It is with joy that we announce the election of Megumi (Mimi) Oka, CSB, of New York City, US, as First Reader, and Donald A. Wallingford, CS, of Lilburn, Georgia, US, as Second Reader, for the term of June 2022 to June 2025.
Mimi is truly a “citizen of the world,” having spent her formative years in Hong Kong, Saigon, Tokyo, Moscow, Paris, and London before returning to the United States and graduating from Harvard University. She worked in finance for a few years, then went to cooking school and worked as a private chef, writer, and artist. Although she was raised attending Christian Science Sunday School, it wasn’t until her late twenties that she began to make this teaching her own. She was inspired when a friend asked for help with a life-threatening medical condition, telling her, “You are the only one I know who believes that this can be healed through prayer!” This healing led Mimi to commit to a deeper study of the Bible and the writings of Mary Baker Eddy. She has been so grateful for the growing understanding through this study, that God’s goodness and grace are present for each of us everywhere, and that the application of these spiritual laws heals. Eventually she left a career as an artist for the full-time practice of Christian Science healing in 2012, and became a teacher of Christian Science in 2018. Mimi and her husband have raised two sons, based in New York City, and spend time in Japan and France each year. She is grateful to have served as President of The Mother Church in 2021–2022.
Since his youth, Don has cherished the healing practice of Christian Science and sharing it with others. While attending college and law school, he read for Christian Science organizations and kept office hours for the Christian Science practice. When serving as an Air Force legal officer and as a civilian lawyer, he continued to be active in the healing work. His love of young people came more into focus during his time as Manager of Christian Science organizations and Sunday Schools at The Mother Church, and subsequently as a Sunday School teacher and superintendent in his branch church and in various roles with Christian Science camps and teen activities. Don began advertising in the Journal as a Christian Science practitioner in 1991, has conducted meetings for Christian Science associations without teachers since that time, has been active in his branch church as Reader and numerous other positions, and has served as a Christian Science lecturer. Joining him in Boston is his wife and helpmate through the years, Connie.
