Anglican Mainstream

Transition Committee Begins Search for Replacement to Follow Thomas’s 18-year Legacy

WOODBRIDGE, Va., (March 2, 2009) – Edwina Thomas, who has served as U.S. National Director for Sharing of Ministries Abroad (SOMA) for 18 years, has announced her retirement effective December 31, 2009. Thomas is known and respected by leaders of the Anglican Communion around the globe, from deacons to Archbishops. During her tenure she has seen the maturation of many of today’s Primates from their initial ordination to their current roles as global leaders.

“The 22 years of mission involvement and the 18 years I have led this organization have been a most awesome opportunity to work with outstanding leaders who have now become friends,” Thomas said.

SOMA’s vision is to change the world for Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit. They are a mission agency called by God to serve the Anglican Communion and the worldwide church through the renewing power of the Holy Spirit, principally through short-term, cross-cultural missions

In response to this calling, Thomas has led SOMA-USA in the sending of 10-15 teams throughout the world each year. Each team is uniquely recruited and constituted to contain the blend of spiritual gifts needed best serve the defined needs of the recipients.

SOMA-USA’s board is chaired by The Rt. Rev. John Guernsey, a Bishop of the Church of Uganda and Rector of All Saints’ Church in Woodbridge, Va.

“Edwina Thomas has served the Lord, His Church and SOMA USA with humility and grace, with courage and sensitivity, with steadfastness and compassion,” Guernsey said. “She led my wife and me on our first SOMA mission in 1989 and life has not been the same for us since!

“One of the great joys of my ministry has been to serve alongside as her board chairman, experiencing her extraordinary vision for the Kingdom, her prayerful leadership and her sacrificial care for the entire SOMA family. SOMA is forever in her debt and we are so very thankful that she will be volunteering her continued service to the ministry in retirement.”

The SOMA board has appointed a Transition Committee chaired by Richard Hines of Arlington, Va. Mr. Hines noted that replacing Thomas would be “no easy task,” as the effectiveness of SOMA-USA can largely be credited to her leadership and the relationships she has established throughout the communion. Even though her retirement was 10 months away, he shared that the Board felt it was necessary to begin the search for a new director and planning the details of the transition immediately.

SOMA

At present there are nine other SOMA national bodies located in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, Nigeria, Singapore, Southern Africa, Uganda and the United Kingdom. SOMA International was launched in 1979 as a result of the renewal conference held in conjunction with the 1978 Lambeth Conference. The Board of SOMA International is currently chaired by The Most Rev. Benjamin Kwashi of Jos, Nigeria. Thomas has served on the International Executive Group from its inception in 1998. SOMA USA was established in 1985 to expand SOMA’s ministry of sending short-term missions to dioceses in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Since 1995 SOMA-USA has also been bringing teams from abroad to minister to the Church in the USA. For more information on SOMA-USA visit http://www.somausa.org.
 

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