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At yearly meeting, christian scientists consider relevance of church

By Richard Evans
12 June 2016   |   3:35 am
When Christian Scientists convened at the church’s headquarters in Boston, Massachusetts, recently for their yearly meeting, the burning question they tackled was: can the church...
The Christian Science Board of Directors at a meeting in Boston

The Christian Science Board of Directors at a meeting in Boston

When Christian Scientists convened at the church’s headquarters in Boston, Massachusetts, recently for their yearly meeting, the burning question they tackled was: can the church be relevant today?

Their perspective on this question, as on just about everything else, ran counter to the popular narrative. “There’s a universal hunger for the heartfelt experience of God’s saving power,” said Margaret Rogers, chairwoman of the five-member lay board of directors. “The demand is for a church that is vibrant with unselfish love and actively engaged in authentic Christian healing for humanity.”

For most Christian Scientists, this doesn’t mean better outreach or new ministries and programmes. Rather, it is the drilling down on what they are offering the world, which is the spiritual healing, based on Jesus Christ’s teachings. This is expected to be both humane and effective.

“We pray,” explained another director, Allison W. Phinney, “because prayer aligns us with how things really work. It let’s us see and feel more of the immense good and the divine Love that’s actually here for us and humanity.”

Founded 137 years ago by religious leader, Mary Baker Eddy, the Christian Science Church is a Christian denomination based on the Bible. While relatively small in number, the body has branch churches in more than 60 countries and has had an impact on Christian thought by its insistence that God’s goodness brings not only salvation from sin, but also healing of illnesses and sufferings.

The group’s diversity is seen among some of the new officers announced at the meeting. The new church president is Annu Matthai of Bangalore, India. The new First Reader, who conducts Sunday worship and Wednesday testimony meetings at The Mother Church in Boston, is Louis E. Benjamin of Hillcrest, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, while the new Second Reader is Diane Uttley Marrapodi of Forest Hill, Maryland, USA. Many church members travelled to Boston for Monday’s proceedings, while more followed the meetings online.

The theme of this year’s meeting was “Church: ‘healing and saving the world” and it came from Mary Baker Eddy’s view that Christ Jesus’ original Christianity has deep relevance for the world and its future, and that church must be a practical force for good in daily lives, bringing hope and spiritual progress for humanity. One small symbol of this is the planned renewal of the Christian Science plaza in Boston’s Back Bay. The outdoor spaces surrounding the mother Church will be updated to better benefit the community as an environmentally sustainable oasis in the midst of the city.

A longer-term commitment of the denomination is the publication of The Christian Science Monitor, an international news outlet providing daily and weekly news online and in print. This tries to bring light, rather than heat, to the important issues of the day.

Members at the meeting reported on activities in their regions, as well as provided examples of healing from around the world. Christian Scientists from around the world, including Nigeria, attended this year’s meeting.

Evans is Manager, Christian Science Committees on Publication
Contact: Moji Solanke.
Christian Science Committee on Publication for Nigeria West
NigeriaWest@compub.org

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