About ECW 

The Episcopal Church Women of the Diocese of Georgia represent all women in the parishes of this Diocese, whether or not they are part of an organized ECW group, by virtue of their baptism and confirmation.

We are committed to one another and called to be witnesses for Christ. Our challenge is to provide a safe place where every person is free to become the person Christ created her to be. We are called. We are different. We are one body.

The purpose of the Episcopal Church Women organization is to assist the women of the Episcopal Church to carry on Christ’s work of reconciliation in the world and to take their place as leaders in the life, governance, and worship of the Church.

We are glad that you visited the Diocese of Georgia Episcopal Church Women (ECW) website. All Episcopal women are members of the ECW by virtue of their membership in the Church. We are women of all ages, ethnic origins, and socioeconomic backgrounds. Our common denominator is our love of God and the desire to do His work. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions or comments.

The life of Episcopal Church Women (known as the ECW) begins in the local parish and continues through the diocesan, provincial and national levels. Each has its own unique characteristics which enable the mission and ministry of women. Episcopal Church Women are an integral part of the Episcopal Church USA which consists of nine provinces and is a part of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The Diocese of Georgia is in Province IV of the Church. For a history of the ECW, check out the ECWNational.org website.

GEORGIA
Mission, Vision & Role – Centered in congregations, the Episcopal Church Women (ECW) empowers women to do Christ’s ministry in the world.

Vision – Our vision for all women of the Episcopal Church is that we become a vibrant blend of all ages, coming together as a peacemaking, healing part of the Church. We aspire to be a Godspark-shining and sharing the love of Christ.

Role – The Role of the ECW is to: 1. Model and share best practices in Communication, programming, leadership, and governance 2. Develop, support, and inspire leaders at all levels: local; diocesan; provincial; national 3. Represent and build support for ECW in the churches of our Diocese.

If you’re a woman and you’re a member of an Episcopal Church. . . Well, then, you’re automatically a member of Episcopal Church Women! Spanning all ages, ethnic origins, and socioeconomic backgrounds — and every variety of theological, liturgical, and political views — the common denominator of members is the love of God and the wish to do His work. Here, you’ll see a photo of some of the Episcopal Church Women in the Diocese of New Jersey. You’re one of us, even if you’re not in this picture! Read more about us in the most recent edition of our newsletter!
Episcopal Church Women (call us ECW for short) is centered in congregations and empowers women to do Christ’s ministry throughout the world.

We’ve been working together a long time; since 1871, in fact. ECW began as the ‘Women’s Society and Auxiliary’ and we began to publicize our work straightaway through a column in the national Episcopal Church magazine of the time. We began raising money and putting together boxes for Episcopal missionaries around the world shortly thereafter. In 1875, just a few short years after we began, we put together a total of 331 boxes and raised nearly $45,000. That’s over $1,000,000 in 2015 currency!

Several other women’s and girls’ groups are now affiliated with ECW: Daughters of the King in 1885, Girls Friendly Society in 1887, and the Church Periodical Club in 1888.

Throughout the years, in all sorts of ways, women have been coming together and working on behalf of the Episcopal Church, through the parishes, diocese, and province. Read on to see what we’re up to today.

You’ll find far more information on the national ECW website.

Women to Women: 
The Women to Women program assists women by granting seed funds for the development and establishment of projects providing sustainable income, life-styles improvement, and strengthening communities. We give women the tools they need to empower themselves.

Episcopal Church Women Affiliated Organizations
We’re affiliated with a number of important groups that began under the umbrella of ECW and are now independent. Here’s an overview.

