Episcopal Press and News
Women's Leadership Training Launched
Episcopal News Service. July 24, 1986 [86163]
NEW YORK (DPS, July 24) -- Province representatives and the Coordinator of Women in Mission and Ministry at the Episcopal Church Center have planned a new Episcopal Church Women program for a volunteer training system. This innovative program is being developed in response to the expressed needs of women throughout the Church. The Episcopal Church Women's network will furnish the personnel and the national church will provide funding.
They hope to generate an inclusive model that will offer training for all women, extending from the national level through provincial and diocesan Episcopal Church Women networks into the local parishes. Biblically-based training will assist women in affirming their gifts and talents for leadership roles in the parish and on every other level of the Church's mission.
When operative, there will be two women trainers in each province working with dioceses and parishes with a goal of broadening and strengthening the Church Women's traditional network and ministry and providing a continuing core of leadership capable of moving into any new field of need.
Meeting at the Alma Mathews House here in late June were Marjorie Burke, Province I; Joyce Hogg, Province II; Doris Attridge, Province III; Barbara Myrick, Province IV; Eileen Witzky, Province V; Sherry Maule, Province VI; Mary Gall Ruark, Province VII; Charlotte Green, Province VIII; Thelma Wilson, Province IX; Jeannie Self, Second vice president, Ann Smith, Coordinator of the Church Center office and Pat Moore, consultant.
The Design Team, consisting of Maule, Hogg, Wilson and Attridge, will meet in November to develop this new program. Training of trainers will begin in early 1987, with teams of two women from each province, with the expectation that this new program for training will be available for use in the provinces and dioceses by Spring of 1987.
While in New York, the team spent time with the United Thank Offering screening committee. The Presiding Bishop, Edmond L. Browning, joined the planning committee for lunch and discussion about the role of the Episcopal Church Women in the life of the Church.