Presbyterian Women (PW), the organisation for women within the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, has launched its theme for 2016/2017 ‘This is the day’, at its Annual Meetings in Belfast.

Held in Assembly Buildings, the meeting opened with the hymn ‘Lord of all hopefulness, Lord of all joy’, and saw PW Overseas Vice President, Jean Farlow, succeed Sandra Stokes as PW President for the forthcoming year.

The Annual Meetings – a second repeated meeting will take place this evening at 7.15pm - attracts over 1500 women from the Presbyterian Church in Ireland’s 465 PW Groups. As women’s fellowships within the Church, PW’s principal aim is to encourage women to become disciples of Christ. Each group across Ireland also seeks ways to actively reach women in its own area for Christ and supports mission at home and overseas.

In coming PW President Jean Farlow, who attends Main Street Presbyterian Church in Garvagh, has been involved in PW for over 40 years. Looking forward to her year in office she said, “I am very much a people person and it has already been a real joy, over the past year as Vice President, to speak at PW Group meetings and PW services. I look forward to sharing my mission experiences and our wonderful theme, This is the Day, with different Groups and PW Services in the year ahead.

“This is a position I never imagined I would find myself in, but God has me here for a purpose and with God’s help I aim to serve Him in this year of opportunity,” she said.

The theme, as Jean explained, is based on Zephaniah 3:5, which says ‘…every new day He does not fail.’ “If we commit our lives to Christ we are assured that He will use all of our days, no matter how difficult, for the good of others, ourselves and ultimately for His Glory.”

Addressing the Annual Meeting, Presbyterian Moderator, Rt. Rev. Dr. Ian McNie brought the greetings of the General Assembly and thanked the outgoing President, Sandra Stokes of Edengrove Presbyterian Church in Ballynahinch, for her hard work. He also thanked the PW Groups up and down the country for their generosity and dedicated contribution to the life of the Church.

Elaine Duncan, the Chief Executive of the Scottish Bible Society was the guest speaker at the Annual Meeting. “Elaine both challenged and inspired us, and I am so pleased she will be giving our seminar today in Assembly buildings. It starts at at 3pm today and all are welcome,” PW Acting General Secretary Charlotte Stevenson said.

Pictured at the Presbyterian Women Annual Meeting in Assembly Buildings are (back row) Presbyterian Moderator, Rt. Rev. Dr. Ian McNie, PW Acting General Secretary Charlotte Stevenson with (seated) Elaine Duncan, the Chief Executive of the Scottish Bible Society, outgoing PW President, Sandra Stokes with incoming President Jean Farlow and Anne McNie.