Mary Daniels Taylor Fund in Cameroon

Click here for new pictures from our sister parish and school in Mbengwi, Cameroon (600K pdf file)

The Mary Daniels Taylor Fund finances the church’s mission work in Mbengwi, Cameroon. Initiated in 2005, Brown Memorial’s partnership with the Mbengwi Presbyterian School addresses some of the school’s most pressing needs.

When our congregation lost Mary Taylor, a spirited expert in the field of early childhood education and an inspired teacher of children across the world, her family established The Mary Daniels Taylor Fund. The fund’s mission is to finance a missionary relationship with a school in the Third World. Since Mary’s sister had been a Presbyterian missionary in Cameroon, we decided to establish a partnership with a school in that country. Eventually, Mbengwi Presbyterian School was selected.

Our partnership began in November 2005 when a delegation led by Julie Hanks, the project coordinator, and including Betsy Taylor, daughter of Mary Taylor, and Willem Errens, Chair of Global Mission, visited the school. The delegation was received with great warmth and Christian love. The needs were many and obvious, and we agreed to do our best to help Mbengwi Presbyterian School become a “Center of Excellence” which in turn could help other Presbyterian schools in the region attain a higher level of excellence in learning.

A second visit by members of Brown Memorial occurred in July 2006. A four-person delegation delivered four new computers and two laser printers to the school. Willem Errens taught the teachers how to use them. In addition, he led three seminars on communication, leadership and conflict management for the teaching staff and some of the church elders. Julie Hanks, Nancy Bradford and Susan Schindler taught a weeklong staff workshop in early childhood education.

Our relationship with Mbengwi Presbyterian School is a source of much joy and inspiration.