EWC and the Episcopal Women's History Project

by Bindy Snyder

Our two acronyms are not acrimonious, but very harmonious indeed; and we share even more than a complementary sound. The Episcopal Women's History Project was begun by women who sought to preserve the stories of Episcopal women and their ministries; the Episcopal Women's Caucus was begun by women seeking to improve the opportunities for women's life and ministries in the Church.

The Rev. Fran Toy, who has served on both boards, states, "Both EWC and EWHP would not have been formed had there not been sexism in ECUSA."

TIMELINES editor Lucy Germany states, "There is a strong connection: both organizations were begun by small groups of women who felt strongly about specific needs: a lack of justice and holes in the agenda of the Church that would, or could, only be rectified by women. Women's voices were easily dismissed--How many times have we heard the expression 'women's work'?"

Eleanor Smith adds, "Women's actions were not heeded until a committed few got together and pushed. The Caucus had the issue of ordaining women; whereas, EWHP had the issue of saving the records of women's lives. The Caucus was able to include men in seeking justice and together all worked to gather force and funding. But it was hard work, and that work continues to call for incredible commitment. EWHP is much smaller and remains a single focused body. EWHP is still unique, still minimally funded, still a largely volunteer Board."

Only recently has EWHP been included in the history meetings and conferences, where the undeniable scholastic achievements of many of our distinguished members have been recognized. And according to Dr. Joanna Gillespie, it continues to be hard work. EWHP works in order to give all of its funding away, to men and women researching and writing valuable papers detailing the lives of church women, records that might ordinarily be lost.

Dr. Gillespie describes how EWHP has a lovely way of bribing parishes to tell the stories of parish foremothers by giving prizes for essay contests. EWHP, like CAUCUS has had to fight for its unique vision.

The Episcopal Women's History Project's history reveals how EHWP was a first untried effort to begin to capture the whole, as opposed to male and partial, history of our church. Dr. Gillespie states, "There is something invigorating about naming and claiming a place in the historical sun--many Episcopal women have been too polite and self-effacing to find this out, until the changes in the world outside the church began to seep into the church. As one woman said, 'the stained glass windows haven't changed, the words of the hymns mostly haven't changed, but the awareness that women are there, and crucial-- THAT's what has changed.' And EWHP was a critical part- ner in all the changes."

Women's foundational role in the church is very much entwined with the goals and identity of EWHP. If women today know what women of the past had to face, how they faced it, sense their courage and intelligence they cannot help but be inspired and strengthened.

"The women of the past are with us every step of the way"

The works of EWHP are varied and notable, including conferences, workshops and grant giving. The work of the historical order of Deaconesses, an as- tounding saga in which Dr. Patricia Page has been in- strumental through the Southern Episcopal Womens History Project, will continue to be recorded through preservation work in the archives of the Diocese of New York. We are building our own repository of oral and written histories of women. We assisted with preserving the Windham House story. Our members present papers at the joint historical conferences. We are sponsors of the Anglican/Lutheran History Conference being held in Chicago in September, 2004. A superb book that could be used in classes, such as Sheryl Kujawa's Freedom is a Dream: A Documentary History of Women in the Episcopal Church (New York: Church Publishing Inc. New York, 2002) just might not have existed had we not started the ball rolling!

EWHP is not in any Church budget nor in the budgets of the Church's Historical Society, nor NEHA. Although recognized as a specific entity by the National Episcopal Churchwomen, EWHP is not represented on that Board. Our own Board members often pay their expenses to meetings.

"The women of the past are with us every step of the way," says Lucy Germany. "Their spirit still very much surrounds us and gives us hope and clarity about our own roles in today's world. We understand this great church of ours better for the part women have taken in its formation. The respect we must have for the everpresent courage of our women (and that is sometimes all they had) brings us to a new awareness of the possibilities for the young women of today. Their future derives much from the past. We must have that knowledge to pass on to them!"

the Rev. Bindy Snyder is
president of the Episcopal Womens History
Project and a member of EWC History Project