What follows is an edited and abbreviated transcript of the 2023 Annual Meeting of The Mother Church, which took place June 5 in the Church Extension and online. To watch the full replay, visit christianscience.com/annualmeeting. All links in this report will be viewable until June 2, 2024.
Opening Annual Meeting, Rich Evans, Chair of the Christian Science Board of Directors, welcomed the worldwide Church family attending in person and via the internet. He introduced the new President of The Mother Church for 2023–2024, Anne Melville, a Christian Science practitioner and teacher from Northland, New Zealand.
After the singing of Hymn No. 550 from the Christian Science Hymnal: Hymns 430–603, Anne read the following passages from the Bible, and from Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Retrospection and Introspection, and Miscellaneous Writings 1883–1896 by Mary Baker Eddy:
Luke 24:1 (to 1st ,), 2 they, 13, 15–19, 27, 31, 32
John 14:23 (to said); 15:26 when
Science and Health 107:1–3
Retrospection 24:6
Science and Health 468:9–11 There
Retrospection 25:3
Retrospection 31:28 Erudite
Retrospection 30:7
Retrospection 26:8
Science and Health vii:22
Science and Health xi:1
Science and Health 570:14–24
Miscellaneous Writings 177:1–4 (to 2nd .), 13 (only)
Science and Health 103:6–9
I John 3:1 (to :), 2 (to 2nd ,)
Silent prayer was followed by the Lord’s Prayer. Then Rich introduced his fellow members on the Board of Directors: Keith Wommack, Mary Alice Rose, Scott Preller, and Barbara Fife.
Rich Evans: We’d like to share some thoughts about an issue that concerns us all, really, as a backdrop for our meeting today. Without making more out of it than it deserves, we’d like to address the concern of decline, and unmask its influence, so we can all work together prayerfully and confidently to reverse it. Ascension of thought, not decline, is the reality we are to prove.
The Bible tells us that after his resurrection, Jesus met his disciples on the shore in the early morning after their failed night of fishing. Following his direction to cast their net on the right side, they suddenly found the net full of fish. Their perception had been the loss of their Master, coupled with failure to trust his promise. In not recalling what Jesus had taught them about God and the forever-living Christ, the disciples began to lose their confidence in God, and they reverted to what they had done before—fishing. But the resurrected Jesus renewed their expectations and set them on an ascending path—not just for themselves, but for others to follow.
The disciples couldn’t progress while believing in what they thought they had witnessed—the disappearance of Jesus. And we can’t experience the strengthening role of Christian Science if we’re believing in its diminishment and not discerning the spiritual opportunity present now. But spiritual sense enables us to discern the truth about our movement when undistracted by the human scene, defined by absorption in matter, the land of limits.
Science and Health, a product of the remarkable discovery of divine Science, says this about the disciples: “Discerning Christ, Truth, anew on the shore of time, they were enabled to rise somewhat from mortal sensuousness, or the burial of mind in matter, into newness of life as Spirit” (p. 35). That’s our path, the path of discovering what God is, what man is, and how we relate.
Keith Wommack: Jesus’ parable of the prodigal son (see Luke 15) also has special significance for us today. It begins with the son mesmerized, fixated on material things, and he wanted more. He demanded, “Father, give me.” When everything that his father had given him was lost, he came to himself. The toxic demand “Father, give me” was replaced with a healthy, humble prayer: “Father, make me one of your hired servants.” Today, are we believing that everything we have received from our Father is lost? Are we demanding, “Father, give us”? “Give us members for our churches, youth for our Sunday Schools, healings”? Or are we humbly praying, “Father, make us your servants”?
Jesus’ parable closes with a celebration and a declaration. The father welcomes the prodigal home with the best robe, a ring, shoes, and a feast. He corrects the prodigal’s complaining older brother, and says, “Son, you’re ever with me. All that I have is yours.” Then, in essence, he says, “It’s right for us to celebrate.”
Today, isn’t it right for us to celebrate? Don’t we have our Father ever with us? Don’t we receive all through reflection? When we look out and see the worldwide members of The Mother Church represented here, don’t we see the loving hearts of those who yearn to be servants? So, yes, today a celebration is in order—a celebration of love, unity, opportunity, and healing—a celebration of hearts on fire.
Barbara Fife: Prayer undergirds everything we do as Christian Scientists. It girds us with strength to go forward—to follow God’s leadings and know Christ is at work. A loved statement in Mrs. Eddy’s book No and Yes reads, “True prayer is not asking God for love; it is learning to love, and to include all mankind in one affection” (p. 39).
