Descriptive SummaryChurch Women United in San Antonio, TexasChurch Women United of San Antonio Records, 1961-1996
Materials are in English.MS 15
9 linear feet
Church Women United in San Antonio, Texas is an ecumenical community of Christian women working as a unit of the national Church Women United organization, a “racially, culturally, theologically inclusive Christian women’s movement, celebrating unity in diversity and working for a world of peace and justice.” Church Women United in San Antonio is also active in the state and Area 7 levels of the organization. Reports, minutes and proceedings, printed materials, scrapbooks, and photographs of Church Women United in San Antonio document its membership, history, organization, structure and activities on the local, area, state and national levels. The bulk of the material documents the organization and its work on the local level.
Archives and Special Collections Department, The University of Texas at San Antonio Library
Historical Note
Church Women United in San Antonio, Texas, is an ecumenical community of Christian women in the San Antonio area who wish to manifest their unity through fellowship, study and cooperative action. The Unit is affiliated with the national organization of Church Women United (CWU), as well as the Texas and Area 7 levels of the organization.
CWU in San Antonio was originally formed in 1920 as the Federal Protestant Women's Association. In 1931, the organization's name was changed to Protestant Women's Organization; in 1934, it became the Council of United Church Women; and in 1954, the name was changed to Church Women United of San Antonio. The current bylaws state the organization's name as Church Women United in San Antonio, Texas.
The purpose of CWU in San Antonio, as stated in its bylaws, is to encourage church women to come together in a visible fellowship to witness to their faith in Jesus Christ and, enabled by the Holy Spirit, to go out together to every neighborhood and nation as instruments of reconciling love. The Unit meets at least four times a year, for the ecumenical celebrations of World Community Day, World Day of Prayer, and May Fellowship Day, and for its annual meeting in September. Other meetings are scheduled for forums and leadership training events.
In addition, CWU in San Antonio supports ecumenical action through advocacy and service in local and national ministries. It also awards annual scholarships to deserving high school students from member churches and to women entering or returning to the workforce, and works with organizations with similar goals such as the Texas Conference of Churches, the World Council of Churches and the United Nations.
The national organization of CWU was founded in 1941. Today, its national headquarters are in New York City, and it has 1200 local and state Units in the United States and Puerto Rico, which represent 25 million Protestant, Roman Catholic, Orthodox, and other Christian women. Members work nationally and internationally in partner groups on common issues and emphases. Annual ecumenical celebrations and international or global relations events are held to further the organization's goals. On the local level, members work in such areas as prison ministries, literacy and job skills training, and food banks.
Sources: Church Women United website (www.churchwomen.org/) and the Church Women United in San Antonio, Texas, Records (Organization - Bylaws, Box 1, Folder 2; Organization - History, Box 1, Folder 4; and Activities - Ecumenical Action/Advocacy and Service, 1985, Box 9, Folder 8.)
Scope and Content Note
Reports, minutes and proceedings, correspondence, printed materials, photographs, and scrapbook materials document the organization, structure, and activities of Church Women United in San Antonio, Texas, (1955, 1961-1999). Scrapbook materials document the organization from 1927-1941, 1944-1949, and 1953 when the organization existed under its prior names, the Federal Protestant Women’s Association, the Protestant Women’s Association, and the Council of United Church Women. In addition to scrapbook materials, minutes, reports, and records document 1941.
The bulk of the collection documents CWU in San Antonio’s local organization and local community work. Documentation of the Unit’s work on the area level--Area 7, includes materials of other area Units’ participation in Area 7 (the Blanco County Unit, Bourne Unit, Comal County Unit, Guadalupe County Unit, Hill Country Unit, Randolph Area Unit, San Antonio Hispanic Unit, San Antonio Metropolitan Unit, and Uvalde Unit.) Materials also document the Unit’s attendance at the Texas State Assemblies and its participation in the nation-wide ecumenical celebrations of May Fellowship Day, World Community Day, World Day of Prayer, and Fellowship of the Least Coin.
Materials are arranged into three series, Organization, Activities, and Scrapbooks.
Organization contains materials on the Unit’s history, structure, bylaws, and membership, as well as meeting minutes, financial reports, newsletters, yearbooks, publicity materials and newspaper articles. Also included are minutes and reports for Area 7 meetings and Texas State Assemblies, including a slide show of the 1985 Assembly.
Activities contains materials on the San Antonio Unit’s ecumenical advocacy and service work, primarily on the local level. Though printed material on approximately forty-five organizations is included here, the Unit’s work with the Bexar County Detention Ministries, the San Antonio Coalition for Children, Youth and Families, and the San Antonio Literacy Council is documented in the greatest detail.
Scrapbooks for 1953 and the prior years noted above provide the only records of the early years of the organization, with the exception of 1941. Scrapbooks for 1955, 1961 to 1986, and 1993 to 1996 supplement other series’ documentation of the Unit’s membership, organization, and activities of these years and extend knowledge and understanding of the Unit’s history and work.
Materials within folders are arranged chronologically or alphabetically by subject.
Acquisition Information
All materials were donated by the Church Women United in San Antonio, Texas, in 1996 and 2004 (Acc. #1996-004, 1996-007, 2004-097, 2004-111, 2004-017, 2004-019).
Access RestrictionsThere are no restrictions on these materials.
Usage Restrictions
Permission to publish material from the Records must be obtained from the Archives and Special Collections, University of Texas at San Antonio Library.
Preferred CitationChurch Women United in San Antonio Records, 1961-1996, MS 15, Archives and Special Collections, University of Texas at San Antonio Library.
Processing InformationProcessed by Katie Salzmann, Processing Archivist, August 1996. Materials reprocessed by Kathy Rankin, Archivist, in September 2004.
