As Australian Church Women (ACW) emerges from two years of lockdowns and other disruptions associated with the coronavirus pandemic, our members are beginning to see some of the more recent changes that have occurred in and to our organisation. Like many other groups, ACW has needed to not only pivot and adapt to a new Covid working environment, but also to continue coping with ongoing generational issues, such as the increasing average age of members, and how this is affecting the operation and structure of our organisation.
One significant change is now becoming apparent, as we approach our annual Fellowship Day event, because the Winifred Kiek Scholarship (WKS) program is no longer hosted by Australian Church Women. This change was made at the 2021 hybrid National Conference (hybrid because we had in-person attendance as well as online participation via Zoom).
The WKS baton has been passed to Churches Together SA, and the scholarship is now known as the Winifred Kiek Memorial Scholarship (WKMS). It is fitting that Churches Together SA is now hosting the scholarship as Rev. Winifred Kiek was a South Australian Congregational Minister, and the trustees of the scholarship fund are all residents of South Australia.
For 56 years, ACW hosted the Winifred Kiek Scholarship and corresponded with the scholars, sometimes for years after they were awarded their scholarship. Many ACW members have been faithful WKS convenors, and they will miss very much this interaction with the scholars, but they can still be involved as ACW is promoting and supporting the new Winifred Kiek Memorial Scholarship.
ACW’s support of the scholarship will continue through our annual Fellowship Day service that is held each July, generally on the last Friday of the month.
This year’s scholar is Miriam Moses of Papua New Guinea. Miriam is an assistant pastor, and she is studying for a Master of Theology.
The theme of the 2022 Fellowship Day service is ‘Trust, Reflect, Rejoice’, and we thank Rev’d Anne Kennedy of the Victorian Unit of ACW for preparing the service. Leading up to this service, which is gazetted for 29 July, there will be an online month of prayers similar in format to the previous two years. Each day, beginning on 1 July, a new prayer will be available on the ACW website until the service day is reached. The prayers have been written by members of the Vic Unit and some ACW friends.
The members of ACW pray that you will be blessed as you join us in this month of prayers during July, and the service that is available from 29 July.
Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
