4 August 2009

Fulton hosts Pacific-wide WCTU convention

Tailevu, Fiji
Bruce Potter/RECORD staff

The Women's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) held its Pacific-wide convention at Fulton College from July 7 to 10, with 158 women from across the Pacific islands registering to share in the first Pacific convention of the multidenominational WCTU. A number of men also joined the women at the convention later.

The three guest speakers for the convention were Sarah Ward, WCTU world president; Glenda Amos, WCTU world director for Children's Ministry and education department human resources officer for the Adventist Church in North New South Wales; and Pastor Kevin Amos, who pastors Charlestown and Hamilton Adventist churches in Newcastle, New South Wales.

Pastor Kevin Amos (second from left) and Glenda Amos (second from right) at the convention.

Each day began around 7.15 am with worship and continued through until around 10 pm each night. Seminars presented covered the topics of alcohol, tobacco, kava and betel nut, foetal alcohol syndrome, marijuana and addictions. The seminars were followed by talks on Christian outreach and education, social service, and working with children and young people in crisis. The seminars were all well attended and received positive comment.

Worships and musical services, as well as constitutional meetings, were also held. Pastor and Mrs Amos presented puppet plays to demonstrate presenting issues in an amusing or engaging way.

Video was taken during the meetings and a souvenir DVD was made available at the end of the conference for attendees.

The first convention of WCTU was held in 1874 in Cleveland, US. Initially, the aim was to protect the home and campaign against alcohol. The union soon expanded to speak against tobacco and drugs.

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