What does a PP do?
In Mothers’ Union, as in all organisations, we get used to using jargon and abbreviations, and forget to explain to those who are not “in the know”! Part of the challenge this year, as we seek to sow seeds of membership, is to make both members and non-members more aware of who we are and what we do. Here is my attempt to explain a little of what a PP does!
So, what is a PP? It stands for Provincial President, of which there are five in UK and Ireland, and many more around 
the world. I am just starting my second term as PP for Canterbury Province, which stretches from Lincoln and Derby to the Channel Islands, from Land’s End to Dover, and also includes the Diocese in Europe. Luckily I don’ t have day to day responsibility for all those members, but I am there to represent their views and concerns on the central Trustee Board, to support and encourage the 30 dioceses and their Trustees, and to work with them to grow and develop MU where you are.
So far this year, I have been to Swanwick Conference Centre for the first meeting of the new Trustee Board and Worldwide Council, attended my first Audit Committee, first meeting of the UK and Ireland Sub-Group (the new name for the Trustees meeting without the zoned Trustees), and welcomed many members to Coventry for the Commissioning Service on 27th April. The new Board now includes 6 zoned trustees, elected by the whole of worldwide council, but coming from 6 different parts of the world. This presents many exciting opportunities to really understand and work with members from all round the world. If we are truly a worldwide charity, we must include representatives from beyond the UK and Ireland, and give the vast majority of our members, who don’t live in these islands, a voice in the strategy and decision making of the MU.
The whole board will meet twice a year, for a week at a time, and the Sub-group will meet twice to consider matters that only relate to these islands such as marketing strategies, subscriptions, conferences, staffing. It will be interesting to see how this works out in practice, but it should reflect our worldwide nature much more effectively.
It was lovely to see so many members, about 350, from around the Province, at the service in Coventry Cathedral, when the Bishop of Warwick (the Bishop of Coventry is on Sabbatical) recommissioned me, and all the members there reaffirmed their membership promises. I love the way you keep meeting up with old friends in MU, it is one of the things that makes membership so special. Having been a member in 3 dioceses now, I always catch some friends from way back at every gathering.
In the coming three years, I hope to meet many of you at various events. No doubt I’ll bump into some of you at the General Meeting in Bath in June, and I hope I’ll get to visit your dioceses if I haven’t already done so. In the mean time, I am always at the end of an email or phone line if you have any questions, suggestions or concerns.
With my love
Felicity Hawke
01926 857290 felicity.hawke@btinternet.com
Lynne Tembey, Mother’s Union Worldwide President attends the Enthronement as the 105th Archbishop of Canterbury
I feel doubly blessed – as Mothers’ Union Provincial President for the Province of York I attended the consecration of Justin Welby as Bishop of Durham. And now I have been able to represent the four million members of Mothers’ Union, by attending his Enthronement as the 105th Archbishop of Canterbury. It was a wonderful privilege.
On a beautifully sunny spring March afternoon trustees Frida Kazembe (Zambia), Helen Parry (Isle of Man), Sheran Harper (Guyana), Real Kewasis (Kenya) and myself made our way into the magnificent Canterbury Cathedral, where we were pleased to greet another Mothers’ Union central Trustee, Maria Akrofi (Ghana), who attended with her husband.
Anticipation, expectation, excitement, fellowship and joy filled this holy place. The music and the singing was amazing, there was a great sense that something wonderful was about to happen. Two rows ahead of me was the Archbishop’s seat! What an amazing organisation Mothers’ Union is, offering so many opportunities to its members.
From our seats we had a clear view of the West Door, seeing the great processions including: Head Vergers, Chancellors, Church Leaders from other faiths, Clergy, Bishops, Archbishops from around the Anglican Communion. And of course HRH Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall and the leaders of political parties.
The solemnity of the service, the symbolic gestures and Mother’s Union being part of it was incredible. I really felt that God was with us in the service. The Archbishop’s sermon was inspiring, thought provoking and challenging.
Following the service, during tea, I had great opportunities to network with a great number of people, it was so good to hear positive comments from them about the vast amount of outreach work Mother’s Union is involved around the world.
I was introduced to Archbishop Justin and his wife Caroline and the trustees and myself were extra blessed to have a photo opportunity. It was helpful to have the zoned trustees with me because I was introduced to a number of Archbishops from around the Anglican Communion.
I feel deeply humbled and truly blessed by the many wonderful opportunities that have been – and continue to be opened up in my role as Mothers’ Union’s Worldwide President. God certainly blesses us in many ways. It was indeed a great privilege to represent you in Canterbury. Thank you for this wonderful opportunity.
