Augusta Jane Chapin’s Revolutionary Ministry at Oak Park
When colleges shut their doors to women, Augusta Jane Chapin found another path. In 1864, she broke ground as one of America’s first ordained women ministers.
By 1886, she led Oak Park’s Unity Church, where her bold sermons drew new faces, including Frank Lloyd Wright’s mother Anna.
The two became fast friends as Chapin grew both church size and spirit.
After her ministry, she went on to chair the 1893 World’s Parliament of Religions in Chicago, where she made history as the only woman to lead a session.
The stunning Unity Temple still stands today, its amber skylights illuminating the very space where Chapin once preached her revolutionary ideas.
This Schoolteacher Became a Minister at Age 23
Augusta Jane Chapin loved learning from the start. Born July 16, 1836, in Lakeville, New York, she moved to Michigan at age six.
The oldest of eleven kids, Augusta started school when she was just three. She became a teacher by age 14, working in schools near Lyons and Lansing.
When she tried to attend the University of Michigan, they turned her away several times because she was a woman.
College Years Sparked Her Religious Calling
Augusta enrolled at Olivet College in 1852 when she was 16. She also studied at Michigan Female College.
During college, she felt drawn to Universalism, a religion that believed everyone could be saved. This spiritual connection changed her life path.
Augusta decided to become a Universalist minister, though few women held such jobs. She learned Greek, Latin, French, German, advanced math, and art to prepare.
Her First Sermon Came Before Her Ordination
Augusta gave her first sermon in Portland, Michigan in 1859 at age 23. For the next four years, she traveled around Michigan preaching while teaching school to pay bills.
The Universalist church granted her fellowship in May 1862 after she showed her commitment to religious work.
Augusta said that “from the moment I believed in Universalism, it was a matter of course” that she would preach.
She Joined a Tiny Club of Women Ministers
The Universalist church ordained Augusta on December 7, 1864, in Lansing, Michigan.
This made her one of America’s first ordained women ministers when female clergy barely existed. Only a handful of women ministers worked then.
After ordination, Augusta got her first permanent church position in Bennington, Michigan, where she served from 1864 to 1867.
Augusta Preached Across America for Four Decades
After her first job, Augusta led churches throughout the country.
She served in Mount Pleasant, Iowa (1868), Milwaukee, Wisconsin (1869), and Iowa City, Iowa (1870-73).
She also worked in Allston, Massachusetts (1874), San Francisco and Oregon (1874), and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (1875-76).
Later she moved to Blue Island, Illinois (1876-77), Chicago (1878), and Aurora, Illinois (1878-79). Through her 40-year career, she built a reputation equal to any male minister.
Women’s Rights Found a Champion in Augusta
Beyond church work, Augusta helped start the Association for the Advancement of Women.
She spoke at the first Women’s Congress in New York City in 1873, where she defended women ministers against critics who called female preachers a failed experiment.
She became the first woman to serve on the National Council of the General Convention of Universalists. Throughout her life, she fought for women’s rights.
Frank Lloyd Wright’s Mother Joined Her Oak Park Church
Augusta came to Oak Park Unity Church in 1886, bringing stability to a church that had gone through six pastors in fifteen years.
Her forward-thinking leadership brought in new members, including Anna Jones Wright, mother of future famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright.
People described Augusta as Anna’s longtime friend. Augusta helped the church grow both in numbers and spiritual depth after years of leadership turnover.
Her Oak Park Ministry Created a Progressive Haven
During her six years at Unity Church, Augusta built a thriving community of both Universalists and Unitarians looking for open-minded theology.
This fit perfectly with the Wright family, as Frank’s father had been a Universalist preacher. The Universalist church stood out for its early support of ending slavery and for being the first church group to ordain women.
The open-minded setting Augusta created at Unity Church later shaped Frank Lloyd Wright when he designed his groundbreaking Unity Temple.
She Left Oak Park to Plan a World Religious Event
Augusta stepped down from her Oak Park job in December 1891 to focus on a bigger project: the 1893 World Parliament of Religions in Chicago.
She led the Woman’s Committee for this groundbreaking event, planned as part of the Chicago World’s Fair celebrating 400 years since Columbus arrived in America.
Her committee sent over 3,000 invitations to religious leaders worldwide.
Augusta worked with a 16-member team of Christian and Jewish leaders to organize this first major interfaith gathering.
The Only Woman to Lead a Session at the Parliament
At the World Parliament of Religions from September 11-27, 1893, Augusta made history as the only woman to preside over a session.
She spoke at both the opening and closing ceremonies of this first formal interfaith gathering in American history. During the event, she read a paper written by Antoinette Brown Blackwell about women in ministry.
She also moderated a session where two women spoke. The Parliament brought together 400 representatives from 41 religious traditions for 17 days.
Lombard University Gave Her a First-of-its-Kind Honor
In 1893, Augusta received an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree from Lombard University. This made her the first woman in America to receive this highest academic honor in theology.
The recognition came during the World’s Columbian Exposition, highlighting her achievements before an international audience.
Augusta had previously taught at Lombard University as a non-resident lecturer for several years. This honor topped off her pioneering career that opened doors for generations of women ministers who followed.
Visiting Unity Temple, Illinois
Unity Temple at 875 Lake Street in Oak Park preserves the legacy of Augusta Jane Chapin, one of America’s first ordained women ministers who served here from 1886-1892.
You need advance tickets for all tours through flwright.org or by calling 312. 994.4000.
Choose from guided interior tours weekdays, audio self-guided tours Monday-Saturday, or in-depth Saturday tours that access normally closed Unity House areas.
Children under 12 can’t join tours, but photography is allowed.
This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.
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