Anglican women make connections in Gleichen

Posted on: Staff Writer

From edition: April 27 2018 Strathmore Times

By Brad Everett Times Contributor

The Right Reverend Sidney Black, indigenous bishop for Treaty 7, addressed the women of the Anglican Church Women Conference in Gleichen on April 21. More than 50 women attended the conference that was held at the St. Andrew’s Anglican Church from April 20-21 for the 127th annual meeting. Manny Everett Photo

The Right Reverend Sidney Black, indigenous bishop for Treaty 7, addressed the women of the Anglican Church Women Conference in Gleichen on April 21. More than 50 women attended the conference that was held at the St. Andrew’s Anglican Church from April 20-21 for the 127th annual meeting.
Manny Everett Photo
More than 50 women gathered at St. Andrew’s Anglican Church in Gleichen for the 127th annual meeting of the Anglican Church Women (ACW) of the Diocese of Calgary, April 20-21.
The theme of the weekend was Connections, which the special guest speaker, the Right Rev. Sidney Black, Indigenous Bishop for Treaty 7, touched on in both his sermons during Saturday morning’s worship service as well as his talk. He encouraged those gathered not to sit back and be content, but to get out in their churches and communities and do the work Jesus has called them to do.
“It was a fabulous weekend,” said Linda Holt, secretary-treasurer of the St. Andrew’s ACW and newly elected second vice-president of the Diocese ACW.
“The weekend was invigorating,” she said. “The messages by Bishop Black as well as the ACW Chaplain Betty Piwowar, encouraged us to reach out not just to those in our group to be a support to each other, but to make connections to those we serve in our church and our communities.”
Judging by the feedback Holt received in terms of evaluation forms and phone calls after the event, many others felt the same.
It was quite the achievement for St. Andrew’s ACW to host this event in the parish’s 132-year-old church, since past hosts had more than five members.
“At the meeting last year, a couple of us were thinking about offering to host, but our president Dianne Brown said we can do this and the rest of our group, Margaret Newton, Brenda Tower and Fran Miller, jumped in and we pulled it together,” said Holt.
At the service on Saturday, Bishop Black presented St. Andrew’s ACW members Newton and Holt with ACW Silver Crosses, which recognized outstanding service in the Calgary Diocese ACW.
The weekend began with a tour of the Blackfoot Crossing interpretive centre, and continued with a business meeting, impromptu hymn sing, good meals, worship and crafts.
The Anglican Diocese of Calgary covers southern Alberta from just north of Red Deer to the U.S. border and includes 72 congregations.