History of the Movement
Representatives of the Union and Senana Assemblies were called to a conference at Y Tabernacl, Cardiff on 28 March 1944 to discuss establishing a Sisterhood Movement in Wales, and it was decided to meet again at Bethany, Cardiff during Union week in August of that year to form an Executive Committee. The Executive Committee met for the first time at Ilston House on 31 August 1944, and continued to meet there until the eighties of the last century. The Movement’s first AGM was held at Llandrindod Wells in 1948.
The Movement’s Objectives
- To bring together the women of the churches belonging to the Baptist Union of Wales to serve the Lord Jesus Christ.
- To strengthen the spiritual life of the churches.
- To promote the Kingdom of God.
- To support all the denomination’s organizations.
- To practically identify ourselves with the problems of contemporary society.
- To promote, establish and support the Union’s Home for the Elderly (Glyn Nest)
- To promote the connection with the Baptist churches in Europe and worldwide.
The Movement today
For more than 70 years, members of the Sisterhood Movement have discharged various good works across Wales. We are very grateful to all who has supported us over the years, and if you have not already joined, it would be excellent if your church did so.
The churches who have joined know of the benefits of becoming part of a large family of women across Wales and the world. *Please note that to be part of the family, it is not a requirement that you meet regularly at your church as a sisterhood movement.
Churches that join receive the following:
- The Movement’s colourful poster
- Two copies of Cwlwm (the Movement’s magazine) every year
- Information about the Movement’s activities
- A copy of the Baptist Women’s World Day of Prayer programme
- Every two years – a copy of Prosiect y Mudiad (The Movement’s Project) (which contains effective guidelines for holding services in your church)
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Cwlwm
The Welsh Baptist Sisterhood Movement Magazine
An experimental issue of Cwlwm was published during the winter of 1988. Miss Mary Richards, President at the time, said, “It is a pleasure to be given this opportunity to greet you, in the name of our Saviour Jesus Christ, in the first issue of Cwlwm. A new initiative, in the name of the Welsh Baptist Sisterhood Movement, its aim is to promote the work of the Movement by bringing us closer together and sharing branch news and activities”.
At the end of the issue, Mrs Mary Wynne Jones is thanked for coining the name Cwlwm (meaning bond) as it was hoped that Cwlwm would bring the Welsh Baptist Sisterhood Movement and its North and South branches closer together.
The experimental issue was followed by Issue 1 in January 1989, and, for some years, an issue was published in January and another during the summer. This changed in 1995, for ease of distribution, to coincide with the national meetings of the Senana in May and the Movement in September. It is a pleasure to be able to say that Cwlwm has continued to be published twice a year since then, and that it has gone from strength to strength. If you have a story to share, the editor would love to hear from you
Mrs Bonni Davies