Lynne Tembey
Carol’s Lanzarote Visit
It was wonderful being able to meet some of the Lanzarote members recently. We had lunch together, kindly provided by Sheila Lewis (our Action and Outreach Co-ordinator) where we had time to catch up on Mothers’ Union issues. The new leader, Rosie Barnfather and her husband Fr. Tom gave me a very new challenge…a ride on a camel. I’m happy to report that both Rosie and I managed not to fall off and we were given our ‘Camel Licence’ ! Message from Carol Johnston
I was commissioned by Bishop Geoffrey at The Archdeaconry Synod of Gibraltar on 26th January in Torrevieja, Spain . It was a very moving Eucharist as also my husband Geoff, was licensed as the new Area Dean – So a real family occasion, and it was so lovely that t
here were members of the Torrevieja branch members there to support me.
The previous day I had a very warm welcome from the Torrevieja Branch who came and joined me for a coffee and chat. It was a great joy to speak to members and hear all about their work.
I would like to thank everyone for their love and prayers as I start in my new role.
Carol
Our new Fundraising and Communications Representative
My name is Tonie Chandler. I am married and now live in the Vendee, France, having moved here with my husband Chris in 2009, just after we retired. I have four children, all married, and seven grandchildren. They all live in southern England apart from my eldest son and his family who live near Cape Town, South Africa.
I have always worked in the Care sector, firstly as a nurse, but then moving to Care of the Elderly. My last role was as a Training Manager, training care staff who care for all ages.
I have been a member of the Mothers’ Union since 1979 and have subsequently been Branch Leader at the branches in Rochester where I joined, Bracknell, and Weston-Super-Mare.
We attend parish church of All Saints Vendee, but as this is a very large parish, we only have one service a month in our area. Other Sundays, we meet as a group for ‘Home’church.
When we were in Weston-super-Mare, our church had a link with the church of All Saints, Mbala, Zambia We were privileged to visit our link parish, where I was able to spend some time with the members of The Mothers’Union, and to see the wonderful work that they are doing, particularly with people in the community who are suffering from HIV/Aids and malaria, as well as supporting the children who are orphaned because of these diseases.
I am a Diocesan member of the Diocese in Europe, but without a branch to attend as there are none in the Vendee. I look forward to working as the Fundraising & Communication Rep for the Diocese, and helping to support branches and individuals to grow through regular information and contact.
Archbishop of Canterbury commissions Lynne Tembey as Mothers’ Union’s new Worldwide President.
In a private ceremony held on Monday 3rd December at St. Matthew’s Church, Westminster, UK, Archbishop Rowan Williams commissioned Mrs Lynne Tembey as the new Worldwide President of Mothers’ Union’s four million members worldwide.
Speaking during the service, Archbishop Rowan called Lynne Tembey to a service of obedience to meeting the agenda of the needy, and commended Mothers’ Union’s outgoing president, Rosemary Kempsell, for doing just that during her six years in office.
Lynne, a Mothers’ Union member for the past 33 years, will head up the most culturally diverse Board of Trustees in the organisation’s 136 year history, with six elected trustees from Zambia, Kenya, Ghana, DR Congo, Guyana and Isle of Man joining with nine trustees from the UK and Ireland to form the new Board from January 2013. Elected representative members from Tanzania and Mozambique will sit on advisory committees to the board.
“With a new Board structure that truly reflects the international scope of Mothers’ Union, we will be able to use the experiences we have from all over the world to bring cohesion and focus to our activities right across the organisation.” Said Lynne. “We have a vision of worldwide equality and a desire to see Mothers’ Union grow and flourish so that it will be fully equipped to serve the communities in which we live.”
Speaking during the Mothers’ Union election process earlier this year, Lynne called on all members of Mothers’ Union, to consider how they might bring about this vision of a flourishing, and empowering Mothers’ Union. “We need to make disciples of all ages, encourage entire family membership and support people to grow in faith so they are excited to witness to the gospel of Christ.” 
FAITH & POLICY WATCH
Faith & Policy Watch is our monthly social policy newsletter. Through the newsletter, we highlight social policy issues as they relate to our faith, looking at a whole range of issues from UK Government legislation and developments in the Church, to what’s happening at the international level.
Faith & Policy Watch is a great way for members to keep up to date with social policy activities in other dioceses, as well as the work at Mary Sumner House. Many articles give ideas and suggestions for action and you can use the newsletter to inspire your own social policy work or to support the work of others in prayer. Faith & Policy Watch is available to download on the MU main website- http://www.themothersunion.org/policywatch.aspx
Mothers’ Union’s response to the Bailey Review:
Click on the article in the right hand column “Letting Children be Children” »»
