Address
to the 35th Diocesan Convention by
Susan
Stokes - ECW
President
 Well, this
is my last year addressing you as ECW President. For those who are
not aware of it, this is a seven-year commitment: 3 yrs as 1st Vice-President;
3 yrs as President and 1 yr as Past President. (I am sure after saying
this that many of you are thinking “Gee, I would like that job!”)
It has been
a privilege to have served the ECW of the Diocese of Southeast Florida,
and I am very pleased that Cynthia Williams from St. Christopher’s
Church in Ft Lauderdale is the in-coming president. She will be installed
as President at our Annual Meeting in May. I know you will love her
as much as I do and that she will do an outstanding job.
I would
like to take the few moments that the ECW is given and respond to some
of the things that are being said about the ECW around the church.
In the past few years I have heard from some that the ECW is not relevant
today or needed or even wanted in the parishes. I would like to respond
to that:
The ECW
formally began in 1871 when the General Convention authorized the Board
of Missions to organize the Women’s Auxiliary to be a part the Board
of Missions. Of course, we all know that even before this formal
start women met to be of service, to pray and support the church. But
in the span of 133 years since this formal start the world has changed
so radically that to compare and contrast would be impractical. Certain
things have, however, stayed constant and relevant to today’s church.
- The women
appointed in 1871 had been charged by General Convention to focus
on Mission, they raised funds for missionaries and many of those
missionaries were women who risked their lives traveling to foreign
places to proclaim the Gospel. You need to keep in mind the time
frame; women at this time were not able to vote, either in the government
or in the life of the church. They existed in a patriarchal society that
still continues today in many places, some of them still in the U.S. They
women were radical women for their time.
- And that
charge given 133 years ago still is felt today in the ECW. I know
that the women in our parishes are doing exactly the same thing now.
One example of this is right here at Bethesda- By-The -Sea. Here
they are raising funds for mission work, some of which will go to
Our Little Roses, in Honduras. I must take a moment to mention Diana
Frade who is the founder of Our Little Roses, past ECW president
of Honduras. She sits on our ECW DIOSEF Board as our chair for Missions,
and makes the ECW as relevant today as it was then. It is women
like Diana and others that make it possible for others to go out
and proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ.
Out of this
awesome start the ECW has grown its mission to include other things
that are of relevance to the women today. Some of these are
- Literacy:
Supporting and creating programs and providing resources.
- Non-violence:
Supporting and creating safe environments where learning and growth
can thrive. Many of these safe places are our after school programs
right here in our own diocese.
- Leadership
Training: Empowering women to discover their own gifts for leadership
so that they can, in turn, use what they believe to make a difference.
- And in
response to the events of September 11th, Interfaith Education and
Outreach
- Our keynote
speaker this year at the Annual Meeting in May 13-14 will be The
Rev. Sandye Wilson who will address the issue of social justice.
Issues particular
to women in the past 133 years have changed some. Women have
been given the right to vote both within the government and the church.
Women are serving the church at every level. A lot of this is very
recent history! But unfortunately many issues remain the same.
- Domestic
violence against women and children
- equal
pay for equal work
- the unique
health concerns distinct from men like heart disease among women, where
it has been discovered that women’s hearts need to be treated differently
then men’s ( to some this is no surprise!) breast cancer that still
plagues us and stress and high blood pressure that is growing at
a alarming rate among women.
- And today
the role of working women and balancing family life is very different
than it was even thirty years ago.
I know some
are thinking well, my life is ok- but we are not called as Christian
women to think about just ourselves and our country. No, we are called
to be global. Women in far too many places are facing issues we can’t
even imagine. Think of what is happening to women in the Sudan, for
example. We need to heed the charge to be mission minded.
So the ECW
is still relevant, still needed in the Church. We will continue to
raise funds (I need to add here that the ECW is not nor has ever
been on the diocesan budget and only shows up as an asset on parish
budgets!) to build churches and to lovingly maintain the ones
where we worship.
Women can
and will address these issues, support one another in faith and fellowship
and be bearers of the Good News of Jesus Christ.
I would
like the women who participate in ECW to please stand up. Would the
women of the Order of Daughters of the King please stand up. These
women pray for you each and every day. Would the women who lovingly
set the altars of our churches please stand up. Would the women who
serve on vestries please stand up. Would all the women clergy please
stand up. Would those women who would like to be a part of any of these
things, but can’t because you work and do not have the time, please stand
up. Would all the rectors who have ECW in their churches please stand
up. Thank you!
Please take
a look at the women in this diocese; these women stand today because
of what has occurred in 133 years. The ECW is relevant today
and will continue to be a shining example of God’s love in this world.
Thank you.
-- Convention
Full Story
-- Resolutions
-- Budget
-- Elected
at Convention
-- Bishop
Frade's Address to Convention
-- Youth
Commission President's Address
-- ECW
President's Address
-- Convention
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