Mary and Martha's Place was established in 1994 by the Reverend Maggie Harney and five other women who were deeply committed to theological education, spiritual growth, and social justice for women. They believed that women need a community where they can reflect on their lives, find their own voices, and articulate their unique feminine spiritual experiences.

As women today face the challenges of child rearing, elder care, careers, social issues and personal relationships, they are hungry for spiritual renewal. They need intellectual nourishment, spiritual sustenance, and rituals that speak to their life experiences.

MMP provides a place where people from different religious backgrounds and perspectives can foster their individual spiritual growth in a context of tolerance, sharing, and understanding. MMP encourages leadership grounded in spiritual values and supports women who seek to transform their homes, neighborhoods, workplaces, churches, and communities.