Love takes our thought away from ourselves, away from narrow, limiting views, to “the sustaining infinite,” where “to-day is big with blessings,” as Science and Health puts it (p. vii). The passage in No and Yes goes on to explain: “Prayer is the utilization of the love wherewith He loves us. Prayer begets an awakened desire to be and do good. It makes new and scientific discoveries of God, of His goodness and power. It shows us more clearly than we saw before, what we already have and are; and most of all, it shows us what God is” (p. 39). Isn’t this what we want and need? The next short phrase of this quote from No and Yes is a promise: “Advancing in this light, we reflect it; . . .” So it isn’t something that originates with us. It’s all God at work within us, for His purposes.
Scott Preller: During the pandemic, when church activity was curtailed around the world, we said repeatedly that we didn’t have an interest in just finding a way to get back to where things were. We wanted to take this opportunity as a church to grow spiritually and to go forward with a purer worship, a greater love for each other. It’s clear that we’re still struggling to figure out, along with the rest of the world, what being present together means.
We can’t experience the strengthening role of Christian Science if we’re believing in its diminishment.
We know it isn’t just about showing up. It has everything to do with learning to truly love each other, and purifying our worship of God in a deeper way than ever before. Right when we’re recognizing that, and we’ve got our goal clear before us, is when the carnal mind would have us fixate on outward circumstances, try to take away the energy of our focus by discouraging us.
But the wonderful news is that the Bible is filled with account after account of people who found themselves in impossible situations, yet because of what they understood about God, it was never about what the situation looked like—it was always about their demonstration of God’s power and presence in their lives. Just think about the children of Israel at the Red Sea with Pharaoh’s army behind them. Think about Gideon and his army facing the swarm of the Midianites and defeating them with just a few. Think of the disciples after the crucifixion and how discouraged they were, and how that all turned around with the resurrection.
I think of Daniel in the lions’ den. He was there because he knew of God’s love and salvation. He also knew that was not the moment to suddenly decide on some human plan. He wasn’t saying, “Well, maybe if I hold really still, the lions won’t notice me.” It was instead a time of actively being conscious of what he knew so clearly of the actuality of God.
We’re right at that point as a church. This is our time to be very clear that we’ve been given a discovery. We’ve been given an understanding of how to follow Jesus’ footsteps in a way that Mrs. Eddy says is in advance of the age. So it’s our time, not to focus on the lions, but to make sure we’re really doing what a Scientist of Christ would be doing—experimenting, exploring, proving, sharing those proofs with others, and strengthening them. And that will prove to be the way to handle whatever lions we’re facing.
Mary Alice Rose: I’ve been thinking about a testimony I heard in The Mother Church a couple of months ago that I found very inspiring. A woman shared how she came into Christian Science. She’d been struggling mentally, and felt a darkness that she hadn’t been able to break free from. She was sitting in her car in a parking lot one evening just reaching out to God, asking Him to show her how to get out of this darkness. Then she felt divinely guided to drive her car down a certain road. She did, and eventually came to a building that was lit up and people were inside. She was compelled to go in. And, you guessed it, it was a Christian Science church, and the people received her warmly. That’s how she came into Christian Science, and she never looked back.
I’ve also been thinking about an experience I had where I introduced someone to Christian Science. In those initial weeks when we were working together and talking, I didn’t say anything to him about church. We talked about the teachings of Christian Science and about healing, and he did have a nice healing. I didn’t talk to him again until about a year later, when I found out that during that year he’d found a branch Church of Christ, Scientist, and joined. He felt he wanted to be in a community of like thinkers, people who could help him understand this new Science that he was learning about. Also, out of gratitude, he wanted to give back because he’d been given so much.
These examples illustrate what branch churches, societies, and informal groups around the world can do that The Mother Church cannot do—be in the local community to meet people where they are geographically. Caring for the local community is doing what the Bible says, ministering one to another “as good stewards of the manifold grace of God” (I Peter 4:10).
We’ve been given such a gift in the discovery of Christian Science, and it’s a blessing to be visible to our neighbors—visible online and in person—so that we can share it with others, so we can all find each other.
Next came a video showing some of the activities of The Mother Church’s outgoing President, Doris Ulich. Rich said, “With the same Christ-spirit as Paul in Acts, Doris journeyed throughout Europe, using her year as President to engage the churches and members—new and seasoned—to renew their healing joy and inspiration of the discovery” (christianscience.com/am23/president).
