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The Fellowship of the Least Coin (FLC) is a global ecumenical movement of Christian women, united in prayer and the setting aside of least coins as tokens of their commitment to peace, justice, and reconciliation. Started in 1956, the FLC has grown to include women from all nations and church traditions, working together to promote peace and justice through prayer and concrete action. The FLC supports various projects and initiatives aimed at achieving peace and justice for the most vulnerable women and children worldwide.
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The Fellowship of the Least Coin A Global Ecumenical Movement of Prayer for Justice, Peace and Reconciliation
Fellowship of Christian Women in Prayers and Setting Aside Least Coins as Token
The Beginning of FLC: Mission • In 1956, anInternational Mission Team, sponsored by the Presbyterian Women, with the leadership of Margaret Shannon, came to the Pacific for healing the hurts of war and seeking peace and reconciliation among women whose nations were torn by conflict.
Mission Team 1956 : Margaret Shannon, Marian Wiltsie, Amy Carl, Ellen Lang, Shanti Solomon, Teruko Ohashi
Shanti Solomon of India felt the suffering, pain and danger in Hiroshima, Japan. Not allowed to enter Korea, she stayed in the Philippines where she also saw the destruction of war.
Reflecting on the Scripture: James 4:1 “Those conflicts and disputes among you, where do they come from? Do they not come from your cravings that are at war within you?”
Matthew 18:21 “Peter said, . . . ‘how often should I forgive? As many as seven times? Jesus said to him, not seven times but I tell you, seventy-seven times.”
Gift of Vision God gave Shanti a vision of women of different nations, church traditions, cultural background, economic status and abilities belonging toa fellowship for peace, justice, and reconciliation.
“When women . . . pray for peace and reconciliation . . . (they) put a coin in a money box . . . a pledge to make their prayers concrete. . . .that their prayer would be followed by action . . . that their prayer literally cost them something.” Shanti
“This act of praying for peace and reconciliation would be repeated by women in their homes as often as they felt the need for it.” Shanti
“The poor village woman and her urban sister would pray and offer equal amounts. This was how the movement for peace came to be called the‘Fellowship of the Least Coin.’”Shanti
NETWORKING AMONG CHURCH WOMEN
Shanti shared the vision with the Filipino church women leaders who readily accepted it. And the Mission Team, which gathered again, embraced Shanti’s vision. Thus the FLC was born in 1956!
Birthing of Asian Church Women’s Conference • In 1958, Margaret Shannon brought together a group of Asian women at Stony Point, NY, prior to attending the meeting of Presbyterian Women, and enabled them to plan the first ACWC in Hong Kong.
First ACWC, Hong Kong , 1958 ACWC accepted responsibility for promoting FLC within national ecumenical structures. FLC needed structure!
FLC LOGO • Rayann Ma of Hong Kong designed the FLC logo—the folded hands in prayer, encircling a small plum flower, form a lotus flower.
Growth From Asia to all regions of the world
Participating Regional Ecumenical Organizations • All Africa Conference of Churches (AACC) • Asian Church Women’s Conference (ACWC) and • Christian Conference of Asia (CCA) • Caribbean Conference of Churches (CCC) • Ecumenical Forum of European Christian • Women (EFECW) • Latin American Council of Churches (CLAI) • Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) • Women’s Inter-Church Council in Canada (WICC) and Church Women United CWU-USA • Pacific Conference of Churches (PCC)
Participating Global Ecumenical Organizations World Council of Churches Women in Church and Society World Day of Prayer International Committee
INGATHERING SERVICE The church women gather in prayer and bring their least coins or their equivalent in bills The money gathered nationally are sent to FLC Fund for Peace care of World Council of Churches in Geneva.
Int’l Committee for the FLC, formed since 1979, • Serves as administrator of FLC movement and FLC Fund • Composed of 15 women from different regions of the world. • Meets annually
Block Grant The Fellowship of the Least Coin supports block grant for each regional and global ecumenical organization’s Women’s Programme
Project Grants Annually, FLC supports 35 -50 projects for justice and peace among most needy women and children all over the world
Emergency Grants for disaster relief and rehabilitation
Fellowship of the Least Coin Scholarship Award for Young Women Aim: to provide support to young Christian women from FLC regional countries in their educational pursuit of the knowledge and skills needed to benefit and realize FLC’s vision of peace, justice and reconciliation
ICFLC OFFICE c/o Union Theological Seminary Dasmarinas City Philippines 4114 www.flc.net.ph
By God’s Grace, the FLC Movement goes on . . . . With you, through you, in response to the love of God in Christ!
James 3:18 “And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace for those who make peace.”