Page 17 - Presbyterian Connection – Spring 2021
P. 17

presbyterian.ca
SPRING 2021
By the WMS Executive
The Women’s Missionary Society (WMS) has been a force in mission work for The Presbyterian Church in Canada for over 100 years. The WMS has gone through changes, but throughout the years we have endeavoured to keep our focus on Jesus’ ministry to others.
In recent years, it has been be- come clearer that changes needed to be made. Council has been working on adjusting to the current times and needs. The Glad Tidings magazine has been discontinued and staff re- ductions have been made. We extend our heartfelt thanks to Glad Tidings Editor Colleen Wood and Program Coordinator Alexis McKeown for their years of excellent service with the WMS.
With the COVID-19 pandemic, we have had to adapt very quickly to the fact that council, synodical, presby- terial and auxiliary members could not meet face to face. We have met the challenge by becoming familiar with the Zoom online meeting plat-
form, allowing meetings at all levels with members and friends across Canada.
Here are some examples:
Our biennial council meeting was held online on June 25, 2020.
Synodicals and some presbyterials were able to hold their annual meet- ings, which had been cancelled in April and May 2020 due to COVID-19 restrictions.
The mission auxiliary of New St. James Presbyterian Church in Lon- don, Ont., hosted a Thanksgiving service online with members from other auxiliaries and friends.
West and East Toronto presbyteri- als hosted an online gathering with guest Becky Bauman who, with hus- band Dr. Nick Bauman and their fam- ily, represented the PCC in Nepal.
A WMS-wide online Christmas service was a highlight of the Council Executive with 138 participants.
How have members continued to reach out with so many limits on personal contact? Many resorted to reaching out through email mes- sages, phone calls and cards/notes.
Others found unique ways. St. Paul’s Mission Circle in Simcoe, Ont., or- ganized some 30 Christmas gift bags, which were delivered to senior apartment residences.
To respond to individuals and groups who were not able to meet, and to foster fellowship among members and friends, the “Come To- gether” online series has been organ- ized by the WMS Council Executive with the following upcoming dates and topics:
March 10 Come Together – World Day of Prayer
April 7 Come Together – Easter Worship
May 12 Come Together – Mission Awareness
June 16 Come Together – Fellow- ship and Sharing
To participate, please contact one of the following: Cathy Reid,
President (reidc@rogers.com); Janet Brewer, Past President (janet.brewer@sympatico.ca);
or Sarah Kim, Executive Director (skim@presbyterian.ca).
Dr. Jean Augustine made a special presen- tation during a retreat for women of St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Ottawa.
allow other oppor tunities for us to hear such inspiring people, and also hoping that God will allow members of the congregation to continue to come together to share experiences, to share ourselves, to share God’s love; and finally hoping that God will help all members of the congrega- tion to remember that they are the light of the world, and may this light continue to shine forever for God’s glory.
By Barb Summers, Associate Secretary, Communications Office
Dr. Idara Edem, a member of the Nigerian Presbyterian Church in To- ronto, Ont., is being recognized for an incredible accomplishment: be- coming a neurosurgeon, which may possibly be a first for Black women in Canada. (Research seems to show this is an accomplishment Dr. Edem can lay claim to; the uncertainty is due to a lack of collected racial data on neurosurgeons.)
“The more important question is, why am I first?” Dr. Edem asked. “What are the structural barriers and systemic issues that have prevented others over the years from making this a goal?”
It seems clear that social and fi- nancial barriers in medical educa- tion, combined with a lack of repre- sentation from Black doctors, means many Black students often don’t look at medicine as a viable career option, so they pursue other fields of study. Dr. Edem was one of only three Black students in her medical class at Queen’s University.
“Mentorship and sponsorship are key at this time,” she said. “Due to a lack of representation and support, many Black learners don’t even get to the stage of applying for medical school.”
Dr. Edem hopes more Black and fe- male Canadians join her on the front
Dr. Idara Edem.
lines of health care. She believes in being a role model and hopes her story inspires others. She strives to encourage others by speaking to groups such as the Association of Black Aspiring Physicians, and mentoring colleagues who struggle with the unique challenges of being a Black and/or female surgeon.
“Twenty years down the line, I want to make sure neurosurgeons look more like the patient populations they represent—more diverse and more multicultural.”
Dr. Edem immigrated to Canada when she was 13 years old. She has always been fascinated by the hu- man brain. Once she realized what she wanted to do with her career, she refused to let barriers get in her way. She is now practising in Michigan but hopes to return to Canada as soon as she can.
Connection
WOMEN
PRESBYTERIAN
17
 The Women’s Missionary Society
A Presbyterian
Trailblazer:
Dr. Idara Edem
     Finding Blessing in Diversity in Ottawa
 By Dr. Laurentine Mouchingam Mefire
In November 2020, the regular Women’s Breakfast at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Ottawa, Ont., welcomed the Honourable Dr. Jean Augustine, the first Black woman elected to Parliament. Her par tici- pation reflected our retreat theme of “Finding Blessing in Diversity.” Dr. Augustine is an emblematic and inspiring figure for Canadians at a time when Kamala Harris has be- come the first Black and first Asian woman Vice-President of the United States. Dr. Augustine has held many posts and received many honours, including her service as Minister of State for Multiculturalism and the Status of Women.
The conversation with Dr. Augus- tine was very rich and engaging. It mainly focused on:
1. Role models, inspiring hopes and passions: she revealed to us the women who have been her role models, who have inspired her and given her hope, including her grand-
mother who always encouraged her when she was still a little girl.
2. Black History Month: as the founder of this annual event, she walked us through the history of its creation and provided her thoughts on the potential benefits that the Black Lives Matter movement could bring to it.
3. Women in politics and leader- ship: based on her experiences at the federal cabinet table, it was easy to understand that women bring dif- ferent thoughts and approaches to business and politics and contribute differently to political discussions. Whether to embrace a political ca- reer or not, she recommends that every woman, indeed every person, choose the cause they want to fight for and keep focus on their goal.
After announcing the donation by St. Andrew’s to the George Brown College Jean Augustine Scholar- ship, the conversation ended with a prayer. We thanked God on how it had been a blessing for each mem- ber of the congregation to listen to Dr. Augustine, hoping that God will
 “Dr. Idara is always ready to help and encourage other young adults who look up to her as their role model. Dr. Idara believes in hard work, and for her, with God all things are possible.
As her pastor, building from my interactions and relationship with her, I know her to be a woman of faith who believes in the power of prayers and hard work. Anytime we interact she will say ‘Reverend, please, remember me in your prayers.’ This is so profound for a young professional woman in this era to always trust God. I am not surprised with her achievements. I pray and hope that she will excel in her profession and continue to be a blessing to the church, her family and humanity.”
—The Rev. Augustus Oku is a First Missionary from the Presbyterian Church of Nigeria to The Presbyterian Church in Canada, as well as the Founding Minister and First Minister of the Nigerian Presbyterian Church in Toronto. He currently serves as coordinator of Spiritual Health Therapy and Education at the William Osler Health System facility of Etobicoke General Hospital.












































   15   16   17   18   19