Then Rich introduced the Readers of The Mother Church, Mimi Oka and Don Wallingford; the Clerk, Laurie Richardson, who has been succeeded by Martha Moffett as of July; and the Treasurer, Lyon Osborn. He also acknowledged the Pastor Emeritus, Mary Baker Eddy.
Anne introduced a video of highlights from this year’s Annual Meeting weekend, including an inspirational meeting, a hymn sing, and dinner under an elegant marquee tent on the Church Plaza (christianscience.com/am23/saturday).
Committee on Publication’s report
Kevin Ness: Christian healing, as exemplified by Christian Science, is precious. In her Miscellaneous Writings, Mrs. Eddy describes Christian healing as “the babe we are to cherish.” She goes on, “This is the babe that twines its loving arms about the neck of omnipotence, and calls forth infinite care from His loving heart” (p. 370).
Sometimes it can seem like this babe of Christian healing that we all love so dearly, Christian Science, is struggling—that it has lost something, or that society has lost interest in it. But the answer is in those sentences from our Leader. God’s loving heart is cherishing this babe of Christian healing, this ever-new discovery called Christian Science. God is nourishing it, caring for it, ensuring that it not only stays alive, but thrives today and for all time.
Committees on Publication pray to know that nothing can steal, destroy, or diminish Christian Science. As the operation of divine Principle, it’s a complete, forever idea. It is majestic, powerful, effective. And the world can and does feel its healing effects. This prayer has led to opportunities this year to lift and heal impositions—false concepts—on public thought about Christian Science, Mrs. Eddy, and the healing practice of our members. For example, we’ve had opportunities to respond to news and academic articles, drama performances, museum exhibits, religious conferences, and items in print and online media, including Wikipedia and YouTube. With each, we’ve been able to share an accurate sense of what Christian Science is and is not. These corrective responses often surprise folks, both in what we share and in the thoughtful, Christian manner in which we share it. While they might expect us simply to protect our self-interest, they come to recognize that we care deeply for the world.
We’ve engaged with government officials as legislatures and parliaments around the world have become more active again after the pandemic. There have been opportunities to share an accurate understanding of Christian Science to allow space in law for the thoughtful practice of this Science by everyone, including access to Christian Science nursing care, and religious accommodations in areas such as medical screening and mandatory vaccines in order for kids to attend school.
It was an important year for working with individuals from other faiths, including by dedicated Christian Science military chaplains and in other ecumenical and interfaith activities. I’ve also been inspired hearing from a number of Committees who felt led to pray specifically regarding injustices done Mrs. Eddy, an aspect of the Committee on Publication By-Law in the Church Manual, which is essential for people to see what’s true about Christian Science. As one Committee articulated beautifully, if you discredit the Discoverer, you discredit the discovery. This prayer led to occasions to correct these injustices by giving a true sense of Mrs. Eddy and her character.
Finally, one of the best parts of Committee work has been talking with members and branches. We responded to their ongoing questions about vaccination requirements in the workplace and in schools, and supported them in responding to requests from the media, including in a few cases after tragedy and violence had occurred in a community and where the comfort of a Christlike touch was vitally needed. We also offered branch church talks and workshops that highlighted how each member is cherished and is an essential part of Committee work.
God is cherishing this babe of Christian healing, this discovery called Christian Science. God is nourishing it, caring for it, ensuring that it not only stays alive, but thrives.
As Committees, Assistant Committees, and other members have specifically affirmed the nothingness of animal magnetism (that false claim of a power other than God), we’ve been hearing from around the world about a renewed sense of courage and hope. This has led to fruitage in many forms, one of them being people who are new to Christian Science feeling inspired to visit our Reading Rooms, branch churches, and societies.
Through the work of the worldwide Committees and all of you, the veil of impositions is lifted, and Committees are deeply grateful to witness the Christ drawing all honest seekers for Truth to this vital discovery, Christian Science.
Anne introduced a video of three members of The Mother Church sharing their healing experiences. Kenneth Ruff, who was quickly healed of severe migraine headaches, said, “God is a living presence. With every breath, with every thought, God is there. It’s become my full-time job to be in that state of mind, and it’s turned my life into a joyous experience.” Silvanna Agnese faced a fear of death when she became short of breath on a hike. Her prayers brought such complete freedom that she was able to continue the hike with joy the next morning. In Spanish she commented, “I’m grateful for having learned a little more about my relationship to God and the indissoluble bond that we have with the Father.” William Whittenbury, healed of panic attacks during high school, observed, “What I really appreciate about Christian Science is that we have the ability to destroy a false belief of ill health, not just get a handle on it or push through it” (christianscience.com/am23/medley).