• AWEAnglican Women’s Empowerment – A membership movement of Episcopal/Anglican women and girls with a broad diversity of backgrounds, interests, and skills. We work for gender equity and social justice around the world. Seeking to be faithful to the Gospel, AWE gathers and connects women from the Anglican Communion to share resources and opportunities. We develop tools and training material that promote the transformative work of Christ. AWE enables and supports girls from the Anglican Communion to be equipped and empowered as advocates for equality and justice.
• Church Periodical Club A ministry to supply books, magazines, tapes, videos, and computer programs free to those who cannot obtain them and to raise the money to do this. The National Books Fund makes annual grants and responds to requests for books and related materials around the world.
• The Miles of Pennies fund is exclusively used for the book needs of children; grants are made year-round. The Diocese of New Jersey has donated six miles of pennies since 1988!
• The Order of the Daughters of the King is a spiritual sisterhood of women dedicated to a life of prayer, service, and evangelism. We have made a commitment to Jesus as our Savior, and we follow Him as Lord of our lives. Today our membership includes women in the Anglican, Episcopal, Lutheran (ELCA), and Roman Catholic churches.
  Girls’ Friendly Society is An international, not-for-profit organization affiliated with the Episcopal Church for girls and young women. The program is parish-based and open to girls of any race, religion, or nationality between the ages of 5 and 21.GFS provides a support system for developing the whole person through a program of worship, service to others, study, and recreation, designed to empower girls and to help them grow mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually.
• National Altar Guild Association An organization and resource for the parish, diocesan, and provincial altar guild members. What kind of fabric must be used for altar linens? How many candles may be used during the worship service? Must a special plate be used for the communion bread? We are here to provide information and be a resource for altar guilds at all levels.

United Thank Offering (UTO)

The United Thank Offering addresses compelling human needs through grants to projects that alleviate poverty, both domestically and internationally, within provinces, dioceses, and companion dioceses of the Anglican Communion. In the Diocese of New Jersey, the ECW is divided into nine districts. The diocese is a large geographical area, so having local officers and meetings on a district-wide basis allows for more efficiency. Most districts have monthly ECW meetings.

Find out more and become involved Start by finding out if your parish or church has an ECW chapter. Your rector or vicar should know! From there, you can contact the women in your church who are active in ECW and discover what activities, initiatives, and programs they’re currently sponsoring. If your parish doesn’t have an ECW chapter, you might talk with your rector about how to get one started. And ECW members at your district level will be glad to help you. Just below you’ll find a contact for each district as well as a list of the ECW officers for the diocese.

The Episcopal Church Women is a venerable organization having served the Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana for over 125 years. All Episcopal women are considered “members” and are welcome to participate in the many activities available at the local church level and diocesan level. The ECW sponsors many outreach projects and hosts worship, prayer, fellowship, and service activities throughout the year in many different venues.

Who We Are

All Episcopalian women are the ECW. The ECW comprises women of all ages, ethnic origins, and socioeconomic backgrounds in the Episcopal Church – working mothers, homemakers, career women, ordained, lay, single, married, widowed, and divorced. Episcopal Church Women are active in all nine provinces of the Episcopal Church in North and Central America. All are welcome!

Our Vision

As Episcopal Church Women, we are keepers and proclaimers of the Christian faith, bearing the light and hope of Jesus Christ to all. Witnessing for Christ, worshiping together, and celebrating our diversity, we build and strengthen the community. We minister to become faithful stewards of God’s creation.

Our Purpose

The purpose of the ECW is to deepen and nurture the spiritual life of church women in the Diocese of Louisiana through worshiping God, glorifying Christ and presenting Him to the world and enlisting active participation in ministering to people inside and outside the church.

Our Goals

• Listen to the concerns of women throughout the church in order to respond creatively to their needs.
• Become leaders in response to our Baptismal Covenant.
  Build an accepting atmosphere where every woman is welcomed and valued for her individual ministry.
• Work toward mutual respect and equity of service throughout the church as we continue to monitor women’s full participation in the church.
• Develop effective communication linking parish, diocesan, provincial, and national Episcopal Church Women and all women of the Anglican Communion.
• Join and support our sisters ecumenically throughout the world.

Why Participate?

• Spiritual growth
• Focus on mission
• Fellowship
• Education
• Leadership training
• Ecumenical environment
• Social Action and advocacy

The committee enables and enhances the work of all women in their parishes and the Diocese.
This group, with a minimum of five members, disburses income from legacies as directed by the wills, participates as a committee for the United Thank Offering grant process, and heightens the awareness of the ministries of women in the Diocese. Members come from various deaneries, meet at multiple locations and on different days of the week. Travel is part of this ministry. (Contact us if you are interested in becoming a member of this committee.)

