▁a ▁cru cial ▁aspect ▁in ▁prepar ing ▁a ▁community ▁for ▁rev ival ▁and ▁impro ving ▁their ▁effic acy ▁in ▁conversion . ▁Women ▁also ▁took ▁cru cial ▁roles ▁in ▁the ▁conversion ▁and ▁religious ▁up br ing ing ▁of ▁children . ▁During ▁the ▁period ▁of ▁rev ival , ▁moth ers ▁were ▁seen ▁as ▁the ▁moral ▁and ▁spiritual ▁foundation ▁of ▁the ▁family , ▁and ▁were ▁thus ▁task ed ▁with ▁instruct ing ▁children ▁in ▁matters ▁of ▁religion ▁and ▁eth ics . ▁ ▁The ▁greatest ▁change ▁in ▁women ' s ▁roles ▁stem med ▁from ▁participation ▁in ▁newly ▁formal ized ▁mission ary ▁and ▁reform ▁soci eties . ▁Women ' s ▁prayer ▁groups ▁were ▁an ▁early ▁and ▁soci ally ▁acceptable ▁form ▁of ▁women ' s ▁organization . ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 8 3 0 s , ▁female ▁moral ▁reform ▁soci eties ▁rapidly ▁spread ▁across ▁the ▁North ▁making ▁it ▁the ▁first ▁pre domin antly ▁female ▁social ▁movement . ▁Through ▁women ' s ▁positions ▁in ▁these ▁organizations , ▁women ▁gained ▁influence ▁outside ▁of ▁the ▁private ▁sphere . ▁ ▁Ch anging ▁dem ograph ics ▁of ▁gender ▁also ▁affected ▁religious ▁doctrine . ▁In ▁an ▁effort ▁to ▁give ▁ser m ons ▁that ▁would ▁reson ate ▁with ▁the ▁con greg ation , ▁minister s ▁str essed ▁Christ ' s ▁hum ility ▁and ▁forg iveness , ▁in ▁what ▁the ▁historian ▁Barbara ▁Wel ter ▁calls ▁a ▁" f em in ization " ▁of ▁Christian ity . ▁ ▁Prom inent ▁figures ▁ ▁Richard ▁Allen , ▁founder , ▁African ▁Method ist ▁Epis cop al ▁Church ▁▁ ▁Francis ▁As bury ,