The next World Assembly of the World Federation of Methodist and Uniting Church Women will take place at Loughborough University in Leicestershire between July 14th and 21st. Its president is Mrs Khushnud Azariab, from Pakistan.
Several Irish women are planning to be present. Dr Edith Loan of Dun Laoghaire is the president emerita of the federation, and Mrs Pamela Klitncke is the Britain and Ireland area president and editor of the federation newsletter, Tree of Life.
Some of the Bible studies will be led by the Rev Dr Heather Morris of Belfast.
Prior to the world assembly the Helen Kim Memorial Scholarship will provide a course in leadership for two younger women (between 18 and 30) from each of the nine areas. One of those attending this course will be Ms Lucy Bateman from Clonmel.
The scholarship commemorates Helen Kim, a young Korean girl who, in the 1920s, first voiced the idea of a worldwide organisation for Methodist women. It now has some six million members and holds NGO status with the United Nations, having permanent representatives in Geneva and New York.
The new religious education syllabus for primary schools will be introduced at Kilternan National School on April 4th. Hosted by the Church of Ireland, participants will include representatives of the Mehodist and Presbyterian churches which also participated in the designing of the course.
A recent issue of the Methodist Recorder devoted a small supplement to Methodist work in Ireland. This highlighted developments at Edgehill College, West Cork, Kilkee, Killarney, Omagh and Castlewellan, as well as accounts of youth activity at Dunkineely, and the work of the Joint Theological Working Party with the Church of Ireland.
Clar Ellagh, the Christian Holiday Centre in Kilkee, has announced its programme for the summer of 2001. It will open between April 12th and 19th for the Easter Break, and then between May 31st and September 1st for the summer season.
Details may be obtained from the secretary at 92 landscape Park, Dublin 14 - telephone Dublin 2984856.
The Eastwell Retirement Home for women holds its annual sale at the house in Palmerston Park, Dublin, on April 7th, from 10.00 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. The house has a vacancy for one resident.
The president of the church, the Rev Kenneth Todd, will be visiting the Sutton and Clontarf churches in Dublin tomorrow morning and afternoon, and Lucan in the evening.
On April 4th he will be at Kilternan for the launch of the new Religious Education Syllabus. On Sunday, April 8th, he will preach at the Sydenham Church, Belfast.
Also on April 8th, the Morning Worship to be broadcast from the RTE television studio will be led by the Rev Derek Poole, with members of the Dun Laoghaire Methodist Church.