Circles of Sisterhood
A History of Mission, Service and Fellowship in Mennonite Women's Organizations
by Anita Hooley Yoder
Herald Press, 2017, 315 pages
Reviewed by Barb Draper
Editorial Assistant to Canadian Mennonite
The golden age of Mennonite women’s organizations in Canada
and the United States came in the years between 1940 and 1970, writes Anita
Hooley Yoder in Circles of Sisterhood. In both the Mennonite Church and
the General Conference Mennonite Church, women were highly involved, getting
together to work at sewing projects on a monthly basis. Many congregations had
several groups arranged by age, including girls.
The motivation for all this activity was mission and
service, but fellowship was always an important factor. Like in other
denominations, Mennonite women first organized to support missionaries overseas
and to help the poor in North American cities, but as needs increased during
the Second World War, they ramped up their output. When relief sales were
organized, it was the women’s groups that provided many of the donated items
and a significant part of the labour.
The earliest recorded Mennonite women’s sewing circle in
Canada began meeting in Gretna, Man., sometime before 1900, but it was many
years before Manitoba had a provincial organization. The (Old) Mennonite Church
congregations in Ontario were slower to get started, but sewing circles
expanded rapidly in 1917, when a women’s missionary society was organized
within the denomination.
The number of women’s groups declined through the late 1960s
and ’70s. Sewing remained important for some groups, but others began to
emphasize Bible study and women’s spirituality. Women’s retreats became popular
activities, and the broader organizations began to support women studying
theology.
Mennonite Women Canada became an organization separate from
the U.S. in 2000. While sewing —mostly quilts and comforters—continues today,
the churchwide women’s organization tends to put its focus on spiritual growth
and fellowship.
While Hooley Yoder does give an overview of all the work
done by women, she devotes most of the book to descriptions of the changing
role of women. In the early years, some groups had to have a man open their
meetings with prayer, but over time women developed leadership skills that they
came to use in other church settings. The author writes from a feminist perspective,
describing in detail the occasions when male church leaders seemed to
disrespect the work of women.
As a person who sews, I wish the book had more detail about
the amazing amount of material aid that must have been provided by Mennonite
women’s groups over the years. The author tends to gloss over the clothing that
was sewn and mended, the quilts and blankets made, the meals catered and the
many other ways women carried on the work of the church. She gives extensive
coverage to the process of women acquiring recognized leadership positions in
the church, but her tone towards those who continue to get together to sew is
almost condescending.
The book ends with an honest reflection on the future of
Mennonite women’s groups. Hooley Yoder is not confident that they will continue
but recognizes that they are striving to be relevant for the women of today.
***This book review appeared in the Canadian Mennonite February 12, 2018 issue.
***This book review appeared in the Canadian Mennonite February 12, 2018 issue.
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