The official White Cross story begins in 1919 following World War I.  Although that is the official year White Cross as we know it today began, White Cross efforts were in place long before.

It is reported that back in 1827, Mrs. Jonathan Wade, a missionary in Burma, wrote, “if the ladies and little misses in America should follow the example of the good and benevolent ladies of England, in sending out boxes of small articles for the schools, they would be very acceptable and save considerable expenses.”  The ladies and little misses did follow the example of the women of England, for further correspondence from Mrs. Wade tells of supplies which reached her and were put to use.  With these efforts, one could say that this may have been the beginning of a service by American Baptist women to undergird the work of their missionaries.

History also reports that in 1849 American Baptist women organized a system to fill the needs of home missions and “Missionary Boxes” were sent to missionaries in the United States.

It is also recorded that between 1916 and 1918 – American Baptist women worked tirelessly to provide surgical dressings, bandages and other hospital supplies for the Red Cross during World War I.  So as you can see White Cross has been around for a long time.

But it is in April 1919 that Mrs. L. J. P. Bishop and Mrs. C. H. Prescott of Cleveland, Ohio, conceived the idea of channeling the interest, skill and knowledge gained through their Red Cross work into meeting the needs of mission hospitals and schools.  These two women, with the aid of Mrs. C. E. McFarland, of Cincinnati, Ohio, organized a mission society called the White Cross Service League, which was launched at the Annual Meeting of the East Central District in Columbus, Ohio.  And in May of that year, the Woman’s American Baptist Foreign Mission Society better know as International Ministries adopted the White Cross Service program.  In September of the same year we at, National Ministries under our corporate name The Woman’s American Baptist Home Mission Society adopted and recommended that White Cross be a union effort with two divisions, “overland” and “overseas.”

At the April 1919 meeting, the League listed its purpose as follows:

The object of the League is to serve the Mission front as peculiarly and effective as the Red Cross served the Battlefront; to bring cheer and comfort to missionaries, to serve humanity by relieving suffering and want and to aid all evangelical and educational agencies of the Denomination in order that Christ on Calvary may be held up before the world, an aim most significant in view of Christ’s words in John 12:32, “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.”

To this end the women of the churches will knit, sew, gather clothing and buy all kinds of supplies for City Mission Centers, Community Houses, Day Nurseries, Hospitals, Orphanages, Schools and Mission Stations in general.

In 1920 – The first request for help through Overland White Cross comes to support European refugees and Overseas White Cross assignments are made to various districts for providing supplies needed by missionaries and hospitals.

It was in 1941 with the organization of the National Council of American Baptist Women that a structure was put into place and the partnership strengthened with White Cross and with the national woman’s mission societies.

In 1968 White Cross observed a milestone – Approximately 93,000 American Baptists were involved in contributing to White Cross.  Praise God!

So as we look back we can truly understand the need and passion our foremothers had in establishing White Cross.

But where is White Cross today?

Today, White Cross is touching the lives of thousands.  Reaching out across the country and around the world…

Through International Ministries, Overseas White Cross supports the work of our missionaries and our mission partners in 19 countries around the world such as Bulgaria, Cambodia, Dominican Republic of Congo, Haiti, India, the Philippines, and Thailand as they serve in programs of education, evangelism, community service, and medical care.

And

Through National Ministries, Overland White Cross provides important aid to 56 authorized mission sites.  These sites include children’s homes and Christian Center work in Alaska; ministries with Native Americans in Arizona, Nevada, Montana, and Oklahoma; Neighborhood Action Christian Centers in urban areas across the country; Race Track ministries; New Church Plants; Asian and Hispanic ministries with community outreach programs; and churches in Puerto Rico.