The Episcopal Church Women of the Diocese of Mississippi held their 2024 Annual Fall Conference on Saturday, November 9 at St. Peters by the Lake, Brandon. Their ECW ladies welcomed 43 women & 2 men to their lovely Parish Hall with coffee & donuts.

Our last business meeting for 2024 began with our thanks to all who welcomed us to their church and then a prayer by the Very Reverend Carol Mead.

The meeting was called to order by President, Martha Morgan. The ECW prayer was led by President Elect, Ann Milsted, who also made a few comments about the Board’s availability to each & every ECW member. 2024 Spring Conference minutes were read by Deborah Orrick, Board Secretary, and a motion was made & seconded to approve them. A financial report dated 9/30/24 was discussed with an emphasis on the 2024 Outreach programs’ expenditures for CPC, Global Scholarships & our own Children at Risk Fund outreach grants. Our CPC outreach will continue to support grants for our Seminarian & bi-voc students. We realize that dues & contributions are limited due to financial difficulties all around the Diocese and appreciate our ECW Chapters contributions. There have been a few suggestions made to limit our state-wide conferences to one per year and concentrate on Convocation meetings in between. The final decision on these matters will be posted in the near future on our Diocesan ECW web page, our FB page (Episcopal Church Women of Miss) &/or our Diocesan BLAST notifications.

Brenda Hawkins, our UTO Chair, plans to retire next year and requests any or all Ladies interested in being involved with this important outreach program to contact her: brendadavishawkins@gmail.com.

Our 2025 dues reminder was noted for all ECW Chapters to send their payments (Parish $100/Mission $50) to our Assistant Treasurer. Checks should be payable to DIOCESAN ECW, c/o Wava Peters, POB 128, Terry, MS 39170. Note dues year on memo line, please.

Our meeting was then adjourned.

Our speaker, Carolyn Terry, Master-Craftsman Photographer, was introduced. She is an author & digital editor of ENDURANCE OF THE SPIRIT, a collection of 95 Episcopal Churches in Mississippi and their stories. This book and many of the individual digital photos of the churches were available for purchase. Ms. Terry is a member of St. Paul’s in Picayune.

There was a lot to recap for this year, including a review of the 2024 Triennial Conference, June 23-28, in Louisville, KY. Three Board members attended as delegates, Martha Morgan, President, Ann Milsted, President Elect and Lollie Everett, our 2024 Mississippi’s Distinguished Woman represented our Diocese. Our former Presiding Bishop Curry presented a special PIN to each of the Distinguished Women honorees. Also, Board member, Mary Beth Welch, attended her last Triennial as Provence IV representative while Gloria Rogers, St Mark/Jackson, was elected to her first term as ECW Natl Board 2nd Vice President. We are proud that our small Diocese has many women recognized with exceptional leadership abilities.

A delicious box lunch was served after the Speaker’s program with a special Eucharist service after lunch.

Our Eucharist service was celebrated by our ECW Board Chaplain & Rector of St. Peter by the Lake, the Very Reverend Carol Mead and Deacon Betty Melton, St Francis of Assisi, Philadelphia. The ceremony of transfer of Office from President Elect to President was performed by bestowing the GOLD President’s Cross from 2022-2024 President, Martha Morgan to Ann Milsted, 2025-2027 President. A SILVER cross was presented to retiring President Martha Morgan. All other new & returning Board members were installed, including our new Board Secretary, Deborah Orrick, daughter of our late long-time board Secretary, Darcy Strickland.

It was a lovely special Annual Fall Conference that November day.

Thanks to all who hosted the Conference & all who attended.

Peace be with you.
Martha E. Morgan, 2022-2024 President
Episcopal Church Women
Diocese of Mississippi