Note to ResearchersFor related collections available in the UTSA Archives, see also: Church Women United in Texas—Western Hills Unit (MS 124) and Church Women United in Texas (MS 39).
Index Terms
OrganizationsChurch Women United in San Antonio, Texas
Bexar County Detention Ministries.
San Antonio Coalition for Children, Youth and Families.San Antonio Literacy Council.
Topics:
Ecumenical movement.
Women--Texas--San Antonio--Societies and clubs--History.
Women and religion--Texas--San Antonio.
Women in Christianity--Texas--San Antonio.
Genres/formatsFinancial records.Minutes.Newsletters.Scrapbooks.Yearbooks.
Detailed Description of Collection
Organization
Contains materials on the Unit’s history, structure, bylaws, and membership, as well as meeting minutes, financial reports, newsletters, yearbooks, publicity materials and newspaper articles. Also included are minutes and reports for Area 7 meetings and Texas State Assemblies, including a slide show of the 1985 Assembly.
11Unit Structure12Bylaws13Job Descriptions14History15History - Program Skits1981, 198416History - Past Presidents1Minutes/Records/Reports171941181966-1971191972-19751101976-19771111978-19791121981-1984211985-1987, 1990221991-199523 Annual Reports,1977-1980, 1983-198524Annual Reports,1986-199025Annual Reports,1991-199526Nominating Committee,1982-198627Correspondence,1970-19922Financial Reports281977-1979291980-19872101988-1992, 1994211Annual, 1969-1992212 Auditors, 1973-1993213Proposed Budgets, 1973-19953Financial Records311971-1978321979-198533Fifth Decade Fund,1983-198434Individual Membership Dues,1976-199235Church Membership Dues,1969-199236Correspondence,1973-1979, n.d.37Bank Statements,1975-198038Bank Statements,1980-19853Newsletters391965-19723101973-1979411980-1984421985-1989431990-19954Yearbooks441972-1979451980-1988461989-1994471995-199951Publicity52News Articles5Area 7 Participation53 Reports, 1970-199054Correspondence, 1982-199155 Workshops, 1985, 1987, 1989, 199056 Newsletters57Map58Units' Reports61-3Units' Reports64May Fellowship Day, 1985-199065World Community Day, 1983-199066World Day of Prayer, 1983-1991Slide CabinetLot 01Slides6State Participation67Minutes, Records, Reports1985-199268Minutes, Records, Reports -- Executive Board Meetings, 1985-199269Minutes, Records, Reports -- Leaders' Council, 1985-1989610Financial Reports, 1985-199171Minutes, Records, Reports -- State Assemblies, 1983, 1985, 198772Slide Show Script and Cassette Tape, CWU...Women of Faith -- State Assembly,
1985Slide CabinetLot 02Slides, CWU...Women of Faith -- State Assembly, 198573Minutes, Records, Reports -- State Assembly, 199474-5 Photographs -- State Assembly, 199476-7Yearbooks78Newsletters79Other Printed Material81Regional Participation82National Participation82Minutes, Records, Reports, Annual Reports, 1980-1986, 199483Local Units Summary, 197984The Church Woman,1985, 1991, 199585Other Printed Material
Activities
Contains materials on the San Antonio Unit’s ecumenical advocacy and service work, primarily on the local level. Though printed material on approximately forty-five organizations is included here, the Unit’s work with the Bexar County Detention Ministries, the San Antonio Coalition for Children, Youth and Families, and the San Antonio Literacy Council is documented in the greatest detail. Also included in the Activities series is documentation of the Unit’s annual scholarship awards given to deserving high-school seniors and women in transition.
These materials are arranged alphabetically by organization name and are in folders titled Ecumenical Action/Advocacy and Service Projects.
86-9Ecumenical Action/Advocacy and Service Projects91-7Ecumenical Action/Advocacy and Service Projects98Ecumenical Action/Advocacy and Service, 198599Ecumenical Assembly -- Cassette Recording, 1984101Ecumenical Action -- Interdenominational102Ecumenical Action -- Interfaith10Celebrations103May Fellowship Day, 1978-1995104World Community Day, 1976-1991105World Day of Prayer, 1975-1994106Fellowship of the Least Coin, 1975-1991107Fellowship of the Least Coin,1992-1995108Fellowship of the Least Coin,1980109Reflections on the Felloship of the Least Coin -- Slide Show ScriptSlide CabinetLot 03Reflections on the Felloship of the Least Coin -- Slide Show Script1010Communication Guides1011Citizens' Actions (Political) -- Guides and Newsletters111Leadership Training, 1987112People's Platform for a Global Society, 1975-1977113Ribbon Around the Pentagon114San Antonio Women's Fair, 1985115San Antonio Women's Fair, 1986116Outstanding Women -- Nominations and Awards117-8Scholarship Awards119Texas Conference of Churches, 19861110Texas Conference of Churches, 1989-19901111Texas Conference of Churches1112United Nations, 1977-19901113World Council of Churches12Autographed Tablecloth -- Unidentified ActivitySlide CabinetLot 04Slides -- Identified and Unidentified (See: Control Folder for information on identified slides)
Scrapbooks
Scrapbooks for 1953 and the prior years noted above provide the only records of the early years of the organization, with the exception of 1941. Scrapbooks for 1955, 1961 to 1986, and 1993 to 1996 supplement other series’ documentation of the Unit’s membership, organization, and activities of these years and extend knowledge and understanding of the Unit’s history and work.
13Scrapbooks1311927-19331321934-19351331936-19371341938-193914n.d.141940-1941141944-1945141946-1947151948-19491519531519551611961-19651621966-19681631969-19711641972-19741711975-19761721977-19801731981-198618Scrapbook Material1811974182-31993-199418Photographs, 184-51993-1994191-21993-199419319951941995195-61995-1996