History WOC Prosperity ARP

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Taft, Tennessee

  WOMEN’ S MISSIONARY SOCIETY  1888-1979

 No history of the Prosperity Church would be complete without inclusion of the history of the Women’s Missionary Society which has been so active for so many years.

 In February, 1888, the ladies of Prosperity, Tennessee Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church organized a society consisting of nine members.  These charter members were:

    Mrs. Nora Sloan, President                Miss Martha Parkinson, Treasurer

    Mrs. Elizabeth Sloan                         Mrs. Helen Dale McFerrin

    Mrs. Grezilda Parkinson                     Mrs. Lucinda Parkinson

    Mrs. Mary Eliza Sloan                       Mrs. Lucinda McCalla

 The organization was known as the Ladies’ Aid Society.  There were only two officers at that time, the President and the Treasurer.  Meetings were held once a month at the church.  There was no regular program, but the ladies paid their monthly dues of five cents per member and discussed further plans for raising money.  The funds were raised largely by having ice cream suppers and selling ice cream at picnics and at barbecues in the community during the summer.  One year they kept the cemetery clean and realized $40 from this effort.

 Mrs. Sloan served as President from the time of the organization of the society until she died in 1900. Officers were not elected annually, but for life or until removal from the community made it impossible for them to serve.  Miss Martha Parkinson served as Treasurer until she moved to Fayetteville, Tenn. in 1910.

There is a period of a few years of which we have no record because the books were destroyed by fire in the home of Mr. A. L. Sloan, a son of Mrs. Nora Sloan.

 At the completion of the first parsonage, the ladies held their meetings there.  This was in the day of horseback riding, so a number of the members came to the meetings in this fashion, riding three or four miles, sometimes with two women on one horse.

 For several years after the death of Mrs. Sloan, no president was named for the society, but Mrs. Helen Dale McFerrin served as leader and counselor.

 When Rev. W. A. Kennedy returned from the meeting of Presbytery in April, 1911, he manifested renewed interest in the work of the ladies and that summer Mrs. Kennedy reorganized the society with 32 members.  The name of the organization was changed to The Ladies’ Missionary Society.  Mrs. W. P. Watson was elected President and Miss Fannie Bruce, Treasurer.

 After reorganization, monthly dues of 10 cents per member were paid and ladies began giving their Sabbath Day eggs three months of each year, a practice which was continued until about 1950.  One year the ladies turned $103 into the treasury as a result of this drive.

 In 1920 Mrs. Watson moved to Fayetteville, Tennessee after faithfully serving as President for nine years.  Mrs. Ethel Jobe then served as President until April 1921 when Rev. M. T. Ellis was installed as pastor.  Mrs. Ellis was then elected President and held that office until her death in 1935.

 In 1913 Mrs. O. L. Kidd was elected Treasurer and served for 14 years.  In 1927 Mrs. T. T. McFerrin was elected Treasurer.  In 1956 Mrs. Edward Byers was elected Treasurer and served for 15 years.  In 1972 Miss Pauline Burton was elected Treasurer.

 The Ladies’ Society continues to meet on a monthly basis in the Church or sometimes in a home, using programs given in the Journal of Mission as well as other programs.

 For a while in the early history of the society, $5 was contributed annually to the cause of Foreign Missions, but when Prosperity, Elk Valley and Fayetteville undertook the support of Rev. A. J. Ranson in India, this society pledged and raised $100 annually to his salary from 1916 to 1926.  Since then the society has been paying approximately the same amount to Foreign Missions through the Synodical Union.  It also contributed to the pastor’s salary and other causes on Synod’s budget. 

Circle II was organized in the fall of 1951 composed of women who could not attend the regular meetings because of their work.  This Circle met on Sabbath afternoon following Circle I meeting. In the late 60’s the Society became “The Women of the Church” (WOC) and now they give approximately $3,000 a year toward Synodical’s budget.

Continuation of Prosperity WOC History from 1978

At the beginning of 1978 the Prosperity WOC had 33 members consisting of Circles I and II.  Mrs. Gene Templeton served as President and Miss Pauline Burton was still the Treasurer. Four Life Memberships were given this year.

In 1979 the Prosperity WOC had 34 members and was under the leadership of Miss Eunice Byers, President. Mrs. Beth Jennings was elected Treasurer and has served as such ever since. 1979 was a year for injuries; in fact, there were so many broken hips we were known as the “hippy church.” Mrs. Lidie Forbes, Mrs. Pearl Gracy, Mrs. Helen McFerrin, Mrs. Sallie Bell Jones all fell and broke or fractured their hip or hips. Mrs. Frances Burton fell and broke an ankle.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

We wish to acknowledge the following sources for this history:  Associate Reformed Presbyterian Centennial and Sesquicentennial histories, Session records and Women’s Society records at Prosperity Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church and the Young Peoples Christian Union history of 1956.

Our appreciation is expressed to Mrs. William Bolton, Mrs. Charles Edgar, Mrs. Wayne Towry, Mrs. Ronald Derksen, Mrs. Debbie Motlow and Mrs. Brenda Coble for compiling the information and all others who had any part in the writing of this history.