One of the most under-researched areas of Free Methodist women’s history is the Free Methodist Deaconess Order. I have not been able to confirm an end date for the order. Still, it was approved by the 1907 General Conference. It was in place well into the late twentieth century (if anyone knows when the order ended I would love to hear from you). Motivation for Establishing the Order Established to counter what was seen as a rising Catholic threat, the Free Methodist Church and other Protestant denominations began deaconess orders in the mid to late nineteenth century to provide a … Continue reading The History of the Free Methodist Deaconess Order