Celebrating Women's History: Mrs. Florence Stacy Weaver

Mrs. Florence Stacy Weaver | September 1, 1878-November 13, 1974

Mrs. C. C. (Florence Stacy) Weaver was elected as President of the Women’s Missionary Society of the WNC Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South in 1926.  She served in this capacity until 1940, when this body was merged to create the Women’s Society of Christian Service.  Mrs. Weaver was then elected President of the WNC Conference WSCS in October 1940, a position which she held until 1948, when she was elected President Emeritus.

Mrs. Weaver was quite aware of the significance of being President at the time of the merger that created The Methodist Church.  “In the President’s message of the First Annual Meeting of the Conference WSCS in Greensboro in March 1941, Mrs. Weaver [stated] that ‘One of the projects the women have this year is to have no thought of Methodist Protestant, Methodist Episcopal, or Methodist Episcopal, South, for those words do not exist any more.  Since October 1940 we are just Methodist women.’” She went on to state, “As President of this united organization, my heart goes out in gratitude to those who have worked so hard to realize this dream so long cherished in the hearts of Methodist women around the world. In facing our situation today in the Church as a whole, I believe that the women have an unique opportunity and responsibility.” (Louise Wright, Woman’s Society of Christian Service and Wesleyan Service Guild, History 1940-1965, pp. 2, 4)

Florence Stacy Weaver was born in Pineville to the Rev. and Mrs. L. E. Stacy.  She was teaching music when she married the Rev. Dr. C. C. Weaver on June 18, 1902.  Prior to her service as President of the WNC Conference Women’s Missionary Society she served as District Secretary for the Morganton District in 1902 and as Superintendent for Young People’s Work from 1923-26.  Dr. and Mrs. Weaver were instrumental in organizing the Bethlehem Center in Winston-Salem in 1927.  Mrs. Weaver was the first woman to serve on the Trustees of The Children’s Home 1947-53.  She also served on the General Board of Missions of The Methodist Church.  As far as this writer can determine, Mrs. Weaver was the first woman elected from the WNC Conference to serve as a lay delegate to General Conference.  She was elected as a lay delegate to the 1930, 1939, 1944, and 1948 General Conferences and as an alternate lay delegate to the General Conferences in 1934, 1938, and 1940. Mrs. Weaver was honored by Pfeiffer University in 1971 when they awarded her an honorary doctorate degree.

We give thanks for the many years of faithful service and leadership provided by Florence Stacy Weaver!