Fellowship Day and World Community Day

Fellowship Day acknowledges the desire of Church women

to fellowship together in work, study and worship.

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Fellowship Day began in the USA in March 1933, during the depression years. The Administrative Committee of the interdenominational Women's Council for Home Missions USA was holding their annual meeting, and when they realised that not only themselves but all levels of society were experiencing fear about the future, they decided to take action to try and inject a more optimistic mood into the very anxious sentiments that prevailed. Six weeks later, on Monday 1 May 1933, a May Day Luncheon was held at noon in the George Washington Hotel in New York City. The atmosphere was celebratory and the program featured two topics: Child Health and Children of Migrant Families. The luncheon was very successful and became an annual event.

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This luncheon day continued to grow, and it changed names several times. From 1933‒38, it was known as Dedication Day, and in 1939 it became the responsibility of the National Council of Church Women and was observed as an event ‘to strengthen a growing sense of unity, the joy of Christian fellowship, and the power of Christianity in the day of need’.

 

Mrs Eleanor Roosevelt endorsed the May Luncheons, and she wrote to the organisers saying, 'I am glad that the May Luncheons are being held to bring church women together. Christians should exert to the full their influence on this troubled world, and cooperation is the way in which we can do this'.

 

In 1945, this celebration day became known as May Fellowship Day, and in 1966 it became part of the program of Church Women United (USA).

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[Source: Just Because—the story of the national movement of Church Women United in the U.S.A. 1941 through 1975 by Margaret Shannon, Omega Books, California.]

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When the women of the various inter-church councils of Australia learned of the May Fellowship Day, they agreed to support this event and incorporate it into their programs. It did not become a coordinated national event until after the formation of Australian Church Women in 1965. Fellowship Day was later moved to July.

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In Australia, Fellowship Day is

generally observed on the last Friday in July.

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The annual Fellowship Day offering in Australia supports the Winifred Kiek Scholarship. This scholarship is available to Christian women living in multicultural Australia, Pacific Island nations, and member countries of the Asian Church Women’s Conference, and it is for women who already have basic training in a chosen field of work.

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The order of service for the 1962 Australian Fellowship Day is the earliest available in the National Archives of Australian Church Women, and it was arranged by the Women’s Inter-Church Council of Victoria. The 2020 Fellowship Day service was prepared by the members of the Western Australia Unit of Australian Church Women.