Valiant Women of the Early Church: Models for Today." It was created in 1999 for the celebration of May Friendship Day in May 2000. May Friendship Day is an annual worship service sponsored by Church Women United that brings together different Christian denominations together in a common worship and prayer and focusing on peace and reconciliation in local communities. The celebration held in 2000 looked at early Christian women, their struggles and sacrifices, and the qualities faithful Christian women bring to the new millennium.  

In 1921, a group of eleven women from eleven different churches and five denominations formed a cooperative to serve the community. The organization was called the Interdenominational Council of Missionary Societies, and later the Champaign-Urbana Missionary Union.

In 1926, the group became interracial when the club affiliated with national organizations, the Council of Women for Home Missions, and the Federation of Women’s Board for Foreign Missions. In 1941, the United Council of Church Women was founded on the national level. This organization would later become Church Women United. In the 1970s, Catholic women joined Church Women United, and in the mid-1970s, the organization partnered with the Sinai Temple Sisterhood on some projects. 

As an organization that prides itself on being a racially, culturally, theologically inclusive Christian women’s organization, Church Women United of Champaign-Urbana has worked on various projects in the community. The organization began the Meals on Wheels program in 1965 with members delivering meals to the elderly and those in need, they have sponsored the UNICEF Trick or Treat collection for several years, and began the Reading is Fundamental program in Champaign-Urbana. They have also been active in writing to local, state, and national representatives to address the needs of the community they serve. They will be celebrating their 100th anniversary in 2021.