Mothers’ Union members from Zambia and across the Province of the Church of Central Africa played a significant part in ensuring delegates such as Archbishop Justin Welby and Worldwide President of Mothers’ Union, Lynne Tembey, were welcomed to the Anglican Consultative Council meetings in Lusaka.
But there’s more to the 12,000-strong membership in this central African province than their joyful singing and dancing. Working within churches across Zambia trained Mothers’ Union facilitators are tackling issues of gender-based violence and facilitating groups to overcome community poverty and grow church membership. The work of the organisation across the world has been hailed by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, this year as “utterly the opposite of everything that it is caricatured to be in [the UK]. It is wonderful and joyful and effective and transforming and evangelistic and everything that is a delight in our lives and makes such a difference around the world in the churches in which it works”.
In a service of Thanksgiving this week to mark the 80th anniversary of Mothers’ Union in Zambia, the First Lady, Esther Lungu, joined a three-mile walk of witness through Lusaka’s streets and spoke with passion about gender-based violence issues in the country, supporting Mothers’ Union’s advocacy work. She watched as Worldwide President of Mothers’ Union, Lynne Tembey welcomed fifty new members into the organisation.
Lynne Tembey will continue on a short tour of Zambia and Zimbabwe visiting Mothers’ Union’s church community mobilisation work. These Bible-led groups are mapping needs in communities, and working together to solve communal problems. Mothers’ Union has twenty active groups across Zambia today impacting around 400 families a year, bringing hope and overcoming poverty.
“It has been a great joy to see the love and respect our membership and work command amongst people across the communion,” said Lynne.
Following visits to Mothers’ Union programme work, Lynne will rejoin the Archbishop of Canterbury and Mrs Caroline Welby, a member of Mothers’ Union, for a service in Harare, Zimbabwe.