What is World Day of Prayer?
Origins of WDP | WDP Comes Into Being | WDP-USA Committee Members
WORLD DAY OF PRAYER (WDP) is a worldwide ecumenical movement of Christian women of many faith traditions who come together to observe a common day of prayer each year on the first Friday in March.
Throughout the entire day, we collectively pray all over the world, beginning with the first sunrise and ending at the last sunset. Our prayers follow the sun’s path around the globe.
WDP’s motto is “Informed prayer leads to prayerful action.”
Through World Day of Prayer, women affirm that prayer and action are inseparable and that both have immeasurable influence in the world.
WORLD DAY OF PRAYER:
- is a movement initiated and carried out by women in more than 170 countries and regions.
- is a movement symbolized by an annual day of celebration--the first Friday of March--to which all people are welcome.
- is a movement which brings together women of various races, cultures and traditions in closer fellowship, understanding and action throughout the year.
THROUGH WORLD DAY OF PRAYER WOMEN AROUND THE WORLD:
- affirm their faith in Jesus Christ;
- share their hopes and fears, joys and sorrows, their opportunities and need;
- become aware of the whole world and no longer live in isolation;
- are enriched by the faith experience of Christians from other countries and cultures;
- become aware of their talents and use them in the service of society.
Through World Day of Prayer, women affirm that PRAYER and ACTION are inseparable and that both have immeasurable influence in the world.
What are the Origins of World Day of Prayer?
What is World Day of Prayer? | WDP Comes Into Being | WDP-USA Committee Members
The origins of World Day of Prayer date back to the 19th century when Christian women of the United States and Canada initiated a variety of cooperative activities in support of women's involvement in mission at home and in other parts of the world. These activities related to the following areas:
- CONCERN FOR WOMEN AND CHILDREN -
Women had a strong sense of identification with the needs of women and children and searched out ways to provide appropriate support. In spite of strong resistance from all-male mission boards, in 1861 and the following years, women founded numerous and effective women’s boards for foreign and home missions whereby they could work directly with and for women and children. - THE ROLE OF PRAYER IN MISSION WORK -
Since 1812 women encouraged one another to engage in personal prayer and take leadership in communal prayer within their mission auxiliaries and associations. This emphasis on prayer led to annual days and weeks of prayer. In 1887 Presbyterian women called for a Day of Prayer for Home Missions and Methodist women called for a week of prayer and self-denial for foreign missions. A Baptist Day of Prayer for foreign missions began in 1891. In 1895, a day of corporate intercessions for mission was initiated by the Women’s Auxiliary of the Anglican Church of Canada. - WOMEN HAD A VISION OF CHRISTIAN UNITY -
that was seen as essential to their exercise of mission. By 1897 the women of six denominations formed a joint committee for a united day of prayer for home missions. In 1912 the Woman’s Boards of Foreign Missions called for a united day of prayer for foreign missions. - STUDY WAS EVERYONE'S RESPONSIBILITY -
Following the Ecumenical Missionary Conference in New York City in 1900, women organized an interdenominational Central Committee for United Study that prepared publications, summer conferences, study days and courses so that women could become informed about the lives of women in other parts of the world and could study biblical foundations and vital issues related to mission work. - WOMEN ORGANIZED -
interdenominational structures that were effective and cooperative. For example, in 1908 women founded the Council of Women for Home Missions that took responsibility for joint work with immigrants and other social issues and for preparation of the joint day of prayer. - WOMEN CELEBRATED THEIR COMMITTMENT -
In 1910-1911 women celebrated the 50th Anniversary or Jubilee of women’s missionary activity by organizing a series of speaking engagements across the United States that provided women with a powerful experience of what they had achieved in ecumenical cooperation, in local and global linkage, in prayer and information sharing, and in biblical reflection. All of this had been in the hands of women. Out of this experience many local interdenominational women’s groups were formed. - WOMEN LINKED WORLD PEACE WITH WORLD MISSION -
After the devastation of World War I, women incorporated the conviction that world peace was intrinsically tied to world mission. Therefore, women renewed their efforts for unity.
In Canada, Presbyterian women called together representatives of women’s missionary societies from five denominations in 1918 for united prayer and action. This committee, which now has expanded into the ecumenical Women’s Inter-Church Council of Canada, organized the first national Day of Prayer in Canada on January 9, 1920.
In the United States, the first Friday of Lent was established as a joint day of prayer for missions, beginning on February 20, 1920. Due to the enthusiastic facilitation of local denominational and interdenominational women’s groups, the day of prayer spread rapidly throughout the USA. Canadian women took up the same date in 1922.
World Day of Prayer Comes Into Being
What is World Day of Prayer? | Origins of World Day of Prayer | WDP-USA Committee Members
In the second half of 1926 the women of North America distributed the worship service to many countries and partners in mission. The response worldwide was enthusiastic. By the beginning of 1927 the call to prayer that was issued was for a World Day of Prayer for Missions.
In 1928 this statement came from the World Day of Prayer Committee:
It is with deep gratitude that we recognize the growing power inherent in our World Day of Prayer. The circle of prayer has expanded literally around the world. We have learned the great lesson of praying with, rather than for, our sisters of other races and nations, thus enriching our experience and releasing the power which must be ours if we are to accomplish tasks entrusted to us.
In 1928 during the International Missionary Conference in Jerusalem, women delegates from many countries agreed that worldwide participation would be a bond of unity among women. Helen Kim of Korea was chosen to be the first woman outside of the United States to write the order of worship for the World Day of Prayer in 1930.
In 1930 The Federation of Women’s Board of Foreign Missions of North America co-opted ten women from all over the world as corresponding members. Plans for a world committee for WDP were proposed for 1932, but depressed economic conditions prevented its implementation.
From 1941 to 2005, the coordination of World Day of Prayer within the United States became the responsibility of an interdenominational movement now known as Church Women United. Coordination with other countries was carried out by the Foreign Missions Conference of North America. In 1969 The World Union of Catholic Women’s Organizations decided to change their international day of prayer from March to May in order to take part in the World Day of Prayer.
In 2005, the World Day of Prayer USA Committee was organized to align the USA with more than 170 participating countries in the global ecumenical movement. The WDP USA Committee is now responsible for the preparation of the annual WDP-USA resources and the management of the offering and distribution of funds.
It is from these roots that World Day of Prayer has taken its present shape. World Day of Prayer has moved with women wherever their lives have taken them.
World Day of Prayer USA Committee Members & Staff
What is World Day of Prayer? | Origins of World Day of Prayer | WDP Comes Into Being
| Committee Members | |
| Jane Lee Wolfe | Chair |
| Kay Kopatich | Vice Chair |
| Pamela Cole | Secretary |
| Diane Porter | Treasurer |
| Emily Hansen | Liaison to WDPIC |
| Nirmala Abraham | |
| Marlene J. Chase | |
| Pamela Deitsch | |
| Cheryl Green | |
| Anne Griffis | |
| Susan Jackson Dowd | |
| Paula Lamberg | |
| Katelyn Macrae | |
| Patricia Jones Penn | |
| Julie Tulloch | |
| Staff | |
| Elizabeth Calvin | Executive Director, World Day of Prayer USA Committee |
| Kathleen Clark | Asst. Treasurer |
| Eileen King | Executive Director, WDPIC |
| S. Annette Poitier | Chairperson, WDPIC |