About Us

Who we are 

Presbyterian Women exists to encourage, envision and equip effective ministry among women of the congregations of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, enabling women to: 

• Grow in the knowledge and love of God;
• Care for one another;
• Reach others with the gospel;
• Use their gifts to serve the wider work of the local congregation;
• Support the mission of the wider church in Ireland and across the world.

We encourage each congregation to shape a form of ministry among women which best suits local circumstances, as well as accessing the benefits of the wider denominational network of Presbyterian Women. In every case, groups operate under the authority of the kirk session.

Most congregations in PCI have a Presbyterian Women’s Group. These groups are envisaged as fellowships in which women of all ages and stages are able to come together to grow in their faith through Bible study, prayer, teaching and through growing n community together. 

What we do

Presbyterian Women (as part of the Council for Congregational Life & Witness) supports the development of ministry among women in PCI through the creation of group resources, running women’s conferences and facilitating training events. 

We support the work of the Council for Mission in Ireland by helping to fund the work of deaconesses and deaconesses-in-training, as well as the outreach of South Belfast Friendship House into Sandy Row. Presbyterian Women continues to reach across the world through its funding support of the Council for Global Mission as they send out and fund global mission workers to countries across the world. Each year, PW also selects special projects to support, both at home and overseas, through donations made to our Mission Fund.

What we create 

We are involved in the creation and distribution of a range of resources and materials designed for personal use, and for use within women’s ministry contexts; each year, these are based on our annual theme, which for 2026/27 is ‘Generation to generation’.

Click on the links below to find out more about some of these resources: 

• Inspirations
• Inspire
• Resources
• Social Media

Presbyterian Women Panel

The Presbyterian Women’s Panel, reporting to the Council for Congregational Life and Witness, will oversee the development of strategy and coordination of the work of encouraging, envisioning, equipping and enabling effective ministry among women of the congregations of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland.

We currently have four members of staff, and are supported by a dedicated team of volunteers, including Office Bearers. 

• Ellen Hillen - Panel Convener
• Libby Russell – PW President 2026-27
• Fiona Simpson – Overseas Vice President 2025-27
• Helen Mason – Home Vice President 2026-28

History of PW 

The desire to take the Gospel of Jesus Christ to women and girls of India was the prime motivation for the formation of the first women’s organisation of our Church in 1873. It was called the Female Association for Promoting Christianity Among the Women of the East. It was shortened to the Zenana Association. 

In 1904, the General Assembly, concerned about long working hours for women and girls in the factories and mills, made a recommendation for ‘an agency of fully trained women’s workers’ to be introduced into congregations. This resulted in the formation in 1905 of the Women’s Association for Home Mission, followed by the Deaconess Guild in 1908. The first deaconess was Miss Betty Barclay. 

In 1905 the Presbyterian Women’s Union was formed for fellowship and to hear and discuss lectures on ‘edifying matters’. They quickly saw the need to help girls coming to work in Belfast from the country. In Church House a Bible class was held on Sunday afternoons followed by tea. During the week there were evening classes in cooking, dressmaking, and handcrafts and at lunch time many girls came to make tea and eat their sandwiches. 

By 1971 there had been several name changes and the Presbyterian Women’s Association (PWA) was formed by amalgamating the Women’s Missionary Association, Women’s Home Mission and the Presbyterian Women’s Union. In the same year the Young Women’s Group (YWG) was recognised as part of the PWA by the General Assembly, while still retaining its own identity and having a separate Central Committee. 

In 2000, PWA became involved in the financial support of all missionaries in partnership with the Overseas Board, (now called the Council for Global Mission) through the Mission Fund. 

In 2005, we entered a new financial partnership with Council for Mission in Ireland for supporting deaconesses, also though the Mission Fund.

Presbyterian Women 

In 2008 there was a coming together of PWA and YWG to form Presbyterian Women. This organisation aims to provide an opportunity for women to have fellowship with one another and to seek to win women for Jesus Christ. It also aims to encourage discipleship and to foster support for local and global mission.