Clerk’s report
Laurie Richardson: We’re so glad that many of you can join us right here in The Mother Church today, while many others are with us remotely. We also welcome a great company of new Mother Church members admitted into membership last Friday. And this past week, we had a vibrant conference with our Clerk’s Communication Coordinators from around the globe. Many were with us here in Boston, while the rest of the team joined online at all hours of the night and day in their local communities. All of this was supported with simultaneous translations. We can echo Psalms 19:3: “There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard.”
Let me share a Christian Science discovery. An individual in South Asia born into a non-Christian tradition began a quest to find a new sense of God. He started exploring Christianity, then launched into a search for a Christian religion that would help him heal as Christ Jesus did. Although he visited different Christian groups, he found that none of them practiced Christian healing. But after someone gave him a copy of Science and Health, and he began reading it, he soon realized that this is the practice of primitive Christianity he was looking for.
When he visited relatives in the United States, he had the opportunity to visit a branch Church of Christ, Scientist, which embraced him with loving support and encouragement. He met a Christian Science practitioner, and they stayed in touch over the next few years after he returned to his homeland. Soon he was ready to become a member of The Mother Church, and he was welcomed into membership two years ago. He then returned to the US for Christian Science class instruction. He has since gone forward to establish a healing practice in his own country. Members of his family have also begun to study and practice Christian Science. This man’s experience speaks to us of discovery, healing, and a heart on fire.
In Science and Health, we find our Leader’s inspired definition of Church: “The structure of Truth and Love; whatever rests upon and proceeds from divine Principle” (p. 583). We can realize every day that divine Truth, Love, and Principle are universal and ever present, just as we recognize that the principle of mathematics is ever available to us. And Church must be universal and available wherever man might be, for the true sense of Church is included in the individual consciousness of the real man.
Just this week we were made aware of a healing of hepatitis C through prayer in Christian Science, and a serious stroke healed in five days. We also learned of a little child who joyously sang the hymn “Feed My Sheep” (Mary Baker Eddy, Christian Science Hymnal, No. 304) to a family member, and this brought immediate healing.
Let’s expect our own hearts to be on fire, and our love of Christian Science practice to be irresistible to those who meet us and know us. The Christ Science is present today in each one’s God-given consciousness. Let’s acknowledge that God is guiding home to Church all who are ready, where members are prepared to include all mankind in one affection.
Laurie introduced a video about a new member of The Mother Church, Daniel Alexander, who found a loving welcome and support in a branch Church of Christ, Scientist, that he visited shortly after he was released from prison. He said, “Once I came in contact with the members of this church, I felt a love like I had never felt before. It was no challenge for me to embrace them as my family.” His church friend John Nye said, “What we love about Daniel is his willingness to serve” (christianscience.com/am23/alexander).
After the singing of Hymn No. 221, Anne introduced a video sharing highlights of a discussion among managers in response to the question “How do you explain to others the value of Science and Health in your role here at The Mother Church?” (christianscience.com/am23/managers).
Treasurer’s report
Rich Evans: As of March 31, 2023, the end of the Church’s fiscal year, the amount of funds on hand was $1.574 billion. The Church has no indebtedness, and expenditures for the last year were $111 million. Now Lyon Osborn will share the Treasurer’s report.
Lyon Osborn: I’m grateful to report that during a year of global economic instability, our Church finances have remained sound. The solid and stable financial numbers Rich just reported reflect the spiritual fact that our Church is built on the rock, Christ, and it’s guided and sustained by God, Spirit—the only true substance. Mary Baker Eddy founded a church that continues to demonstrate its way and prove its utility to the Christian Science Field and to the world.
Gratitude for The Mother Church is expressed through annual per capita tax payments and other contributions, generous bequests, subscription payments, and product purchases. These help fund the Church’s ongoing healing publications, programs, and activities. And all of our effective prayers for Church, as well as prayers of our congregations around the world, help safeguard Church finances and ensure that resources are used effectively to promote Christian Science and bless humanity.
