President's Pen Online

My dear Missionary Sisters,

As we see the many signs of Spring being ushering in its full glory, we see the amazing handiwork of the Lord as we see the beautiful blooming flowers, the trees sporting their new green leaves, the bees busy doing their job and the butterflies looking beautiful. All of this reminds me of what a “mighty” God we serve!

Don’t forget to celebrate one of the most beloved holidays in this month and that is Mother’s Day. I congratulate all mothers, and those who have acted as a mother figure – whether as stepmothers, aunts, grandmothers, great-grandmothers, aunts, or big sisters.

The 2012 Executive Board
We are busy getting ready for the 2012 Executive Board which, as you know, will be held during the CME Unity Summit in New Orleans, LA at the Sheraton Hotel. If you have not done so, please register and make your room reservation. Be sure to check “missionary” or Member of Executive Board on your Registration Form. I am excited as this will be my first Executive Board meeting as your president and I am excited because the meeting is being held in my Episcopal District – the Fourth, and in my state – Louisiana. So, you see I am triple excited about “y’all” coming. (Unlike Mitt Romney, Republican Candidate nominee for President, I have no need to practice saying “y’all” for this is the normal nomenclature for this neck of the woods. However, you can be assured you will find plenty of cheese grits (not cheesy grits) on the menu!

The Missionary Council is in charge of the Unity Luncheon and Prayer Breakfast. Please note the committees for these two events and the up-to-date Schedule for the Executive Board. (This schedule was just finalized Saturday, April 28^th with Bishop Paul A. G. Stewart, Program Chairman of the Unity Summit. The schedule is also in the June issue of the Messenger.

1. Mrs. W. Jean Moore, chairperson of our Unity Luncheon, and her sub-committees are planning an exciting luncheon that you don’t want to miss. The luncheon tickets are $50.00. At this writing, I still haven’t heard from Mrs. Obama, but will let you know as soon as I do. Mrs. Daisy Pittman, chairperson of the Prayer Breakfast and her committee will have a wonderful program that you will remember as you get ready to head home on Saturday. The breakfast tickets are $40.00. Attire: Luncheon: beautiful white or blue outfit with your stole. Prayer Breakfast: White outfit with stole.

· At the luncheon, we will be honoring the Local Missionary Presidents. Region Presidents, I am asking you to survey your local presidents and send a list of the local presidents to Mrs. Daisy Pittman, President of Presidents, 1691 Bruin Street, Los Angeles, CA 90047 by June 1, 2012. Note: At this writing, I haven’t heard First Lady Michelle Obama on the matter of her being our speaker. I expect to hear from her in the near future and will let you know when I do.

Attire:
· Luncheon: Beautiful white or blue outfit with the stole.
· Prayer Breakfast: White outfit with your stole

· Traveling Schedule
I will give the names and addresses of all members of the Executive Board to Dr. Joseph C. Neal, the General Secretary of Finance/CFO of the CME Church and you will receive a letter from him giving you directions on how your flight and room will be handled. Ladies, please do not make any flight plans or book your room until you receive the letter from Dr. Neal. If you have questions and/or concerns, please contact me. However, don't forget that you must register!

· Executive Board Schedule
I am pleased to say that in consultation with Bishop Paul A.G. Stewart, program chairman of the Unity Summit, the schedule for our Executive Board was just been finalized on April 28^th . Note the “skeleton” schedule at the end of this message. You will note that the time frame for our Executive Board schedule will present some challenges for us in this new endeavor – as our meeting time is very limited. Let me be very clear – the time frame was set by The Unity Committee – not by the Executive Committee of the Women’s Missionary Council! However, I am asking for your understanding and help to make this Executive Board a success. A full and comprehensive schedule will be put online on our website in the near future and in the July/August issue of the Missionary Messenger. So, ladies, please make your arrangements to be present. I look forward to seeing each of you!

· The Stoles. Don’t forget to purchase your stole. Send your check or money order for $35.00 to Mrs. Daisy Banks, 128 Rita Court, Jackson, MS 39213. Phone: 601-982-8181. Because we want all of you to have a stole, we checked with the company and they agreed to let us extend the deadline to June 1, 2012. However, please know that no orders will be accepted after June 1 because the stoles are actually hand woven in Africa and have to be shipped to the United States. Your stole can be picked up at the Summit beginning on Monday, September 24. If you are not planning to attend the Executive Board (God forbid), please give your receipt to a designated person. No stoles will be issued to anyone without a receipt. Our very efficient secretary, Mrs. Daisy Banks, is in charge of the stoles. It will be my great joy to see ALL missionaries at the Executive Board with their beautiful white attire and/or blue attire with their beautiful blue/white stole on.