ECW stands for Episcopal Church Women, which means all the women in the Episcopal Church. You don’t have to complete a membership form, you don’t have to study, or have a sponsor. If you are 18 years old and above and are a member of an Episcopal Church, then you are part of the Episcopal Church Women.

The Episcopal Church Women originated in 1871 as the Women’s Auxiliary to the Board of Missions. At this point in time, women were not able to serve in the Episcopal Church; the Women’s Auxiliary came about as a way for women to use their gifts in the life and work of the church. The Women’s Auxiliary changed names over the years until the Episcopal Church Women, Episcopal Church, USA, was formed in 1985.

There’s ECW at the parish level, the Diocesan level, and the National level. At the parish level, some ECW’s are structured with officers, and some simply have an EWC Liaison. The Diocesan Board is made up of women from the Diocese, and they hold the positions of President, President-Elect, Secretary, Treasurer, Vice President of Program, Vice President of Information, Church Periodical Club/Diocesan Seminarian Ministry Chair, Missions and Christian Social Relations Chair, Bena Dial Scholarship and College Work Chair, Communications Chair, Altar Guild Chair, and United Thank Offering Chair.

The National ECW consists of 9 Provinces. The Diocese of Upper South Carolina is part of Province IV along with the Dioceses of Alabama, Atlanta, Central Florida, Central Gulf Coast, East Carolina, East Tennessee, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Southeast Florida, Southwest Florida, Tennessee, West Tennessee, and Western North Carolina. The National Board has representatives from the Provinces.

The mission of the Episcopal Church Women is to empower women to do Christ’s ministry in the world. The vision is for all women of the Episcopal Church to become a vibrant blend of all ages, coming together as a peacemaking, healing part of the Church. We aspire to be a Godspark – shining and sharing the love of Christ.

I hope this information helps to let you know a little bit about the ECW. If you want to know more about the Diocesan ECW, please visit our website at http://www.eduscwomen.org and feel free to contact any of the Board members. If you want to know more about the National ECW, please visit their website at http://www.ecwnational.org.

There is strength in a community of women whose relationships with one another are strong. We build those relationships and strengthen them every time we gather together in Community and share with one another.

President
The president presides at the General Meeting, Board Meetings, and meetings of the Executive Committee. She appoints chairs and members of special committees and approves all disbursements by the Treasurer. She is a member of Diocesan Council and may serve on committees as needed or requested. She attends monthly meetings of the Diocesan Council or designates a member of the Executive Committee to represent her. She serves as an ex officio member of all ECW committees except the Nominating Committee. She has oversight of all programs of Episcopal Church Women in the Diocese. She represents ECWLA at annual Provincial ECW gatherings and leads the delegation attending the Triennial ECW Meeting held in conjunction with the General Convention of The Episcopal Church.

Vice President
The Vice President presides in the absence of the President, assists the President in her work, and has responsibility for physical arrangements and reservations for all Board and Diocesan meetings, including the Annual Business Meeting. With the President, she attends annual Provincial ECW gatherings and the Triennial ECW Meeting held in conjunction with the General Convention of The Episcopal Church.

Secretary
The Secretary keeps the minutes of all meetings of the Board, the Executive Committee, and the General Diocesan Meetings. She is responsible for notifying the members of the Board of upcoming meetings, and for all correspondence on behalf of the ECW Board.

Treasurer
The Treasurer has charge of all monies received and disbursed, including the United Thank Offering in-gatherings. She is bonded or insured at the expense of the ECW Board.

Controller
The Controller prepares financial statements for Board meetings and the Annual Diocesan Meeting of Episcopal Church Women. She prepares the annual budget with the assistance of the Treasurer and presents it to the Board for adoption.

United Thank Offering Coordinator
The United Thank Offering (UTO) Coordinator acts as a liaison between the Provincial UTO Representative and the Diocesan Episcopal Church Women, assisting churches and missions in obtaining materials for in-gatherings, and acknowledging monies received via the in-gatherings. She ‘supervises the selection and processing of grant requests initiated in the diocese, and forwards them to the Diocesan Bishop for final selection. She represents ECWLA at annual Provincial ECW gatherings and is a member of the delegation attending the Triennial ECW Meeting held in conjunction with the General Convention of The Episcopal Church. She is bonded or insured at the expense of the Diocesan ECW Board.