Lyon introduced a video sharing how working with fellow Church members in the Field inspires colleagues in the Treasurer’s Office. One remarked, “These gifts of gratitude from people calling in, and their genuine love, really made my heart catch fire and want to do more in my own community and the communities that I visit around the world.” Another said, “I’m so grateful to have the opportunity to thank our members for all that they have given me through daily interactions. They remind me that I’m a part of this beautiful and profound family of spiritual thinkers” (christianscience.com/am23/gratitude).
Following the Treasurer’s report, a video was shown about the three-day Christian Science summit held last fall in Birmingham, United Kingdom. Attendees, both in-person and online, explored the theme “Be the light and live the light.” One commented, “Coming here, you can just feel the love. There are loads of people to talk to, and they’re every age.” A French speaker noted, “There is a great diversity to the people. This has been a lovely opportunity to come together and reignite that spark of church community” (christianscience.com/am23/uk-summit).
The final video was filmed during the Board of Directors’ visits to churches throughout Asia and the Southern United States. Regarding community outreach, one church member said, “What’s been revealed to me in recent years is that man already has everything he needs. I just need to see people as complete first, and then share Christian Science out of my joy” (christianscience.com/am23/csbd).
After the singing of Hymn No. 85, the Board of Directors returned to the stage.
Rich Evans: The Board would like to take a few moments to reflect on and recap our weekend together and the remarkable ideas that God, Love, has shared with us during this time. Our love of what Christ Jesus proved and Mrs. Eddy discovered as laws of God can remove any stumbling blocks to healing, and lift humanity above the influences of materialism.
Mary Alice Rose: There are so many things we’ve seen this afternoon and all weekend about hearts on fire—people being touched by Christ, being healed, and really wanting to help the world and heal others. One of the things that really spoke to me today was right out of the readings that Anne shared with us at the beginning, a statement Mrs. Eddy made in Retrospection and Introspection: “The motive of my earliest labors has never changed. It was to relieve the sufferings of humanity by a sanitary system that should include all moral and religious reform” (p. 30). What a joy, a privilege, and a blessing we have to continue in that motive. It’s not enough to do it for us. We need to do it for all humanity.
Scott Preller: Our Church is built on this deep desire to relieve suffering, to see Christianity as a commitment to understand and prove what Jesus proved. We’ve come together because we understand something—that there has, in fact, been a discovery. And I can’t think of a more succinct way to speak of it than Mrs. Eddy’s “scientific statement of being” on page 468 of Science and Health. When we think, “There is no life, truth, intelligence, nor substance in matter. All is infinite Mind and its infinite manifestation,” that’s radical. The human mind says it’s crazy, but we’re invited by the discovery to be a Scientist, to try it—try to understand that what really undergirds human experience is mental. And we take that moment, that day, everything we face, and endeavor to allow our thought to be governed by God, by Love, no matter what else is going on, and to challenge the material picture with all its limits as invalid.
It’s made me realize how much we need to value the design of our Church, as it comes out of the discovery. Tell me what other church has the pastor give to its members the sermon ahead of time and say, “Take this and test it. Do your best to prove it all week long.” And on Sunday you come together to prayerfully demonstrate what the sermon is declaring about the actual nature of being.
Barbara Fife: We’ve heard so much this weekend about people cherishing the discovery, and what came out of that cherishing. And it made me think how much Mrs. Eddy cherished the discovery, and what her prayer for it was. In “Mother’s Evening Prayer” (Hymn No. 207) she asks the “gentle presence” of divine Life to keep her child “on upward wing tonight.” And isn’t her child the babe of Christian healing? I know we can go forward keeping that sense of ascending thought in mind and cherishing it as Mrs. Eddy did.
Keith Wommack: Because of our Leader’s discovery, we have an opportunity and a responsibility—the opportunity to make our own discovery today, and the responsibility to help others make theirs. That responsibility shows up in all sorts of ways. It’s in church work; it’s in our individual practice of Christian Science; and it’s in allowing the Christ to challenge the sense that we live in matter.
Jesus could heal. We may be healing modestly at this moment, but we’re allowing Christ to awaken us to our God-given dominion and authority. And we’ve really seen that this weekend.
Rich Evans: This is wonderful, isn’t it? Just to be together and discuss these ideas for the last three days. It’s a gift of divine Love that we’ve all come together this way. So thank you, God.
Annual Meeting concluded with the singing of Hymn No. 432 and Anne’s reading of the benediction, from Luke 10:23: “Blessed are the eyes which see the things that ye see.”
