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General Meeting 2015

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General Meeting & Service 2015

Over 25 members from all over Scotland travelled down to Nottingham for the meeting. The largest group found that the hotel they were originally booked into for the four nights from the evening of Wednesday 24th to the morning of Sunday 27th June was unavailable and we were transferred to the Britannia Hotel. This was further from the railway station and rather awkward to access by road, but it was closer to the Royal Concert Hall where the meeting was held on Friday 26th June.

 

On Thursday evening, services were held in two venues, the diocesan cathedral, Southwell Minster, and St Mary’s Parish Church, Nottingham, since there were too many people to fit in any one church in the diocese of Southwell & Nottingham.  . The majority of the Scottish group travelled by coach to attend the Service of Celebration at Southwell Minster, which started at 7.30pm.

We were welcomed by the Acting Dean, Rev’d Canon Nigel Coates. The service booklet contained a welcoming message from the MU Diocesan President, Lucille Porter and a prayer by Mother Theresa, ‘The fruit of silence is prayer. The fruit of prayer is faith. The fruit of faith is love. The fruit of love is service’. The processional hymn was ‘Tell out my soul’. The Precentor, Rev’d Canon Jaqui Jones led us in the reading concerning Christ’s body and its many parts, said antiphonally.

During the service, Tozer Studios gave two presentations, the first ‘Down to the River to Pray’ (above) and the second, to John Rutter’s ‘For the beauty of the Earth’, (below) received a spontaneous round of applause.

The Right Rev’d Richard Inwood, a former central chaplain who led our Provincial Retreat in 2008, preached. He apologised to those sitting behind the pulpit who could not see him and said that he could not see those in front of him because of the bright sunshine blinding him! He spoke about preparing the way for the Lord.

 

The sung response to the prayers that followed, led by the choir, was ‘Through our lives and by our prayers, your Kingdom come’. The hymns included, ‘Great is thy faithfulness’, ‘Be still for the presence of the Lord’ and finally, ‘Now thank we all our God’. The Minster Chorale was conducted by David Quinn, Organ Scholar. The organist, Simon Hogan, Assistant Director of Music, played magnificently.

After the service Bishop Richard greeted (above left) Past WW President, Rosemary Kempsall and (above right) the Mayors.

 

The next day, over sixteen hundred members poured into the Royal Concert Hall in Nottingham (above) where they were welcomed by the Lord Mayor of Nottingham (below).

The opening service was led by the MU Central Chaplain, Rt Revd Andrew Proud, pictured below, who gave the Reflection.

After giving formal directions re fire safety and telling us to assemble in the ‘Halo Night Club’ outside, the Worldwide President, Lynne Tembey, spoke of her travels to many countries and of her visits to the dioceses in Britain, which included her visit to Scotland and the welcome she had received from members everywhere.

Mosaic Creative – Touching the Cloak

Bill Crooks (above) read the bible passage Luke 8 v 14-56 about the woman with the haemorrhages and Jackie Mouradian, (below) dramatised the story effectively in a monologue, showing the anguish of a woman ostracised by society as unclean. It was a very vivid way of turning ‘Faith into Action’ which is a method used by them to portray the bible and which has been very successfully in their work with self help groups.

Similarly, MU members can reach out into their communities in many ways to show that WE ARE ALIVE.

Midday Prayers preceded the notices, which were given by Reg Bailey CBE, complete with Robin Hood cap and bow and arrow. This was his swansong as he was retiring after 17 years as Chief Executive.

   

After lunch, the Joint Heads of Action and Outreach, Jane Groves (above left) and Nicola Lawrence spoke.

Jane Fearnley-Whittingstall gave the Keynote address ‘From Generation to Generation’. Her reminiscences struck a cord with many present, liberty bodices and the like. She showed how so many things have changed from the 1940s to the present day.

Reg Bailey’s Farewell: Are we nearly there yet? His answer was NO. There is still much to be done. Lynne Tembey referred to the number of Worldwide Presidents he has worked with over the years, several of whom were in the Hall. Lady Christine Eames was the first one, but she was unable to be present.

Lynne Tembey, thanked him for all his work for MU and, made a presentation to Reg. Reg received a standing ovation.

Closing worship was conducted by Rt Rev’d Tony Porter, Bishop of Sherwood. (above) ‘If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ’. 1 Peter 4: 11.

 

Thank you to Jean Hindle for providing her rocollections

 

 

 

If you have any recollections you would like to share, please contact the webmaster.

 

 

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