At the beginning, women had no voice in the church. The board was exclusively men for many years. However, one woman’s voice was resounded every week. Esther Darnell was the paid soloist who was hired the first year of the church’s formation. She was a well-established performer in Kansas City and also worked as the Supervisor of Music for the Kansas City Public Schools. Esther earned a handsome sum of $1,000 a year at the church in 1921. She had high standards and she wanted a new piano for the Brookside Hall where worship was held until a church could be built. She located a piano that could be rented for $12.50 a month and the rental applied to the purchase price, but the Chairman of the Board said they should tune the old piano and make it work. His word was firm and rarely challenged. At the following board meeting it was reported that those silent “ladies of the church” had agreed to pay the rental and so the board voted to rent the new piano.

In 1936, a woman named Elma Hobson transferred her membership to our church, along with her husband. They had been members at Independence Blvd Christian Church where she taught the Business and Professional Women’s Class. She then began to teach that same class at Country Club. This was in an era when many believed that women shouldn’t teach at all and if they did, they should not teach men. So Elma was out on the cutting edge. Her faith propelled her forward. Elma became the first woman to ever preach a sermon at our church. And she, along with another very strong church leader, Elizabeth Schmidt, were elected as Deacons in 1960.

As we look back on our first 100 years of ministry, we will recall the names of many great men who preached and led our church. But I take great joy in also remembering the labor, love, and leadership of those women who were not always given a formal voice but who embodied God’s spirit in truth and faithfulness to build a strong and vital church.

Grace and Peace,

Carla