Guide to the Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. Board of National Missions Women's Committee Records

In 1923, the Woman's Board (formerly Woman's Executive Committee) of Home Missions merged with seven other missionary boards and agencies of the Presbyterian Church in the USA to create one unified Board of National Missions. Eight members of the Woman's Board were appointed to the Board of National Missions. Responding to the women's concern that their work not be entirely removed from their jurisdiction under the new organization, the Board established these eight female members as the Woman's Committee of the BNM.

The Woman's Committee met for the first time on September 28, 1923. Katharine Bennett, formerly president of the Woman's Board and first Vice-President of the BNM, presided. Mabel M. Sheibly was elected secretary.

The Woman's Committee consulted together "regarding the interests of the women's organizations of the Church and of ways of enlisting further interest." It heard reports from those women officers especially concerned with the work, and it oversaw the missionary activities of the synodicals and presbyterials. It made recommendations to the BNM on issues relating to women's work, and represented the BNM in affiliated women's organizations and committees. The committee met between two and four times annually. In 1948, its name was altered to Women's Committee.

The Boards of Foreign Missions and Christian Education had similar woman's committees, and the three worked together through a Council of Women's Committees in planning all common activities such as joint literature, policies, Biennials and other meetings. This Council was later known as the Woman's Interboard Committee.