The Methodist Church in Ireland

MWI FORUM 2008

Ballymena Methodist Church was the setting for the MWI Forum at the end of January.  We were delighted to have representation from 7 of the 8 districts and especially glad to welcome Geraldine Bateman who had travelled from Bandon, Cork to represent Midlands and Southern.  Hazel Loney, MWI President, led the opening devotions from 1 Peter chapter 4 reminding us of our responsibility to “Live as Stewards of Grace”, especially in the work that God has called us to in MWI.  The district officers were then informed about forthcoming MWI events including our Celebration service during Conference in June and our Fellowship Weekend in Glenada Conference Centre in the autumn.

Claudette Kilpatrick, MWI World Mission Secretary updated those present on some news from our Mission partners. Claudette sought approval from the meeting, that a donation of £3,400 be sent to Zambia, to enable a bore hole to be constructed at the Chodart Training Centre, where David and Rhoda Nixon will be returning to again in the early summer.  Another gift of £1,000 will be sent towards the work of the “Container Ministry” in Lurgan.  Everyone present was delighted to agree to these proposals.

We then heard news from around the Districts.  This was presented in a most informative way either as a verbal report or via power point presentations.  It was very encouraging to hear how active MWI groups are throughout the Connexion, but concern was also expressed in some districts where numbers are falling and there is a difficulty in finding women who are willing to serve as District Officers.  Hazel Loney briefly spoke about the MWI Action Plan especially encouraging MWI groups to implement our mission statement “To Know Christ and to make Him known”.  Hazel stressed the importance of bible study as well as fun and fellowship and also how important it is to consider ways of reaching out to women in our communities.

Following a delicious lunch served by the Ballymena ladies, we shared time together in groups of Presidents, Secretaries, Treasurers and District Mission Secretaries.  This was a useful time of encouragement, sharing concerns, asking questions and getting to know one another better.

The day ended with a short reflection and a time of praise.  The next MWI committee will be MWI Central Committee on Thursday 10th April, 2008 in Dublin Central Mission at 10:30am.

Laura Griffith

Down District MWI Missionary Night

Recently, Down District MWI held a missionary night in Seymour Street Methodist Church, Lisburn. The main speakers were Lyne Cleland and Patricia Hamill, President and Secretary of Movilla Abbey MWI. They spoke of their recent visit to Uganda in July 2007 with their church which has an ongoing school building project and orphan programme in partnership with the local church. It was wonderful to learn from their presentation of the many ways that their presence and work was making such a difference to the lives of so many people.

Claudette Kilpatrick, World Mission Secretary for MWI gave us an update on our mission partners in Tonga, Bangladesh, Zambia, Kenya, South Africa and Germany. She also showed a short video of Helen Moorehead’s work in Marimanti, Kenya showing the building work for a new school for the deaf. She now has five pupils enrolled. A retiring offering of £350 was collected for the ongoing work in Kenya and Uganda.

This night was a new venture for the Down District and it is hope to have more such meetings. Mrs Maureen Weir, Down District President, thanked everyone for their support and all who had taken part.

                                                                                                                              Angela Nelson

Midlands & Southern District Conference in Clonakilty

This annual conference took place on Sunday 11th November in Clonakilty.  The guest speaker was Sheelagh Wonnacott, Area President World Federation of Methodist and Uniting Church Women and the theme for the day was ‘Women Making a Difference’. The Morning Service was led by our District President Lorna Shier.  Members of the Cork, Clonakilty and Bandon Branches took part in the service, Sheelagh very ably addressed us in ‘all age worship’ and the sermon. Lunch was at the Quality Hotel and the afternoon sessions were also in a conference room there. During the afternoon with the aid of a power point presentation Sheelagh gave us an insight into the activities of  WFM&UCW, she also explained the significance of the emblems on the Area Banner and reported some highlights of her visit to the Jeju Assembly in Korea.  During the day Sheelagh told us stories of women who by actions and service – in some cases against the odds- have made an impact on the lives of others.

