The Montserrat diocese of the Anglican Church will be hosting the triennial Mothers Union conference this week.
More than 60 delegates began arriving today for the four-day event which opens on Thursday and runs until April 3.
Expected to attend are representatives from Anguilla, Nevis, St Kitts, St Maarten, Aruba, Antigua, Barbuda and Dominica. They will be joined by representatives from the three local churches on Montserrat. Additionally, The Rt. Rev. Errol Brooks, Bishop of the Diocese of NECA, Archdeacon Franklin Reid and other priests will be in attendance.
The conference will commence with an Opening Service at the Lookout Community Auditorium on Thursday 31st March at 9:00 am. This will be followed by a brief Opening Ceremony which includes a feature address by Alric Taylor, Deputy Governor and Lay Reader in the Parish of St Peter.
Delegates will visit shut in members of the Mothers Union branches on Montserrat. Many of these elderly women will be honoured at the closing church service on Sunday 3rd April at the St James Anglican Church. Mrs Josephine Ponde, the oldest resident on Montserrat, is a member of the Mothers Union.
The Mothers Union is a worldwide Anglican Organization founded in 1876 by Mary Sumner, in the Church of England Parish of Old Alresford, near Winchester. This organization can be found in 81 countries and is recognized with a seat at the United Nations. The Mothers Union Diocesan Council of the North Eastern Caribbean and Aruba (NECA) meets for Conference every 3 years. (The Diocese of NECA consists of Parishes in the islands of Anguilla, Antigua, Aruba, Barbuda, Commonwealth of Dominica, Montserrat, Nevis, Saba, St Eustatius, St Kitts, St Maarten/St Martin and St Bartholomew).
The Mothers Union in Montserrat consists of members from Branches in the three Churches on island, namely, St Peter, St James and St John. The Island Council is the Executive Body in Montserrat and consists of three representatives from each Branch.
The broad vision of the worldwide Mothers Union is of a world where God’s love is shown through loving, respectful, and flourishing relationships. To support this vision, the Aim & Purpose is to: To demonstrate the Christian faith in action by the transformation of communities worldwide through the nurture of the family in its many forms.
The Theme for the 2016 Conference in Montserrat is “A Celebration of Faith”. Topics to be explored include:
Promoting Gift Based Ministry; Developing Strategies to retain and grow membership; Using Technology to Enhance Ministry
In addition to the formal conference activities, delegates will have an opportunity to interact with the Montserrat community through the hosting of Delegates, and an island tour. A concert will also be held on Friday 1st April at the Montserrat Cultural Centre. This concert will feature local talent as well as items from each of the visiting Mothers Union Branches.
