New Around the Mission

Women Find Support and Begin Serving Through Women’s Guild and Mother’s Union

June 29, 2011

In a special service on Sunday, June 5, Bishop John Miller enrolled five mothers of Holy Trinity Anglican Church in Austell, Georgia, into the Women’s Guild and Mother’s Union. Dressed in matching blue and white garb, the candidates stood side by side as President of the Mother’s Union Mrs. Grace Onyirimba presented them to the Bishop and they pledged steadfastness as followers of Christ. The candidates received a certificate of admission and enrollment, as well as a Mother’s Union pin.

Concern for the family sparked the women’s desire to become members not only of a sociable and charitable fellowship, but a group dedicated to strengthening women as they oversee their children’s physical and spiritual wellbeing. Most of Holy Trinity’s women hail from Nigeria where the church and family are traditionally united—but in American society, many families “are going out of the Bible way and the church way.”

“A lot of women from my country are going through divorces,” Grace explains. “We want to motivate them to go into Christ. If you draw them closer to God, they will be able to pray, and there’s nobody that gives you the kind of peace that God gives.”

Before their enrollment, the women went through a month of rigorous preparations—studying scriptures related to family and marriage, helping the needy and doing outreach in the community. In fact, each woman invited five couples to the service, drawing many first-time guests. Five more women enrolled that Sunday.

As members, the women meet once a month for a meal and Bible study, and pray and fast twice a month for their husbands and children. They raise money and provide food for church members who’ve had a death in the family. They also provide childcare for mothers who are sick and need to go to the doctor.

The group addresses spiritual concerns as well. They recently visited a woman who hadn’t attended church in almost three months.

“She opened the door and asked, ‘Why are you guys here?’” Grace reports. “We said, ‘We’ve missed you and haven’t seen you in church.’ She actually opened up with what she was going through, and we read some verses, prayed and cried together. That Sunday she came back to church.”

As they live out their biblical mandate as wives and mothers, Grace believes the community will take notice.

“I pray that it brings more women into the church and to know Christ,” she says.

To learn more, e-mail Holy Trinity.

Posted By: Cynthia P. Brust
Categories: Discipleship