This weekend is historic for members of the Mothers' Union: for the first time, its general meeting takes place in Ireland. Two thousand members are travelling from all over Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales to Belfast, first for a service in St Anne's Cathedral attended by Archbishops and Bishops of the Church of Ireland and then for the meeting itself in the Waterfront Hall.

A group of members representing all parts of this country, led by all-Ireland president Mrs Thelma Mehaffey, has been working hard to welcome those who have come to this country, many for the first time.

For me, this is a very special occasion: for the last six years I have been privileged to be the worldwide president of the Mothers' Union and to travel around the world meeting members in diverse situations, and always representing not just the Mothers' Union but the Mothers' Union as part of the life of the Church of Ireland. I have been asked, and attempted to answer, many questions about Ireland. I have been touched by the prayerful concern of countless people, often living in conditions of great poverty and deprivation.

The Mothers' Union is concerned with marriage and Christian family life and has one million members in over 50 countries. It began in 1876 in a rural village in Winchester and came to Raheny, in Dublin, a decade or so later. Membership is open to all who are baptised in the name of the Holy Trinity and are in agreement with the main principles of the society.

The Mothers' Union is a Christian organisation which promotes the wellbeing of families worldwide. It does this internationally, nationally and at grass-roots level. Today, members are tackling a range of social situations in different countries.

Many live in some of the most heavily indebted countries in the world and experience at first hand the effects of debt repayment. So we believe we have both a mandate and an obligation to play an active part in the Jubilee 2000 campaign for the eradication of debt repayment. How can we do otherwise when members tell us of their desperate situations? It is hard to hear a mother describe the agony of the decision she must make regarding which one of her children might receive healthcare; the despair of living in endless poverty; the hopelessness of no education provision. We are linked together in prayer; we believe we must also be linked in active support.

This year, to mark the millennium and in response to frequent requests, we have launched an innovative, literacy project, with pilot schemes in Malawi, Burundi and Sudan. For those who are caught in the trap of illiteracy, life is diminished and 70 per cent of the illiterate of the world are women; thus in the Mothers' Union we know this is an extremely important and relevant scheme. It is about learning the words that matter in a person's life, learning how to read the destination on a bus or count the change received in the market place when bringing meagre produce to sell.

Much is in the news about Sierra Leone. As I read the newspapers I think of the Mothers' Union members I met - the difficulties of their living conditions and yet their absolute commitment to help and comfort those who have suffered so much because of the dreadful civil war and have received the most terrible injuries to both mind and body.

In Ireland, the Mothers' Union has always reached out to fellow members throughout the world with great generosity. Those of us who have been fortunate enough to meet and get to know members from different parts of the world have found our own lives abundantly enriched. That is what the Mothers' Union is about: a belief in the importance of the Christian family; a belief in the unique Godgiven gift of each life; a belief that it is a very poor community indeed that does not value the nurturing of the next generation.

So there are projects in place: a variety of parenting programmes, work in prisons, provision of holidays, work in contact centres and much more. But there is also the very real and important opportunity to get to know other people in different situations, to learn and pray about them so as to better understand. In Ireland, members from North and South have travelled to meet one another and have established bonds of friendship and trust so vital in our community.

As the general meeting comes to Ireland, there will be much to hear of work done and there will be a recognition of the challenges facing the Mothers' Union as women acknowledge changes in lifestyles. Our organisation seeks to find new ways of enabling women of this generation to give expression to what we believe and so continue to be advocates for the mission and ministry of our faith.

Christine Eames' term as worldwide president of the Mothers' Union concludes in December; she is married to Dr Robin Eames, Church of Ireland Primate of All Ireland