 Daughters of the King
About Daughters of the King
For His Sake
I am but one; But I am one. I cannot do everything, But I can do something. What I can do, I ought to do. What I ought to do, By the grace of God, I will do. Lord, What wilt thou Have me do? Purpose The Daughters of the King is an Order for laywomen of the Episcopal Church and churches with the historic Episcopate, and was organized in 1885. Every Daughter pledges herself to a life-long program of prayer, service and personal evangelism, dedicated to the extension of Christ’s Kingdom and to the strengthening of the spiritual life of her parish. By the reaffirmation of promises made at Confirmation, every Daughter undertakes a Rule of Life, incorporating the Rule of Prayer and the Rule of Service. Chapters are organized within parishes, missions and institutions with the consent of the priest, chaplain or bishop with as few as three communicant women, who serve a three-month training period of membership. Chapters may not raise money in the name of the Order, but rather seek to assist wherever possible with prayer and service.
Daughters are young and old, rich and poor, beautiful and plain, community leaders and mothers, doctors and teachers, secretaries, executives and housewives, sinful and wavering, generous and strong. In short, we are ordinary human beings enabled by God’s grace to do His work. We are women dedicated to serving our Lord and building up His Church. There are more than 10,000 of us in the United States and throughout the world. Yet we have an importance in the work of the Church far beyond our numbers. The emblem of our Order is a silver Greek cross, which members wear at all times. Latin words inscribed on this cross broadly translate, “with lofty heart, mind and spirit uphold the Cross.” The initials, FHS, at the base of the cross remind us that our prayer, service and evangelism are done “for His Sake.”
Study Study is vital to all Daughters’ chapters so that members continue to grow in knowledge and faith, and it is central to chapter meetings. It helps keep us inspired and educated to our work of service and prayer. The more we know and understand the faith, the better we can convey it to others and help them to believe. Prayer Prayer is the foundation upon which Daughters respond to God in service to others. As Daughters, we come to understand we can do more than pray AFTER WE HAVE PRAYED, but we cannot do more UNTIL WE HAVE PRAYED. Prayer is finding Jesus, and being found by Him, speaking and listening in His Presence. As part of her Rule of Prayer, a Daughter prays daily for 1) the spread of Christ’s Kingdom, especially among women and girls; 2) God’s blessing upon members of the Order; and 3) the spiritual growth of the parish in which the chapter is organized. Service Times of prayer to God are followed by times of service to people. We prepare and deliver meals, visit the sick and dying – praying with and for them, assist at healing services, welcome and integrate newcomers into parish life, befriend those shut in and comfort bereaved families. Through our Rule of Service, Daughters vow to: 1) participate regularly in the worship, study and work of the Church; 2) undertake a personal program of evangelism by bringing others to Christ through Baptism and Confirmation; 3) assist the clergy in whatever way possible for the spiritual growth of the parish. Evangelism Evangelism means communicating Christ’s message and His Love in the power of His Holy Spirit. Each Daughter promises to make a conscientious and constant effort to bring others into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ through His Church. We do this in many quiet ways. Our willingness to share the joy of Christian life and fellowship offered in the Church opens new doors to all of us. We find the Order of the Daughters of the King to be a “safe place” in a busy world. A place to take off our masks and be together in Christ’s love. We invite you to join us. Ministry
“The Royal Cross,” the
official magazine of the Order, began in 1891. Sent to every member, the
magazine is published four times a year featuring Daughters’ activities and
ministries throughout the United States and around the world. Organizations The Order, which has its National Office in Atlanta, Georgia, is governed by a national council of 15 elected members and representatives from nine Provincial Assemblies. Daughters of the King cooperates with other Church agencies, including the Anglican Fellowship of Prayer, Bible Readers Fellowship and the Brotherhood of St. Andrew at diocesan and national levels. More recently we have joined with PEWSACTION and Council for women’s Ministry to advance prayer, service and evangelism within the Church. Membership The only requirement for Senior membership in the Order is that a woman be a communicant in good standing of the Episcopal Church or a church with the historic Episcopate. Sometimes a woman says she isn’t “good” enough to become a Daughter of the King. We assure her that goodness has nothing to do with it! We are neither unusually good nor unusually pious. We know it is difficult to follow the way of our Lord, but we also know that our Rule of Life makes it easier. Prospective members test their commitment to Daughters during a three-month training period. Jr. Daughters Junior Daughters of the Order was instituted in 1896, in Washington, D.C. Junior membership includes girls up to twenty years old. Junior Daughters wear a silver cross in the same shape as senior members with the letters “FHS” engraved on it. Like their senior sisters, Junior Daughters are committed to a program of prayer, service, study, evangelism and fellowship “For His Sake.” All these areas provide training for leadership in the devotional life of the parish. Letter to Clergy As Daughters of the King, we believe our task is to live and to express what God wants others to experience: the Good News of Jesus Christ. WE NEED YOUR HELP…through the Sacraments, spiritual direction, encouragement and enthusiasm. (And, we need your interest in forming a chapter in your parish…if you don’t already have one!) Freedom in Christ is contagious – it’s caught as well as taught. Help us serve others in His Name, For His Sale. You are in our prayers daily. Please keep the Order of the Daughters of the King in yours. CONTACT: Kay Harman, 730-1353 |