THE INTERNATIONAL DEPARTMENT OF WOMEN
In 1906, a great revival under the auspices of Elder W. J. Seymour started in Los, Angeles, California and swept the western portion of the United States. The news of this revival reached Memphis, Tennessee and Bishop Mason and other ministers of the gospel went and were blessed by God and received the baptism of the Holy Ghost. After receiving this blessing, Bishop Mason made himself an Ambassador of Goodwill. On one of his travels he went to Dermott, Arkansas, a place which must have been predestined by our Heavenly Father, for there he met one Lizzie Woods, matron of the Baptist Academy. Mrs. Woods was a woman of very high standards and had quite an outstanding record of public service as a teacher of the word of God. The team met her and explained their mission. She interested and listened as Bishop opened his mouth and explained the scriptures to her. She answered saying, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” Right then and there, she received the baptism of the Holy Ghost. She visited the convocation which was in session in Pine Bluff, Arkansas where Lillian Brooks, later known as our own Mother Coffey, the singing evangelist gave he the right hand of fellowship and insisted that she should come to the National Convocation in Memphis, Tennessee in the fall.
The work among the women had been started but lacked organization. God had the right woman at the right time, Lizzie Woods, who had accepted the Doctrine of Pentecost and was prepared more than ever to teach the unadulterated word of God. Bishop Mason with the keen insight that God had given him saw that this woman was an organizer, able to inspire and lead. After a short period of time, she was chosen as the General Mother of Women to organize and create a work that would be beneficial to the development of the church. On her first tour she met a minister, one Elder Roberson, whom she later married. Mother came across two groups of women in the church. One group called the prayer band was praying and the other group called the Bible Bad was studying and teaching the Word. She combined the two and named them what we know now as the Prayer and Bible Band.
Mother Roberson’s consideration began with remembering Jer. 9:17-20: Thus, said the Lord of Host, consider ye, and call for the mourning women, that they may come; and send for the cunning women, that they may come. And let them make haste and take up a wailing for us, that our eyes may run with tears, and our eyelids gush out with waters. For a voice of wailing is heard out of Zion, how are we spoiled! We are greatly confounded, because we have forsaken the land, because our dwellings have cast us out. Yet we heard the Word of the Lord, O ye women and let our ears receive the words of His mouth, and teach your daughters wailing and everyone her neighbor’s lamentation.
She strengthened a small group of women, whom she found sewing, called the Daughters of Zion, and organized them and gave them the name Sewing Circle, in remembrance of the great women of Acts 9:36-40.
Now there was in Joppa a certain disciple named Tabitha, which by interpretation is called Dorcas: this woman was full of good work and alms deeds, which she did.
In 1926, during Mother Roberson’s tour through the western states, she met Elder Searcy of Portland, Oregon, who was interested in Foreign Missions. She invited him to attend the Memphis meeting to meet the brethren. This trip resulted in the formation of a Foreign Mission band of which Elder Searcy became Secretary-Treasurer. Elder Searcy did not remain with the movement very long. Mother Roberson asked Bishop Mason to appoint Elder C.G. Brown as secretary of the Home and Foreign Mission board which is still alive and working to date.
During those times of travel, Mother Roberson, and her husband wee working as evangelists, organizing and planting churches. Oftentimes they traveled by foot or by wagon. Finances were extremely limited and very few doors were open to receive them, but they kept moving and serving for the sake of the Gospel.
Mother Roberson’s daughter, Ida Baker moves to Omaha, Nebraska, and later she and Elder Roberson followed, established and church and built their own home. This took Elder Roberson from her side as a traveling companion. She would then choose on of her daughter to accompany her, along with the late Fannie Jackson, Lucinda Bostick, Jessie Strickland, the late Nancy Gamble and Eliza Hollins. The work grew so rapidly that she began a state organization and these women whom she had trained became her first state mothers. Her daughter became her sole traveling companion.
Mother taught the word of God with power. She taught against lodges, exposing their rituals. She was imprisoned, rotten egged, and beaten for this. Her daughter Ida was a gifted singer and cheered the hearts of the people. In their hours made weary from traveling, Ida would break forth with song: “I’m climbing the hills of light, I’m singing along my way. My path is as bright as day I’m seeking a better home.”
Elder Roberson’s health began to fail and soon he was called from labor to reward. Mother’s grief was great, but she proclaimed, “I cannot stop; I must work the work of Him that sent me while it is day, for the night cometh and no mam can work.”
No writer cod do justice with penning the life work of this illustrious woman of God, nor of the numerous deeds of kindness done by her, or the height of esteem in which she was held by thousands of followers.
The day came when hard work and continued traveling took its toll and her weak frame gave way under it. Because of this, she was only able to attend the National Convocations. For five years she battled to regain her strength but kept her programs going through the various state mothers.
Se was greatly interested in the building of our National Headquarters, and with her very efficient daughter as her secretary, she kept her national drives functioning until she knew the building was ready for dedication. She journeyed southward to the 1943 Convocation. She felt that her days were numbered and that she would not make it back home. After reaching Memphis, she took on new strength. She walked through the building to look at the works of her hands and sat in the assembly hall which bears her name. She held conference with her state mothers, revised the constitution, and examined every phase of it for soundness. She sat by the window and admired the large electrical sign. Her daughter had solicited funds to purchase the sign, but the amount wasn’t sufficient, so Mother allocated the balance of the funds needed to purchase the sign which reads today: National Headquarters of the Church of God in Christ.
Mother Roberson ably admonished her daughter on the Women’s Day of the convocation to continue in the Faith, stay out of lodges, and to not engage in politics. She turned to her daughter, Lillian Brooks Coffey, whom she had trained from girlhood and who later became assistant, to courageously lead the women on in the fear of the Lord, stick to the Bible, and not depart from the law of the Lord. She went to her room tire and weary an in a few hours she drew the drapery of the couch about her and fell asleep thus ended the career of one of the greatest organizers among Christian women.
Our then Assistant Mother Coffey, became our General Mother by the appointment of Senior Bishop Mason, the unanimous sanction of the Board of Bishops, Overseers, State Supervisors and the hearty applause and acceptance of the laity.