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Report to Joint Standing Committee, 2004 from The International Anglican Women’s Network
The International Anglican Women’s Network (IAWN) is pleased to submit this report to the Joint Standing Committee.
New Coordinator
On 16 June 2003 a new coordinator for IAWN was appointed, namely the Rev’d Canon Alice Medcof, who lives in Toronto, Canada. She chairs the Management Committee of IAWN, all of whose members live near Toronto. Many interested people worldwide receive the minutes, and offer comments from time to time. Mrs Phoebe Griswold has kindly consented to be a Patron. The work of the Coordinator Emerita, Mrs Liz Barnes is acknowledged with gratitude.
Networking
IAWN continues to work toward its goal of linking Anglican women worldwide using regular postal services and internet technology. Currently, 12 Provinces (see appendix A) have appointed Link women, and each has a page on the IAWN web site. Go to www.iawn.org and click on Anglican World to access the Province’s page. The web site exists through the generosity of Anglican Internet Services. Our most grateful thanks go to the AIS Web Designer for his time and talent so unstintingly given. We are grateful, too, to the Secretary General, the Reverend Canon John Peterson, for his kind words of support. The value of personal, face to face, conversation cannot be overstated. Whenever link people are together, enthusiasm for the network rises, organizational details can be worked through, and plans for the future proposed. We thank the Episcopal Church Women of ECUSA (www.episcopalchurch.org/ecw) for inviting international guests to its Triennial Meeting in Minneapolis, 2003, and waiving some of the costs. A newsletter, published by the Canadian Link woman, will be sent annually.
The Mothers’ Union (MU)
The MU is the largest Christian Women’s organisation in the world. It exists to share Christ’s love by encouraging, strengthening and supporting marriage and family life. Truly international, the membership has now reached 3 million in 74 countries. MU has special accreditation at the United Nations as a member of the Commission on the Status of Women and is very involved with the campaign to cancel Third World Debt. As founder members of the International Action against Child Poverty Campaign, we are constantly concerned about the under development of women in many countries where we work. The vast majority of MU activity is at grass roots level. In countries where members live with violence, genocide, conflict, war, HIV/AIDS and poverty, MU provides solutions by promoting stable family life. Practical materials produced include resource packs on dealing with violence, media, and drugs awareness, and relationships. Presidents and field workers are empowered to run, or facilitate, development programmes for local communities.
For 128 years the MU has been actively involved in helping to improve family life in all the communities where our members live. For 2004, the International Year of the Family, we have chosen the theme of ‘Building Relationships’.
ECUSA Programmes
Programmes, which address the challenges that women face, are designed and launched wherever there is need, finances permitting. MU does excellent work, as do the women of ECUSA who fund projects through UTO (the United Thank Offering). The individual Anglican woman labours in her own vineyard, meeting her unique challenges with courage and vision, confident in the efficacy of prayer and committed to peace and justice. On 28 November 2003, MU launched "The Living Positively" campaign to help local communities around the world tackle the sensitive issue of HIV/AIDS.
United Nations Commission on the Status of Women
The UN Observer for the Anglican Communion, Archdeacon Taimelalagi Fagamalama Tuatolagaloa-Matalavea, has invited representatives from around the world to assist with the presentations to the UN CSW meeting in March 2004. IAWN will work with MU, which itself has consultative status with ECOSOC, with ecumenical coalitions and with women of faith coalitions, to promote the initiatives of the Beijing Platform for Action.
The World Council of Churches World Day of Prayer service, written by the women of Panama, will be used by women worldwide on 5 March 2004.
The Rev’d Dr Florence Li Tim-Oi
The first woman ordained a priest in the Anglican Communion, the Rev’d Dr Florence Li Tim-Oi, is remembered by many. ECUSA, at its Convention in 2003, approved the inclusion of her name in the ECUSA Church Calendar for a trial period of 3 years. Canada has begun the process of including her name in the Canadian Church Calendar. (The Canadian Propers are noted in appendix B). The Li Tim-Oi Foundation, Bristol, England, distributes bursaries to women of the Two-Thirds World who wish to train for leadership positions in the Church. As well, her memory will be kept alive in Renison College, the Anglican College of the University of Waterloo in Canada, with the establishment of the Reverend Dr. Florence Li Tim-Oi Reading Room and Archives. www.renison.uwaterloo.ca
The IAWN thanks the Anglican Consultative Council for including it in the roster of networks.
Respectfully submitted,
The Reverend Canon Alice Medcof,
Coordinator of the International Anglican Women’s Network
Appendix A
Provinces which have appointed a Link woman to IAWN
PROVINCE IAWN LINK
Australia Ann Skamp
Canada Alice Medcof pro tem
Central Africa Ruth Bakare
Indian Ocean Maud Patten
North India Jyotsna Patro
Papua New Guinea Jeannette Oala
Philippines Deacon Gloria Mapangdol
Scotland Charmian Paterson
Southern Africa Thandiwe Xundu
Tanzania Pauline Baji
Uganda Jolly Babirukamu pro tem
USA The Revd Margaret Rose
There is unqualified enthusiasm for IAWN. In the words of the Link from Tanzania
"Let us work together for women’s empowerment
through Christ-centered teaching and social projects"
Appendix B
With reference to Cape Town 1993 Resolution 21 – Calendar Revision, the following Propers have been written.
Propers for Li Tim-Oi for the Canadian Church Calendar
Collect
Loving God, giver of all good gifts, fill us with your grace, that we, like your servant Li Tim-Oi, first woman to be ordained an Anglican priest, may entrust you with our destiny. May we, with her same forbearance in the face of adversity, witness to you in all things; through Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Prayer over the Gifts
God of mercy, accept all we offer you this day. May we, who celebrate this Eucharist, be constant in our service to you and to each other, as we follow Jesus Christ, the One in whom we have our life. Amen.
Prayer after Communion
Gracious God, you gather us to be your holy people, the body of Christ in the world.
Increase in us the virtues of patience and devotion that, like Li Tim-Oi, we may live always in your radiance. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
For information about Li Tim-Oi see www.litim-oi.org
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