Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1921-10-11
Will Commemorate the One
Hundredth Anniversary
of Missionary Work
WORK OF AUXILIARY
First Woman's Missionary Society
Organized Here, Which Later Be
came Woman's Auxiliary.

This fall the Protestant Episcopal
Church all over the United States Is
colnmemorating it's one hundredth
anniversary Of its definitely organ
iZed missionary work. Prior TO
1T74, the church of England in
America was dependent upon the
mother church but from the Revo-
lutlonary period until 1921, it was
chiefly struggling for existence.
Then assured Of its permancy and
growing strength it started on a new
era and one hundred years ago
began systematic missionary pro
gram, and fifty years ago the Wo--
mans Auxiliary to the Board OF
Missions was created on October u.
1871, and the church is, now through
OUT the length and breadth of the
land, joyfully celebrating its Tooth
anniversary and the Woman's AuXi!-
iary its jubilee year.
This is the third, the eliminating
year Of the Nation Wide Campaign
and part of the program Of this
campaign is to bring effectively be-
fore the people the great missionary
lessons Of the church, and N orde"
to especially impress every beholde::
with its missionary spirit, pageant
has been written for and endorsed
hy the Presiding Bishop and Coun-
ell of the church, to be put on as
simply or as elaborately rs each
church may deem advisable.
1t was in Christ Church, Alexan-
dria, that the first Woman's Mis-
s;onary Society was organized by
Miss Jane Blackburn, who had mar.
ried Mr.. John Augustine Washing
ton, then owner of Mount Vernon
She was the grandmother Of Mrs,
Eleanor s. W. Howard, who IN mem
ory of that grandmother proposed TO
erect in the church q memorial llght
by the lecturer, as proclalming the
gospel was the great desire of her
lie consecrated to missionary work.
Later in 1871 this work developed IN
IT, the Woman's Auxiliary. This was
organized in New York in October,
and in December of that year, the
The first branch was established in
Christ Church, so this is the oldest
branch in the whole American
church and Miss Sallie Stuart was
appointed the first State President
ot Virginia, it being one of the first
states organized in the country, and
Miss Stuart held that office of State
President most efficiently for p
wears. Missions hav ever been fore
most in the minds of its members.
The ordination services of the Nlr-
rinla Theological Seminary were
held in Christ Church from 1927 to
1855, and those who gave their lives
TO Africa were Savage, Minor,
Fayne, Henning and Golden Hoff /,
man, while Cleveland Keith devoted
his life to China.
Bishop Lloyd consecrated at
Church, his home church, left his OF
flee as coadjutor of Virginia to ac~
cept the position of President OF the
Board of Missions in New York.
1t was therefore fitting that Christ
Church should take the lead in put
TING on this pageant in memory OF
her sons and daughters whose mis-
sionary spirit was so strong, ana
She has invited her sister churches,
st. Paul's and Grace Church to JON
with her in this celebration.
This service is not for amusement
or entertainment, but is for the pur"
rose of symbolizing a great spirit
ual truth, and is solemn and rev.
ertntial occasion.