Gathering the Worldwide Family

The Mothers’ Union Worldwide Gathering opened in Durban, South Africa today, Wednesday 30 September, with worship, celebration and a warm welcome to members from across the global fellowship as 150 years of faith in action began a new chapter.

For delegates arriving from different countries, cultures and communities, the opening day was a chance to meet old friends, make new ones and experience the joy of being part of one worldwide family. From traditional songs and chants to line dancing during worship songs, the scale of the worldwide fellowship was clear.

There may be thousands of miles between members, but in Durban everyone was united by a shared faith, a shared calling and a shared sense of belonging. And, after 150 years, there was plenty to celebrate.

The Rt Revd Nkosinathi Ndwandwe, Bishop of Natal, led the opening service, declaring ‘your presence here reminds us we are more than dioceses and provinces; we are a worldwide family in Christ’.

Following the opening service, Maria van Staden, Zonal Trustee for Zone E (Central Africa, Nigeria, South Sudan, Sudan and Southern Africa) and Worldwide President Kathleen Snow shared welcome remarks ahead of Kathleen’s keynote, Arise, Shine – 150 Years of Lighting the Way.

Rather than looking back at every chapter of Mothers’ Union’s history, Kathleen encouraged delegates to remember with gratitude, recognise God’s faithfulness and look ahead with hope.

‘Our mission is still as vital today as it was in 1876,’ Kathleen said. ‘We are a movement not just an organisation. We are continuously evolving, speaking different languages and wearing different dress, but we are one in the Lord.’

The anniversary, she reminded delegates, is not simply a celebration of how far Mothers’ Union has come. It is also an opportunity to ask where God is calling the movement next.

For 150 years, Mothers’ Union members have responded to the needs of their families and communities as society has changed around them. That same willingness to listen, adapt and serve will be important as the worldwide fellowship looks towards its next chapter.

For many delegates, the joy of the opening day was found in the moments between the official programme: meeting someone from another province, reconnecting with a friend, or discovering just how much Mothers’ Union life has in common across very different places.

The 150th anniversary has brought Mothers’ Union’s global nature into focus throughout the year, but gathering together in one place made that fellowship something delegates could see, hear and experience for themselves. There was a sense that this was not simply a conference people had travelled to attend; it was a family gathering.