Signs of peace and sanity: Baptist women and World War II

Baptist History and Heritage, Summer-Fall, 2001 by Rosalie Beck

On December 8, 1941, when President Franklin Delano Roosevelt declared war on the Axis powers, Baptist women were caught up in the maelstrom that rocked the world for four long years.

Like their Christian sisters around the globe, these women found themselves part of the support system for the war effort, coping with diminished families as loved ones joined the armed forces, and, in the madness of world bloodlust, Baptist women attempted to maintain an ethos of normalcy for the folks at home and for the service personnel who risked their lives each day. This article examines how Baptist women in America dealt with the reality of World War II and created "signs of peace and sanity" in their homes, churches, and communities. (1)

Already heavily involved in the church, Baptist women heightened that involvement for the duration of the war. They took on more responsibilities at every level of Baptist life as the men went to war. They extended their missionary efforts to aid refugees and prisoners of war, and the women accepted a broader range of duties within their local communities World War II forced Baptist women to function outside their comfort zones, and the women did a magnificent job.

Status Quo in 1941

In 1941, women taught Sunday School, led Baptist Training Union, and directed Young People's programs. Among Northern Baptists, women served as state convention officers, (2) on convention committees, and as directors of various convention agencies-usually dealing with education, missions, or benevolence. (3) Women often led in work with the youth and children at the state level.

Among Southern Baptists in 1941, when lifetime dues for the Southern Baptist Historical Society were only $10.00, women had a weaker voice at every level, with the exception of the Woman's Missionary Union (WMU), Auxiliary to the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC). No woman held a state convention office, and normally only the state WMU leader served on important boards. Even then, state conventions commonly appointed no women to their executive boards or financial committees. (4) Arkansas Baptists created an exception to this norm when they appointed Mrs. B. W. Nininger as music director for the state in 1942. (5)

At the local level, the most extensive woman's organizations among Baptists were the American Baptist Woman's Missionary Society (ABWMS) and the Woman's Missionary Union. I will focus chiefly, but not exclusively, on the WMU because of that organization's penchant for annual reports. I must acknowledge that not every Southern Baptist church had a WMU; but in 1941, the WMU had 41,719 organizations in the SBC and gave more than $3,200,000 to missions and benevolence work. (6) With these numbers, it is no surprise that state agencies identified the church WMU leader as the representative for the women of the congregation. In Georgia, for example, the leader received information from the associational and, state offices and a subscription to the Christian Index so she could keep the women apprised of needs and opportunities. (7) As the Kansas Convention reported, "... the best organized and most effective group in our churches is the Woman's Union." (8) Through the work of women's missionary groups, state papers, and annual meeting reports, we learn how World War II affected Baptist women.

Wartime Activities

As one sate convention reported in 1942, "[F]aced with problems, questions, heartaches and challenges ... our Woman's program moved forward gloriously to the ask with faith and courage." (9) I must admit, I was surprised by the level of involvement of Baptist women in programs designed to aid refugees and prisoners of war, programs to provide soldiers with necessities, and efforts to help the hundreds of thousands of people flocking to the new, industrial centers looking for work in the war effort

Perhaps the most important work for Baptist women during the war was to keep the churches and other Baptist entities going. The restrictions imposed by wartime regulations forced them to focus on their local church work. The limited use of automobiles called for "intensive development locally." (10) As young men and young women joined the armed forces, traditional teachers and leaders grew scarce. Roberta Patterson wrote of Baptist women in Texas, "As usual, [they] were giving their best attention to what they could do, and refusing to be hampered by restrictions, forced upon them by circumstances." (11) Attending First Baptist Church in New Orleans in 1944, Millie Bishop was impressed with the number of women in visible leadership positions. (12) As the war continued, some churches hired women to lead educational and children's ministries, and women found themselves exercising ministerial authority. For example, in 1944, Beth Stone became the visitation minister for East Washington Heights Baptist Church, and Kathleen Hoots became the assistant pastor of Chevy Chase Baptist Church. (13) At the sate level, the number of women hired as state workers with Sunday School, Baptist Student work, and Baptist Training Union increased.