Page 30 - Presbyterian Connection, Spring 2024

Connection
WOMEN
WMS Celebrates 110 Years
30
PRESBYTERIAN
SPRING 2024
presbyterian.ca
By Sarah Kim,
Women’s Missionary Society
The Women’s Missionary Soci- ety (WMS) is celebrating! For over 110 years, the WMS has been in- volved in mission and has much to rejoice. The WMS gives thanks to God for the timeless purpose “to be involved in local and world mis- sion through prayer, study, service and fellowship.” God has been good! And there are many, many reasons to celebrate!
The year 2024 is an impor- tant milestone in the history of the WMS. On May 15, 1914, at Knox Presbyterian Church, To- ronto, three organizations that had evolved from specific missions united to form the Women’s Mis- sionary Society, Western Division, of The Presbyterian Church in Can- ada. It involved women from Que- bec to British Columbia. In 2004, “Western Division” was dropped
Apostles Renewal Centre in Mis- sissauga, Ont. Then on May 8, the WMS Council will meet, where delegates from across the country will prayerfully brainstorm and en- vision the way forward.
Some program highlights include:
• Worship with guest preach- ers: the Rev. Mary Fontaine (Moderator of General As- sembly) and the Rev. Dr. Dor- cas Gordon (former principal of Knox College)
• A time of looking at the his- tory of the WMS through slide presentations, skits, storytell- ing and speeches
• Guests from India: Dr. Priya John, Director of the Christian Medical Association of India (CMAI) and Shimy Mathew, Secretary, Nurses League, CMAI.
• Susan Aglukark (Inuit singer) • Panel on Women and Mis-
sion, facilitated by the Rev. Dr. Dorcas Gordon. Panelists are Cathy Reid (WMS President, Malawi), the Rev. Marion Bar- clay (AMS Editor, Ghana) and the Rev. Mary Fontaine (Min- ister of Hummingbird Minis- tries, B.C.)
• Mission speakers on Ukraine—Elena Risnyk and Thea van Dixhoorn
For more information about this event, contact Sarah Kim, Executive Director of the WMS, at skim@presbyterian.ca or check the WMS website at wmspcc.ca.
Women gathering for the mailing of “Tidings,” in 1902. PHOTO CREDIT: THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH ARCHIVES
WMS Paris
from the name.
Much is being organized to
make the celebration a time of rejoicing, reflecting and giving thanks. As the theme reflects, this will be a time to “Celebrate God’s Goodness,” thinking of the theme scripture passage from Philippians
1:6, where it says, “I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ.”
On May 6 and 7, 2024, the 110th anniversary celebrations will take place at the Queen of
Auxiliary Member
Celebrates 100th
By Shirley Miller, President, WMS Helen Young Auxiliary
It was party time at Telfer Place Atrium in Paris, Ont., on Decem- ber 9, as relatives and friends cel- ebrated Joyce Bawcutt’s 100th birthday. A band of friends kept the festivities moving by playing many of Joyce’s favourite songs. She even sang.
Joyce has been a member of the Women’s Missionary Soci-
By Gail Carroll
The St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church Women’s Missionary Society (WMS) in Arnprior, Ont., in partnership with Literacy & Evangelism Canada, hosted a mission afternoon to hear from the Rev. Dr. Kuldip Mathew, sen- ior pastor at the Church of Hope in Ferozepur in Punjab, India. The Rev. Kuldip Mathew was visit- ing the Rev. Carey Jo Johnston,
Managing Director for Literacy & Evangelism Canada.
The Rev. Kuldip Mathew high- lighted the Church of Hope’s ministry in church planting and visiting slums. They have start- ed 76 churches in village areas. They hold English as a Second Language classes at the church. They operate the School of Hope, which helps educate, feed and clothe 65 children. They organize
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Joyce Bawcutt at her 100th birthday celebration.
ety (WMS) Helen Young Auxiliary since arriving in Canada from Eng- land in 1956. She and her hus- band, Jack, went into the textile business with Joyce operating The Yarns and Craft store in downtown Paris for many years.
Joyce has been a faithful and valued member of the WMS Aux- iliary—having served as treasurer and pianist, and always willing to take par t in worship and program studies throughout the years. As a mother of four children, she still found time to serve as an elder, a choir member, a Sunday school teacher and Superintendent, and
she wholeheartedly supported Fi- delis Guild, especially at the annual bazaar.
As keeper of the offering for a Wednesday morning Bible Study, Joyce encouraged the women to support the Rev. Margaret Mul- len, Winnipeg Inner City Missions and Place of Hope in Winnipeg. Since Joyce was well versed in yarns and knitting, she eagerly produced most of the 100+ Izzy Dolls for a project initiated by New St. Janes Presbyterian Church mission women in London, Ont., for a preschool children’s centre in Malawi. Izzy Dolls were sent with a mission team to Nicaragua. Joyce also donated items and helped fill personal care bags sewn by two members for ARISE outreach in Toronto.
At the first Presbyterian Wom- en’s Gathering in 2011, Joyce won a prize for the eldest women present! Joyce has been a faithful and enthusiastic suppor ter of mis- sions locally, nationally and inter- nationally, as she follows Jesus in serving others.
Seated around the table are guests from nearby past WMS groups and church members. Pictured (left to right): Marion Neill, Vivian Young, Kathy Deschene, the Rev. Kuldip Mathew, Carey Jo Johnston, Joan Hilliard, Sharon Chomacki and Mary-Lynn McConnachie.
An Afternoon of Mission