The Mothers' Union is a Christian organization
 which promotes the well-being of families worldwide

Worldwide information

The Mothers’ Union has over 1,000,000 members in more than 71 countries.

The vast majority of our members live in developing countries.

Mothers’ Union Workers
There are currently 272 Provincial and Diocesan Mothers’ Union Workers around the world and their number increases steadily year by year.

About the MU

How did the Mothers’ Union start?

The Mothers’ Union was started in England in 1876 by Mary Sumner. It now has more than one million members in 70 countries.  We are the largest voluntary worldwide women’s organization with 122,000 members in the UK alone. The Mothers’ Union plays an important role in the religious life and social policies of many countries, with our members committed to supporting the family.

What does the Mothers’ Union do today?

With more than a million members, the Mothers’ Union is the largest Christian women’s organization in the world with a distinctive tradition of personal links and relationships worldwide. United by a common commitment to Christian family life and by the custom of the cycle of midday prayers we are active in our own local communities, in all sorts of ways, fitting our activities to those local priorities and needs.

The Mothers’ Union has been doing work in:

84 prisons; 2 remand centers; 8 young offenders institutes; 48 hospitals;23 Mothers’ Union involvement in child contact centers

The Structure

The trustee body is responsible for the strategic planning of the Mothers’ Union and consists of 22 members, elected by the worldwide council which consists of:

• Diocesan presidents of the 65 British dioceses and the
• 257 dioceses overseas.
• 26 representative members
• 21 provincial presidents worldwide
• Up to four co-opted members

The purpose of the Mothers’ Union is to be especially concerned with all that strengthens and preserves marriage and Christian family life.

The aim of the society is the advancement of the Christian religion in the sphere of marriage and family life. In order to carry out this aim, its objectives are:

• To uphold Christ’s teaching on the nature of marriage and   promote its wider understanding.
• To encourage parents to bring up their children in the faith and life of the Church.
• To maintain a worldwide fellowship of Christians united in prayer, worship and service.
• To promote conditions in society favorable to stable family life and the protection of children.
• To help those whose family life has met with adversity.

Join the Mothers’ Union

Joining the Mothers’ Union is easy. Membership is open to anyone who has been baptized in the name of the Holy Trinity and who supports the aims and objectives of the society.

Joining the Mothers’ Union offers opportunities for:

• Meeting, working and sharing with others
• Demonstrating your commitment to Christian family life
• Becoming involved with projects helping your own community
• Running schemes that provide a resource for your parish
• Campaigning to improve conditions for families
• Exploring and developing your own spirituality
• Coming to retreats and festivals
• Contributing to society’s debate on family issues
• Becoming part of a global fellowship of members linking women around the world

You can get involved in a number of ways. Whether you want to be a member of the MU or if you wish to offer your volunteer work, you can find your local branch through your local parish church. Either way, we hope to be of benefit to you in your life.

Different ways of belonging

The many aspects of the Mothers’ Union mean that people join for different reasons. So we offer three different types of membership:

• Diocesan Membership
  The Mothers’ Union is split into regions known as dioceses. Each diocese has its own activities and officials. Someone who joins as a Diocesan Member will be kept up to date about Mothers’ Union news and what is going on in their diocese. They can choose to volunteer with project work, get involved with events and attend retreats and festivals. Diocesan members can also contribute ideas, run activities and take on official roles.

• Branch Membership
  Over 6000 parish churches has a Mothers’ Union branch. These branches have regular meetings on various themes and with different speakers. The branch may also play an important role in the life of the parish, supporting the clergy in areas such as baptism preparation. Here too members may help at events and activities and volunteer in projects as well as running their own local activities.

• Central Membership
  Those members who support our work and values but do not want to get involved with events or projects are members through Mary Sumner House. Central members receive 2 mailings a year and our quarterly magazine. All members pay an annual subscription but its value varies around the country. It includes both contributions to the central work (the same amount for everyone) and the diocese (which varies by diocese).

For further information on the Mothers’ Union USA, please contact Mazel D. Medley, Provincial President @ (954) 717-3020 or Church of the Atonement, 4401 West Oakland Park Boulevard, Lauderdale Lakes, Fl 33313 or telephone (954) 731-6100.