▁achieve ▁salv ation ▁they ▁needed ▁not ▁just ▁to ▁rep ent ▁personal ▁sin ▁but ▁also ▁work ▁for ▁the ▁moral ▁per fection ▁of ▁society , ▁which ▁meant ▁er adic ating ▁sin ▁in ▁all ▁its ▁forms . ▁Thus , ▁evangel ical ▁converts ▁were ▁leading ▁figures ▁in ▁a ▁variety ▁of ▁ 1 9 th ▁century ▁reform ▁movements . ▁ ▁Cong reg ational ists ▁set ▁up ▁mission ary ▁soci eties ▁to ▁evangel ize ▁the ▁western ▁territory ▁of ▁the ▁northern ▁tier . ▁M embers ▁of ▁these ▁groups ▁acted ▁as ▁apost les ▁for ▁the ▁faith , ▁and ▁also ▁as ▁educ ators ▁and ▁ex ponents ▁of ▁n ort he astern ▁urban ▁culture . ▁The ▁Second ▁Great ▁Aw ak ening ▁served ▁as ▁an ▁" organ izing ▁process " ▁that ▁created ▁" a ▁religious ▁and ▁educational ▁infrastr ucture " ▁across ▁the ▁western ▁front ier ▁that ▁en comp ass ed ▁social ▁networks , ▁a ▁religious ▁journal ism ▁that ▁provided ▁mass ▁communication , ▁and ▁church - related ▁colleg es . ▁Public ation ▁and ▁education ▁soci eties ▁promoted ▁Christian ▁education ; ▁most ▁notable ▁among ▁them ▁was ▁the ▁American ▁Bible ▁Society , ▁founded ▁in ▁ 1 8 1 6 . ▁Women ▁made ▁up ▁a ▁large ▁part ▁of ▁these ▁volunt ary ▁soci eties . ▁The ▁Fem ale ▁Mission ary ▁Society ▁and ▁the ▁Mat ernal ▁Association , ▁both ▁active ▁in ▁Ut ica , ▁NY , ▁were ▁highly ▁organized ▁and ▁finan cially ▁s oph istic ated ▁women ' s ▁organizations ▁responsible ▁for ▁many ▁of ▁the ▁evangel ical ▁converts ▁of ▁the ▁New ▁York ▁front ier . ▁ ▁There ▁were ▁also ▁soci