Today I drove down to Buckfast Abbey to meet Carolyn Lawrence, who will take over from Alison Judd in August 2016 as Area Officer of the World Federation of Methodist and Uniting Church Women (WFMUCW). More selfie practice, this afternoon in the fragrant lavender gardens!
Carolyn was appointed in January this year, so it seems a long time before she officially gets started, but she is actively engaged in the church and the community within the South Devon Circuit where her husband, Mark, is Superintendent Minister. We talked about a series of seminars which she has devised on issues facing women today – identity, self-esteem, appearance, money, relationships, children, work, addiction, depression, abuse, mid life, later life.
I wonder what would be at the top of your list, or mine, as we face our own situations, for ourselves, for our families, for our friends? Archbishop William Temple once famously said: “The Church is the only institution that exists primarily for the benefit of those who are not its members.” The purpose of the WFMUCW, similarly, is ‘to know Christ and to make him known’.
At Conference last week Steve Wild challenged every Methodist Church in Britain to aim to bring one person to Christ this year. How relevant are our churches, our groups, our meetings, including MWiB, to you and the people who are important to you? This blog is not interactive, but if you would like to comment on that question do feel free to email me on president@mwib.org.uk
Anne
