All Methodist women who agree with the Mission Statement “To know Christ and to make Him known” and aims of Methodist Women in Ireland are members of the organisation.
At the Conference of the Methodist Church in Ireland in July 1972 a new women’s organisation known as the Methodist Women’s Association was formed. It was brought about, after much thought, discussion and prayer, by a working party set up by the Women’s Department of the Irish Auxiliary to the Methodist Missionary Society, and brought together the Women’s Department, Young Women’s Groups, Women’s Fellowships and other existing groups.
Over 25 years later, in 1998, another Working Party was set up at the request of the Central Committees of the Methodist Women’s Association and the Young Women’s Association of MWA to address shared concerns.
In order to open the discussion widely a questionnaire was made available to all women within Methodism. The results from that questionnaire/survey confirmed a desire for:
- A women’s organisation with flexibility to accommodate a variety of situations in which friendship and fellowship are seen as key factors;
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A uniting of MWA and YWA;
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Maintenance of the strong link with the World Church, together with an involvement in local community needs.
A one-day workshop ‘Exploring Possibilities’ was held for MWA and YWA Central Committees together, led by an external facilitator to help us look at our situation in a new way. This workshop was then replicated around the districts to give a wider participation in discussion. All districts in the north held workshops, and smaller groups met for discussion in the south.
Following further feedback from the Districts, a proposal was drawn up and presented as a Notice of Motion at Conference 2001 and ratified at Conference 2002, coming into being at Conference 2003. Thus Methodist Women in Ireland was formed!
This Notice of Motion, now in the Manual of Laws of the Methodist Church in Ireland, allows for flexibility within structure. The structure at Central and District level is governed by the Manual of Laws. While adhering to the Mission Statement and aims of MWI this flexibility at local level allows a freedom to cater for the very diverse situations throughout the connexion, north and south, east and west, urban and rural.