In smaller groups we were invited to share our own experiences, the sharing in some groups was so good that they got together during the break between sessions to hear the rest of the stories.  In the last session each group was asked to do a life size outline of a person on a large piece of paper and write on it the names of people who have made a difference in their lives. Each group were also asked to write a short prayer, these prayers were then read by the group leaders, after each prayer the response ‘O Lord hear my prayer’ ( 908 Mission Praise) was sung.  This brought our Conference to a very meaningful close.  We are very grateful to Sheelagh for her encouragement and for all that she shared with us, our thanks too to her husband David who was the chauffer.

We are planning next year's Conference for Sunday 2nd November.

MWI President’s Project - The Feminine Face of Poverty

It is interesting to note in the OT on several occasions the prophets Isaiah and Amos addressed the women of Israel directly. Isaiah chapters 3and 32 and Amos chapter 4 make interesting reading. What was the prophet Isaiah’s complaint? It was indifference, complacency and self indulgence. The women of Jerusalem were living in comfort and indifference, while all around the face of the poor was being crushed and the nation was in serious spiritual decline. “The plunder from the poor is in your houses” thundered Isaiah and called them to shudder, put on sack cloth, beat their breasts and mourn. Amos was more outspoken when he called them “cows of Bashan, you who oppress the poor and crush the needy, and say to your husbands, bring us some drinks” (he wasn’t very PC).  This was a call to the women folk to have compassion on the oppressed and needy and concern for the serious spiritual decline in their nation. Later the prophet Joel spoke of a time when the spirit would be poured out on all people, men and women alike would prophecy, and this was fulfilled at Pentecost.

As women who know this Spirit’s power we are called to rise up and speak for the crushed and needy and who are more crushed than the trafficked women and children around the globe - two million children every year!   These children, mostly girls, are often raped and brutalized and forced into the sex trade. Traffickers prefer to target the poor, powerless, illiterate and already vulnerable women (eg widowed and divorced) as they are easier to manipulate, more likely to agree to demands, and less able to seek redress on their return. A report from Bangladesh said this, “It should be stated that one of the main reasons for the existence of trafficking these days is the poor socio economic conditions of many people. Trafficking has been said to be the feminine face of poverty.”

I have chosen as my project for these next two years, to link into the Church of Bangladesh Social Programme in raising awareness of Women and Children Trafficking. It is estimated that 20,000 women and children are trafficked from Bangladesh every year, most of them conveyed to India, Pakistan and the Middle East.

This project aims to raise awareness by arranging seminars, producing materials, organising public rallies, school visits and social dramas. The main beneficiary groups will be community development groups, community leaders, religious leaders, union parishad leaders, government officials and CBSDP staff and regional officers will be specially trained to facilitate this. I am grateful to David and Sarah Hall, our mission partners in Bangladesh, for their help with information about this programme.

 This year we celebrated the abolition of slavery and gave thanks for the work of men like Wilberforce, but we are called to serve the present age, and today human trafficking is the third largest source of income for organised crime, exceeded only by arms and drugs trafficking. It is the fastest growing form of international crime, already generating 7 billion dollars per year in criminal proceeds.

David sent me an article which he had written where he referred to a 12 year old girl called Sabina taken to India and forced to work as a prostitute. As he listened to her story he said, “I felt sick, I wanted to cry and wondered at the depth of human sinfulness. But I am reminded that it was for such that Jesus came, to give hope to the hopeless, to set the captives free.” Women and girls are being rescued and rehabilitated and helped, but it takes more than local development programmes to tackle this huge problem, we all have a part to play, in raising our voices and supporting those involved in bringing light and hope. David finished his article with these words, “Amidst the darkness there is hope”.

We dare not be indifferent, complacent or so occupied with ourselves that we ignore these facts.

The hymn writer challenges us with these words,

Rise up women of the truth

Stand and sing to broken hearts

Who can know the healing power

Of our awesome King of love”

                                                                                         Hazel Loney