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The Women’s Fellowship at St. John’s United Church of Christ in Brighton is disbanding after 140 years.
Photo: Journal-CourierThe Women’s Fellowship at St. John’s United Church of Christ in Brighton is disbanding after 140 years.
The Women’s Fellowship at St. John’s United Church of Christ in Brighton is disbanding after 140 years.
The Women’s Fellowship at St. John’s United Church of Christ in Brighton is disbanding after 140 years.
BRIGHTON — After 140 years, the Women’s Fellowship at St. John’s United Church of Christ in Brighton is disbanding.
Begun in 1880, the group now has only four members, with three in their 80s or 90s. But their legacy of fundraising will continue through the church’s Loyal Daughters organization.
The church, originally named St. John’s Evangelical Church in Brighton, was founded 150 years ago. The Women’s Fellowship — originally called the Ladies Aid Society — was established 140 years ago, in May 1880, with 41 members.
Several German churches such as St. John’s used the name “Ladies Aid Society” for their women’s groups. The organizations raised money for church projects, provided spiritual support and fostered social interaction for the women of the church.
During its first year, the St. John’s Ladies Aid Society held a sale and supper to raise $154 — equal to about $3,929 in 2020 — to buy an organ. Seven years later it bought a 1,000-pound bell for the church steeple; it was hung on Oct. 17, 1887, replacing a smaller bell given to the one-room Bott School south of Brighton.
Annually the Ladies Aid Society would serve a summer dinner and supper open to the public. Each November they hosted a bazaar which, in the early years, included chicken and ham meals and “useful and fancy” items for sale.
In 1925, when St. John’s Evangelical Church underwent a major renovation, the Ladies Aid Society bought new pews for the sanctuary. The renovation included adding a basement, which over the years was the site of hundreds of events and fundraisers.
By its 50th anniversary in May 1930, the Ladies Aid Society had contributed $7,470 to the church, or about $116,000 in 2020 terms.
Denominational church mergers at the national level led to several name changes for the ladies group. In the early 1930s it became the Evangelical Women’s Union. In 1941 it became the Women’s Guild. Then in the late 1960s, it took its current name, the Women’s Fellowship.
Its monthly meetings included planning for activities, spiritual and educational programs, refreshments and a social time. The group donated to every major building project at the church, Christmas presents for low-income families, Uni-Pres Kindercottage in East St. Louis and the local Good Samaritan Fund. It hosted bazaars, luncheons, food drives, collections of school supplies and personal items for a women’s shelter, sewing events to make hats and mittens for children in need and the creation of Thanksgiving food baskets for local families in need.
In 1992, to provide a fellowship opportunity for younger adult women in the church, a group called Loyal Daughters was formed. Although the Women’s Fellowship is ending, the Loyal Daughters will continue its legacy of caring.
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