Three years ago, we were elected as your executive and took over from the LWA executive from Queensland. They had done a wonderful job leading the women’s guilds and fellowships throughout Australia.
The following is a brief rundown of our activities over the past triennium. At present, your LWA Executive consists of five members from Victoria and two Spiritual Counsellors who have been overseeing the activities of the State committees and organising the Convention that was due to be held at the end of September this year.
In planning for convention, we were considering seven proposals, continuing to plan with LCA International Mission and considering their new Projects, all of which are in need of help and financial support; managing questions that come from your guilds; providing financial help to Australian Lutheran College pastoral students; updating the Constitution, and any other day-to-day issues that arose.
The Lutheran Women magazine is a special part of our mission. The wonderful Devotions and Bible Studies we have given to you through this magazine is because our Lord has guided us to find amazing contributors. The Lutheran Women magazine subscriptions continue to grow, especially now that it is available online. This has been a very positive move.
Our Mid-Term LWA Council meeting, with representatives of the State Executives was to be held in Geelong. This is where we seek guidance in Convention planning and discuss many positives and any concerns that each State may have. However, this meeting was postponed twice before we organised four two-hour Zoom (video conferencing) hook-ups over two days from the comfort of our homes, working in with SA and WA time zones.
Due to the urgent need of the ALC Women’s Auxiliary and one of the new International Mission Projects, the Executive Council moved a motion (see below) that the LWA give these two bodies immediate financial support. This motion was seconded and carried.
MOTION: – Lutheran Women of Australia support the Australian Lutheran College Women’s Auxiliary from Lutheran Women of Australia accumulated funds to the value of $10,000 for ongoing maintenance and $15,600 to Malaysia Women’s Care and Counselling Centre for counselling services and staff wages.
We also finalised planning for Convention, the theme BEING Strong in the Lord was chosen, guest speakers and church workers accepted, and we were all looking forward to attending an exciting Convention in Horsham, Victoria. We were delighted with comments received about hosting the Convention in a regional centre instead of the city.
As we looked forward to a wonderful Convention coming closer, COVID continued to be a very real threat, and with travel restrictions and lockdowns highly possible, we decided to make the very hard decision to cancel Convention.
Subsequently a Zoom LWA Council meeting was held and together we made the following decisions on our Proposals. The Proposals adopted were:
PROPOSAL 1: Be it resolved that money from one be transferred into another.
PROPOSAL 3: Be it resolved that the editorial team of Lutheran Women magazine shall consist of the Managing Editor, Editorial Consultant, Production Manager and LWA President equally (Spiritual Advisors acting as consultants) for a term of three years to be reviewed after Convention at the first new committee meeting.
PROPOSAL 4: Be it resolved that Lutheran Women magazine continue to be published on the internet.
PROPOSAL 6: Be it resolved that the LWA support the following Projects for the next triennium.
PNG – Meri Wok Trening
PNG – Birthing Kits
Thailand – Home of Praise
Thailand – Home of Grace
Malaysia – Women’s Care and Counselling Centre
Indonesia – Lutheran Study
Myanmar – Women’s Ministry
Aboriginal Missions – (Aboriginal Ministry South Australia, Far North Queensland Aboriginal Mission and Finke River Mission)
Australian Lutheran World Service
Australian Lutheran College (ALC) – Pastoral Ministry Students Assistance Fund
ALC Women’s Auxiliary
PROPOSAL 7: Be it resolved that an LWWA representative be a member of the LWA Executive Committee to be elected at the LWA Convention in 2021.
However, Proposals 2 and 5 (as per Book of Reports) needed your thoughts and final decisions which, at the time of writing, were still being processed and you will be notified later.
PROPOSAL 2: Be it resolved that the collected offering from the Lutheran Women of Australia Convention for 2021 be given 50% to Australian Lutheran College Women’s Auxiliary and 50% to Malaysia Women’s Care and Counselling Centre.
PROPOSAL 5: Be it resolved that we increase subscriptions to Lutheran Women magazine to $14 per subscriber per year (6 issues), starting in February 2022. Subscriptions to be posted individually.
We wish to thank the ladies who have so willingly accepted their positions on the new Lutheran Women of Australia executive committee from LWSA-NT, including the one representative from WA. We wish these ladies and their Spiritual Counsellors the blessings of working together as a team, encouraging the Ladies Guilds/Fellowships during these uncertain times, all to the glory of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
We would like to thank our LW magazine committee and the State committees, LLL and Church mission representatives who have so willingly worked with us no matter how big or small the request.
In closing, we wish to finally thank our two Spiritual Counsellors, Pastor Chris Raatz and Pastor Ernie Kiss, who have very capably led us over these past three years, a time of many challenges for us to live and work through, by being strong in the Lord knowing that HE is beside us every step of the way.
LWA Executive Committee – Wendy Habel, Irma Dymke, Linda Niewand, Irene Geer, Leonie Hateley.
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