Mothers’ Union

The Mothers’ Union was started in 1918 at All Saints’ Cathedral but only among the European Ladies. On 4 March 1956, the first African Mothers’ Union members were enrolled. At that time the whole country fell under the Diocese of Mombasa. This took place at Mwongoiya Church which is within the present Anglican Diocese of Mount Kenya South. Mrs. Gladys Beecher, wife to the first Bishop Leonard Beecher, was instrumental in beginning the Mothers’ Union among African ladies in Kenya. She invited Mrs. Fisher, the wife of the then Archbishop of Canterbury Dr. Fisher, to speak to the Mothers Union-Europeans and Africans–who gathered at All Saints’ Cathedral Nairobi. The Archbishop and Mrs. Fisher visited Mwongoiya Church to encourage and strengthen those first Mothers’ Union members and to see the place where the Mothers’ Union started among the Africans.

The Mothers’ Union grew from strength to strength under the leadership of Mrs.; Gladys Beecher. She organized Kenyan and Tanzanian Mothers’ Union members to meet occasionally here in Kenya or in Tanzania. When the Archbishop and Mrs. Beecher retired and the Church of the Province of East Africa was divided into the Provinces of Kenya and Tanzania, Archbishop Olang’ became the first Archbishop of Anglican Church, the Church of Province of Kenya (CPK). Mrs. Eseri Olang’, his wife, became the leader of the Mothers’ Union movement in Kenya. Successively, the wives to ACK Bishops have automatically assumed the roles of leaders of the Mother’s union with those of the Bishops taking leadership at the Diocesan level.

The objectives of the Mothers’ union are:

• To uphold Christ’s teaching on the nature of marriage and to promote its wider understanding.
• To encourage parents to bring up their children in the faith and life of the Church.
• To maintain a world-wide fellowship of Christians united in prayer, worship and service.
• To promote conditions in society favorable to stable family life and the protection of children.
• To help and comfort those met with adversity.

The Unions Motto is: I can do all things through him (Christ) who strengthens me, drawn from Phil. 4:13.  Its aim and purpose is to be concerned with all that strengthens and preserves marriage and Christian family life. Every diocese has its own arrangements of Mothers’ Union activities.

The Mothers’ Union in the whole Province is united in its prayer, motto, objectives and commitment to God and humanity. The mothers are involved in different activities which include Fellowships, prayers, Mentorship programs, Micro-finance, Campaigns against domestic Violence, Child marriages and Female genital mutilation (FGM); advocating for the Protection of children, efforts to reduce and manage the spread of HIV/AIDs and other Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI), Drug and Substance abuse, Children spacing, Agri-business and Caring centers for needy children.