Grace Huck from Dakotas UMC on Vimeo.

March is Women's History Month. The Dakotas Conference is proud to honor Reverend Grace Huck. Reverend Huck is one of the first women to become a full member of an Annual Conference in The United Methodist Church. Huck is a true pioneer who served churches throughout the Dakotas Conference and as a missionary in the Philippines.

On May 4, 1956, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the General Conference of the Methodist Church approved full clergy rights for women. In 1968, when the United Methodist Church was formed from the Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church, Methodist women clergy were afforded the right of full connection.

Over 10,000 women serve as United Methodist clergy at all levels, from bishops to local pastors. As of 2012, 16 women actively serve as bishops. The United Methodist Clergywomen Retention Survey, conducted in 2010-12, was co-sponsored by the Anna Howard Shaw Center at Boston University School of Theology and the Clergy Lifelong Learning office of the United Methodist Board of Higher Education and Ministry. Of the more than 10,300 active and retired women clergy in the United States, 1,906 women participated in the survey. Among the key findings:

Women clergy serving local congregations have increased by 20 percent to 30 percent in all five U.S. jurisdictions. In each region, 95 percent or more of clergywomen are appointed to local churches, either as senior or associate or assistant pastors.

• The most dramatic jump in women serving local church appointments has been among African-American women (from 59 percent 20 years ago to 98 percent of those surveyed). Asian and Asian-American clergywomen serving congregations increased from 65 percent to nearly 100 percent of those participating in the survey.

• White clergywomen and racial-ethnic clergywomen leave and later return to local church ministry at about the same rate (17.8 percent versus 17.4 percent), and the rates are similar regardless of the marital status of a clergywomen.

• The No. 1 reason women leave local church ministry is to pursue extension ministry (beyond the local church); 22 percent cited that reason for leaving.

• The number of women clergy citing “lack of support from the hierarchical system” as their reason for leaving actually increased. The number of racial-ethnic women citing this reason rose from 27 percent 20 years ago to 44 percent in this research.

Reverend Grace Huck served in several rural, isolated churches throughout the Dakotas Conference.  She had to deal with isolation. There were times throughout her ministry that she did not receive an appointment and struggled financially. Huck served the churches of Fort Rice, ND; Velva / Voltaire / Benedict, ND; Juanita / Grace City / Sutton, ND; Spearfish, SD; Fargo First, ND; Hope / Finley, ND; Faith / Marcus, SD; Cresbard / Northville, SD.  In retirement she served the churches of Claremont / Hecla, SD and Camp Crook / Buffalo, SD.

Like several women clergy members Huck also served as a missionary. She travelled to the Philippines were she taught and became the Dean of Students at Harris Memorial College. Harris prepares deaconesses to serve the church in the Philippines. The college has been honored and grateful for the work of Reverend Huck. They recently named a building after her, Grace Huck Hall.  Reverend Huck is fond of Harris Memorial College. She has donated financially to purchase land and continues to donate funds for scholarships and support of women today.

Reverend Huck wrote a book about her life. God’s Amazing Grace chronicles her life experiences and benchmarks. She was a true pioneer in many senses of the word. She grew up on the open plains and attended a one-room school. Huck served as one the first female clergy in country churches withless than 20 members and a large urban church with over 1,000 members. She travelled to the Philippines as a missionary, college professor and Christian educator.

Grace will turn 100 in June of 2016. She continues to remain active in the church. Reverend Huck faithfully gives to her local church, the conference foundation and various other missions. She is always willing and ready to give the Bishop advice. Reverend Grace Huck has blessed the Dakotas Conference and The United Methodist Church.

Grace Huck from Dakotas UMC on Vimeo.