The Annual Meeting of The First Church of Christ, Scientist, was held in Boston on a cool, cloudy June afternoon. At 1:30 p.m., the outgoing President, Juan Carlos Lavigne, of Buenos Aires, welcomed everyone in the "worldwide family" of Christian Scientists. He said that these yearly gatherings are a joyful reminder of members' commitment to work together to bring comfort and healing to a waiting world. He extended special greetings to new members, who stood "ready and eager to respond in active prayer to the 'demand of the times.'" Mary Baker Eddy, Miscellaneous Writings, p. 232. ...
Among them was a new church member from Minas Gerais, Brazil. As she came through the doors of The Mother Church Extension for the first time, she said in her native Portuguese, "Que maravilha "("How wonderful!"). She told the Journal that she had waited so long for this happy occasion, and that her heart was full of love and joy. Speaking through an interpreter, she said: "For me, to be a member means to be part of a family in which the Father embraces every child with a lot of love. Before, I didn't see any reason for joining the Church, but now I understand the great love and dedication Mary Baker Eddy brought to her gift of this marvelous, divine Science."
Another person attending Annual Meeting for the first time was a young rock musician from California. He said: "In the eighteen months since I joined the Church, there's never been a moment quite like this. As a musician, I'm expected to know a lot about harmony, and that's what I'm feeling this afternoon as church members from all over the world come together to inspire, reassure, and support. As a first-timer, I'm just so grateful to be a part of Church—Church being that which upholds the standard of what is right, what is real, and what is true!"
