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SUMMER 2021
Connection
WOMEN
Pneumonia Prevention Vests
PRESBYTERIAN
41
A woman in India and her child wearing a pneumonia vest, knitted by members of the Atlantic Mission Society.
By Joan Cho. This article first appeared in the Atlantic Mission Society’s publication,
The Presbyterian Message
Pneumonia prevention vests were first suggested in 1994 by Miriam Barrie while she and her husband, David, were mission volunteers in Malawi.
She saw babies and toddlers ar- riving at the Mulanje Mission Hospi- tal with pneumonia. Because of poor nutrition, they had little resistance to fight infection and many times,
death was the result. Doctors told Miriam that keeping a baby’s back and chest warm was a key factor in prevention.
The February 1994 edition of The Presbyterian Message first carried the pattern for pneumonia prevention vests. The project was embraced with enthusiasm and spread throughout the Atlantic Mission Society (AMS) and to friends across Canada, south to Texas and even east to Europe.
The pattern was printed again in 2004. Now in 2021, pneumonia pre- vention vests are still being knitted
and distributed.
International Ministries has been
providing the AMS with a grant of $500 to help Presbyterials cover mailing costs. As our treasurer, Lil- lianCrawford,hasoftenpointedout, actual mailing costs are much high- er and were basically subsidized by AMS funds.
More than 25 years later, mailing costs continue to soar, both for the mailer and the recipient. Something that was intended as a blessing may now be a problem for those receiv- ing parcels.
What is often forgotten is a point that Miriam made in 1994: “Ma- lawian women also like to knit. Please send along a contribution with your vests, which will be used to supply women’s groups with knitting yarn and needles they often cannot afford to buy.”
In recent years, the AMS Execu- tive has been encouraging knitters to consider the needs of the homeless and disadvantaged in our often-cold Canadian climate. Wise stewardship indicates sending only monetary gifts overseas.
Cathy Reid, Presbyterian Women’s Gath- ering Team Convener
National Presbyterian Women’s Gathering: May 2022
By Cathy Reid, Presbyterian Women’s Gathering Team Convener
Celebrate God.
(Psalm 32:11a, The Message)
The time has come for us to celebrate! The Women’s Missionary Society was disappointed that the National Presbyterian Women’s Gathering in 2020 had to be cancelled due to COVID-19. After more than a year, we are now confident that the next
Norma Raynard receives an Honorary Life Membership Award from the Wom- en’s Missionary Society.
Women’s Gathering can be held in person on May 21–22, 2022, at the Sheraton Parkway Hotel in Rich- mond Hill, Ont.
We will come together to cel- ebrate and praise God for being with us throughout the pandemic, granting us strength and hope, and for teaching us to give thanks in all circumstances.
Scheduled guest speakers include: • Susan Aglukark, Indigenous
singer and advocate
• The Rev. Anna Car ter Florence, Peter Marshall Professor of Preaching at Columbia Theo- logical Seminary
• Jennifer Henry, former Execu- tive Director, KAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives
• The Rev. Amanda Currie, for- mer Moderator of The Presby- terian Church in Canada
I hope you are as excited as I am. At last, we will come together and enjoy each other’s company with-
out social distancing—we can be ourselves once again and greet one another with our “normal” Christian love and fellowship.
Come and sing! Come and celebrate!
The WMS Council Executive in- vites you to mark your calendars now and save the date. Information/ registration booklets will be sent out this September.
To learn more and register for updates, visit presbyterian.ca/gathering-2022.
Honorary Life Membership Award
By Mae Raynard, daughter of Norma Raynard of Lucknow Presbyterian Church in Lucknow, Ont. Adapted from an article that first appeared in the Lucknow Sentinel newspaper.
Norma Raynard, of Lucknow Presbyterian Church and the Women’s Missionary Soci- ety (WMS) in Lucknow, Ont., recently received an Honor- ary Membership to the Mait- land Presbyterial Women’s Missionary Society at their annual meeting, which took place online on Feb. 24, 2021.
The Honorary Membership is a national award given to
members who have shown dedication to the WMS.
Norma was born in Wing- ham, Ont., and grew up with her parents, Cliff and Frances Murray and brother Donald on a farm in West Wawanosh, near St. Helens.
“My mother loved living on the farm with her family, which included her grandfa- ther Murray, Aunt Mary Mur- ray and Uncle Ross Murray,” recounted Norma’s daughter, Mae. “Grandmother Reid and several aunts, uncles and cousins lived close to the Murray farm with many visits back and forth over the years.”
Norma married Bruce
Raynard in 1961 and raised Marian, Glenn, Mae and Brock on the family farm in West Wawanosh. Norma went to Stratford Teachers College and went on to teach at Howick and Purple Grove.
Within the WMS, she has taken on the role of presi- dent, pianist and historian, since becoming a member in 1971. She’s helped organize Presbyterial and Synodical events and led many devo- tions and meetings over the years.
“I enjoyed helping to host Synodical in 2004 at Wing- ham and 2013 in Kincar- dine,” said Norma. “Most recently, in October 2019,
Lucknow WMS hosted the Maitland Presbyterial Fall Rally. This meeting had fel- lowship, worship, prayers and service—the four foun- dations to our WMS purpose. The WMS enjoyed commun- ion, presentation of Messy Church and a lovely lunch- eon.”
Norma is involved in both the church community and the local community, giv- ing her time as a Sunday School teacher, organist and pianist at Erskine Presbyte- rian Church and Lucknow Presbyterian Church, where she was also the music di- rector. She has also been an involved member at Zion
United Church.
Some changes she has
noticed over the years within the WMS is that the num- ber of participants in the local, Presbyterial, Synodi- cal and national levels has decreased while the need for missions in Canada and abroad increases.
“I’ve seen many groups disband over the many years I’ve been involved,” said Norma. “In 1971, we had over 17 groups in our Pres- byterial and now we only have six groups.”
Norma says she plans to continue her involvement with the WMS for as long as she is able.
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