Dr. Maguerite Thompson (right, sitting) and Mildred Hurlock (also sitting) with fellow past presidents honorees and presenters at gala luncheon
Photo by Nelson A. King
Fenimore Street United Methodist
Church Women celebrate 60 years
Caribbean L BQ ife, March 22–28, 2019 3
By Nelson A. King
The United Methodist Women
(UMW) of Fenimore Street United
Methodist Church in Brooklyn began
celebrating their 60th anniversary
Saturday with a gala luncheon at El
Caribe Country Club on Strickland
Avenue in Brooklyn.
The group says in its souvenir journal
that it “has gone through many
changes since its inception.”
Under the leadership of Dr. Marguerite
Thompson, who served as
president for two terms, the group,
in 1959, began organizing ladies of
color at the church at the corner of
Fenimore Street and Rodgers Avenue
in Brooklyn.
According to the journal, the Rev.
Ward J. Hemenway was pastor of the
church from 1951-1960.
Muriel Johnson, who was very
involved in the church at the time,
attended the first meeting of the
Wesleyan Service Guild, now known
as United Methodist Women, and
became its first vice president.
She also served as church treasurer,
communion steward, administrative
board and Pastor-Parish
Relations (PPR) member, and worked
with the Summer Youth Program,
the journal says. Johnson was also
involved with the March of Dimes and
the Girl Scouts.
“Women, as they joined the church,
became part of the Wesleyan Service
Guild,” the journal says. “They were
mostly professional women from the
wider community.
“They were healthcare professionals,
educators, artists, librarians and
parking violation administrators,” it
adds.
The late Myrtle Peale was the liaison
between Fenimore Street Methodist
Church and Brooklyn’s Medgar
Evers College.
“At that time in our history, there
were many changes taking place in
the community and church, as well
as in the nation,” the journal says.
“The United Methodist Women began
with activities that focused on the
needs of the children of a wider community.
“They were particularly interested
in the cultural development of the
family and community,” it adds.
In order to achieve this goal, the
UMW invited outstanding artistes —
soloists and opera singers — to the
community, according to the journal.
It says Dorsey’s Art Gallery collaborated
with UMW in sponsoring art
shows. Many artistes included Tom
Feelings, John Steptoe and Lavelles
Husband.
The journal says Vivien Godfrey
taught piano music to many children
in the church and community.
“She had a special love for children
and started a children’s choir at the
church,” it says. “The church was a
venue for many piano recitals.”
The journal says Fenimore United
Methodist Women (FUMW) is “known,
throughout the years, for its annual
Silent Supper,” initiated by Thompson
during her tenure as president.
The Silent Supper entails meditation,
music and foods that are mentioned
in the Bible, according to the
journal.
It says 12 churches in the community
have now replicated this service.
The journal also says FUMW was
“a major support system and was
instrumental in the development of
the Weekesville Young Ambassadors
Exchange Program.”
This program was based on the historic
Black Community (Weekesville,
1820 to1840), the journal says.
It says this first ever Exchange Program
of Black Urban Youths (ages 8
-18) to international ports of call, in
the 1970s and 80s, “impacted more
than 2,000 families internationally.
“Youths traveled to England; Paris,
France; Barbados; Bahamas; Panama;
Guyana; and Africa, just to name a
few,” says the journal, adding that
the training workshops and Bon Voyage
receptions were developed in the
Fellowship Hall at Fenimore Street
United Methodist Church. Thompson,
assisted by Mildred Hurlock, was the
founder and director of the program.
Additionally, the journal says
FUMW provides learning activities for
children to become educated about
their cultural heritage.
“The United Methodist Women are
committed to celebrating the accomplishments
of Black men and women,”
it says. “Thus, during the months of
January or February, a cultural event
is held by United Methodist Women
members.”
“We give thanks to Mrs. Dorothy
Wright and Lady Blair who invited
us into the Wesleyan Service Guild,
which became the United Methodist
Women,” says FUMW in the journal.
“They encouraged the work that
we have developed throughout the 60
years, especially support for the Methodist
Home for the Aging in Brooklyn
and the Methodist Hospital in Brooklyn
(Ladies Auxiliary),” it adds.