Mattie Campen is Diocesan “Honored Woman”

by Nancy Tanner
At the 43rd Triennial Meeting of the Episcopal Church Women in Denver, Colorado in July, Mattie Campen was named "Honored Woman."

A communicant of St. James’ Church, Knoxville, Mattie Campen was born in North Carolina on September 18, 1911. She grew up in Nebraska and in 1929, moved to Knoxville where she entered the University of Tennessee and earned her Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees.

In 1935 she married Leo A. Campen, and they had two sons and a daughter. She has eight grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

She has always been active in the church. She taught Church School, was president of the Episcopal Church Women, was the first woman in the Diocese to be elected to the Vestry, and also the first woman Senior Warden, a position she has held three times.

She was ECW President of the East Tennessee District before the creation of the Diocese of East Tennessee. She has been a delegate to the Diocesan Convention and elected to Bishop and Council. She has been to Triennial and has been a deputy to General Convention.

Mattie taught school for 12 years and served as principal for 14 years.

Mattie has helped others her entire life, beginning with the care of her siblings after her mother’s death.

She was very active in St. James’ Helping Hands program which distributes food to the hungry. When she was in her seventies, she singlehandedly started The Cottage Shop. She persuaded people to bring good used clothing to be sold at bargain prices. She sorted and stored the clothes, washed, ironed and priced them. She scheduled volunteers to keep the shop and then worked there for ten years. In addition to its value as a clothing store, the Cottage Shop became a place where the lonely in the neighborhood came for comfort and fellowship which Mattie gave abundantly.

Mattie Campen’s ministry has been to everyone she met, and she exemplifies by her faith and love the good Christian Life. She certainly deserves the title "Honored Woman."

Nancy Tanner is Diocesan ECW President in the Diocese of East Tennessee.