Woman’s Board of Home Missions

The Woman's Board of Home Missions was a Methodist organization established in 1898, with Belle Harris Bennett serving as its first president. This board was active in urban missions, creating over 40 community houses across the South. It also initiated a program for lay deaconesses to staff these houses and other home mission projects. Bennett was instrumental in advocating for women's full lay status within the Southern Methodist Church, a goal achieved in 1919. The organization's work was part of a broader movement of Protestant missions that expanded globally from the 16th century onwards, with women playing a significant role in education and healthcare, particularly in areas where local customs limited men's involvement.12