It’s a joy to announce our intent to elect Louis E. Benjamin, CSB, of Hillcrest, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, as First Reader, and Diane Uttley Marrapodi, CSB, of Forest Hill, Maryland, USA, as Second Reader, for the term of June 2016 to June 2019.
While Louis has made his home for many years some 8,000 miles (13,000 kilometers) from Boston, many of you have had the privilege of getting to know him through his work as a lecturer, frequent contributor to the periodicals, Committee on Publication for the Northern Provinces of South Africa, and other assignments. After completing his schooling in Johannesburg, South Africa, Louis studied at the Potteries in Stoke-on-Trent, England, and then worked on the technical side of the clay-brick industry. He is a lifelong student of Christian Science who, when asked, has always loved praying for friends and work colleagues. He has served his local branch church and community as First Reader and Second Reader, and on numerous church and interfaith committees. These activities provided Louis with the opportunity to share copies of Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy and copies of the Christian Science periodicals with many hungry hearts in the Rainbow Nation communities. In 2000 Louis began advertising as a full-time Christian Science practitioner, and in 2009 he became a teacher of Christian Science.
You may also know Diane from her work as a lecturer, frequent contributor to the periodicals, and featured guest of Sentinel Chats. As a child she attended the Christian Science Sunday School in Patchogue, Long Island, New York. After a significant healing at the age of eight, Diane’s focus and one desire was to study, apply, demonstrate, and share the good news of Christian Science. As the only Christian Scientist in a high school of 2,000 students, and then in college, she had several invitations to speak with sociology and comparative religion classes about Christian Science. Her work in the public practice of healing began in college, and after college she trained and served as a Christian Science nurse for ten years. In 1981 Diane began advertising as a full-time Christian Science practitioner, and in 1985 became a Christian Science teacher.