· Missionary Study Course. We will continue with the Course of Study given in 2011 for the adults, youth, and children. A new Study Course will be given in September 2013.
My Stewardship

April 15 - Speaker for Women’s Day Weekend, Lane Tabernacle CME Church, St. Louis, MO., Rev. Dr. James T. Morris, pastor; Ms. Maxine L. Day and Ms. Johnetta Carver, Co-chairs. Had a great time! Many thanks to the Lane Tabernacle CME Church family.

April 21 - Speaker: Minden District Women’s Missionary Society at Mt. Zion CMER Church, Rev. Dr. Earl Griffin, pastor. Mrs. Yvonne Winzer, District President. Thanks for an exciting District meeting.

April 22 - Speaker at Women in Blue at Bethel CME Church, Jena, LA. Pastor: Rev. John Jackson, pastor. Ms. Susan Johnson, missionary president. Hats off to all of the beautiful ladies dressed in blue!

April 29 - Women’s Day speaker at St. Duty CME Church in Arcadia, LA, my home town.
Pastor: Rev. Kenneth Hunter, Mrs. LaQuetta Anderson, missionary president. It was wonderful to be
home.

THINGS TO REMEMBER:

2. 2. The Registration Form for the Executive Board can be found at www.c-m-e.org/UnitySummit.
Note that the Registration Fee is $150.00 for everybody including the missionaries. This fee was set by the CME Unity Committee. The form can be filled out online and/or downloaded and filled out and mailed in. BE SURE TO CHECK MISSIONARY and if you are a Member of Executive Board, Check Member: Executive Board so that we will have a count of how many missionaries will be attending the executive board and also a count of those who are members of the Executive Board. Please register early and make your hotel reservation. (See Registration form in this issue). Please be sure to follow the above directions. Note: If you do not check Missionary or Member: Executive Board, you will not be able to get the missionary materials – even though you have registered. We are only preparing material for missionaries who will attend the Executive Board.

3. Miles College will be the recipient of our Love Gift at the luncheon on Thursday in our commitment to education. Each person is asked to give $25.00. Please send your check or money order to your Region President who will forward it to the Council’s treasurer, Mrs. Carol Ferrell.

4. As it is our custom to leave a city where the Executive Board is held, a little better than we found it; I am asking each person to give a minimum donation of $25.00. The donations will be given to one of the charities in New Orleans.

5. Those of you who have developed a “Here I Am Ministry,” whether individually, local, district or on the regional level, we will provide time for you to give us a brief report on the ministry you chose and put in action. Please send me a brief copy of your “ministry” and I will have them duplicated and bound together to pass out to members of the Executive Board. I need your copy by July15, 2012. It should be no more than one page typed. Handwritten copies will not be accepted. If possible, I would prefer that you email the report (annpegues@bellsouth.net).

6. We will have a new Missionary Handbook, so come prepared to purchase one for yourself and take some back to your Local, District and/or Region Society. We will also have other items that you can purchase. See the list of keepsake that we have for sale online.

Region Presidents
7. Please send by email or U.S. Mail, the list of the 2011-2012 deceased missionaries in your Region by June 1, 2012 to Mrs. G. Bernice Richardson, Secretary of Spiritual Life and Message, 8118 Chelwynde Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19153. Email: gbrich2000@aol.com.

8. 8. As you know, we will be honoring the Local Missionary Presidents at our luncheon on Thursday. Please send a list of your local presidents to Mrs. Daisy Pittman, President of Presidents, 1691 Bruin Street, Los Angeles, CA 90047. The list is due to her by June 1, 2012.

“In politics if you want anything said, ask a man. If you want anything done, ask a woman.”
- Margaret Thatcher, British politician


9. I am asking that EVERY missionary get involved in helping to elect the next President of the United States by:
1. Making sure that everyone in your household is registered and have a government issued ID in order to vote in the 2012 election.
2. Surveying your church members to be sure that everyone in your local church is registered and have the proper government issued ID. If they don’t, help them to secure the proper ID.
3. Surveying your community and help register at least three (3) persons.
4. Be sure the above persons go to vote (or better still, take them to the Polls on Elections Day).
5. To continue to pray for the success of the Council.
6. To continue to pray for President Obama.

We extend our heartfelt sympathy to those families who have lost loved ones recently; namely, Rev. Dr. Kenneth Jones, editor of the Christian Index, on the loss of his brother Clay; Mrs. Louise Hardy, District President, New York/Washington Region on the loss of her son, George E. Hadly; Dr. Sylvia M. Faulk, on the loss of her sister in-law, Ms. Freddie Faulk; Mrs. C. J. Taylor on the loss of her sister, Mrs. Naomi Ivy and all of those families whom I am not aware of who have lost loved ones.


God’s blessings and much love,

Princess Pegues, President