The third and final day (15 June) of CWM’s Annual Members Meeting (AMM) began with morning worship led by Rev. Dr Frin Lewis Smith, a former CWM Trustee and a minister of the United Reformed Church (URC), who spoke about how our theology should always be credible and speak honourably of God for those have suffered unjustly in a broken world. She shared about a common, erroneous mindset among Christians that sowing spiritual labour reaps earthly spiritual reward and blessings from God, and that earthly suffering being a punishment from God. Cautioning that our theology cannot be at the expense of those who are hurting, she emphasized the need for compassion for these victims, since rising to life is connected to living in a wounded world.
Next in the programme was CWM’s Annual General Meeting, where member church delegates unanimously adopted the Directors’ Statements, Auditor’s Report and Audited accounts of the company and its subsidiaries for the financial year ending 31 December 2021, as well as approving the reappointment of auditors of the auditors for the ensuing year.
Following a presentation of the life and work of the CWM Europe region where the AMM is being held, members engaged in a constructive, final plenary session on key findings and issues of discussions for the past two days, and the way forward for CWM’s mission priorities and future AMM. Member church delegates discussed further on The Onesimus Project (TOP), as well as deeper integration of partnership through implementation and execution of the CWM’s new programme strategy, among others.
In addition, the member church delegates received CWM General Secretary Rev. Dr Jooseop Keum’s proposal for the AMM, which aims to develop AMM as a dynamic, spiritual and missional space and community for the partnership of 32 member churches. Besides being held thematically, the AMM will now span four days, to facilitate more profound missiological reflections and dialogue among member church representatives on their respective cultural contexts and contemporary challenges.
Subsequently, CWM gave a farewell to Ms Alison Gibbs, a former Partner-in-Mission (PIM) from United Reformed Church (URC) to United Church of Zambia who served more than three decades as a Headmistress at the Mwenzo Girls School in Nakonde.
Finally, the AMM officially concluded with a Closing Worship and Holy Communion conducted by Rev. Dr. Keum, Rev. Dr Frin, and Rev. Michael Jagessar, Mission Secretary for Europe and Caribbean regions.