From the Collections: The role of the Mother Church President

Over the years, The Mary Baker Eddy Library has received questions about the President of The Mother Church (The First Church of Christ, Scientist). What are the specific responsibilities and opportunities of this post, which is one of the Church’s officers?

A By-Law in the Church Manual states that “the President shall be elected, subject to the approval of the Pastor Emeritus, by the Board of Directors on Monday preceding the annual meeting of the Church.” Author Mary Baker Eddy went on to stipulate, “The President shall hold office for one year, and the same person is eligible for election but once in three years.”¹

Eddy did not specify official duties for the President, and the nature of that role has varied throughout its 130-year history. How can the Library’s collections shed light on the office of President, in addition to providing firsthand accounts from those who have filled it?

History of the President

Eddy founded the Church of Christ (Scientist)—as it was initially known—in 1879. When she reorganized it 13 years later as The First Church of Christ, Scientist, 12 members—known as the First Members—had a role in its government.² This was a group of her students who initially handled many of the administrative affairs. While the structure in 1879 was congregational, leadership of the reorganized church was divided between Eddy, the Christian Science Board of Directors, and the First Members. The Manual eventually abolished the office of First Members and designated the Directors to carry out the business of The Mother Church.³

On September 21, 1892—just before the reorganization formally took place—Eddy wrote to First Member William B. Johnson about the need for a Mother Church President. The letter offers insight into her thoughts about the role at that time:

Immediately I want you to see the 12 students that met at your last church meeting and ask them to meet if possible on the evening of that very day to attend matters of the Church…. At this meeting of the twelve chose your church officers. You organize no special organization by which to obtain a charter but only for the purpose of having a president of your meeting & secretary in order to vote on receiving members.^{4 5}

While Johnson was at different times Director and Clerk of The Mother Church, he never served as President. Eddy wrote to him again in January 1896:

When you call a special meeting for business – Require the President to take with him to this meeting the Church Manual. Then to refer to its Rules and By-laws when you are not clear on any question and see that they are strictly adhered to⁶

A few of the early Presidents were First Members, including Eddy’s adopted son, Ebenezer J. Foster Eddy. The first to hold the position, he served three consecutive one-year terms, from 1892 to 1895.

When the first edition of the Manual was published in 1895, it included a By-Law for the President, listed under “Church Officers.”⁷ It specified that the President was to serve no more than a one-year term and was eligible for election once every three years. In the 6th edition of the Manual (1898), Eddy changed the term to two years, with eligibility for election once every six years. Then in 1899 this was quickly changed back to a one-year term, with eligibility every three years; we have not found any evidence as to why the brief change occurred.

Presidents over the years—their activities and guiding inspiration

Over 130 individuals have been appointed to serve as President of The Mother Church. Up until the 1970s most appointees were selected from the Boston area or around New England. In recent decades, they have more often come from other parts of the United States or the world—including, to date, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, England, France, Germany, India, Japan, New Zealand, Nigeria, and Scotland.⁸

One required activity of a President is participation in the Annual Meeting of The Mother Church as an officer.⁹ Some Presidents have opened the meeting with readings from the Bible and Eddy’s writings, while others have facilitated the entire meeting. On certain occasions the outgoing President has introduced the incoming President and other officers. For instance, on June 2, 2003, outgoing President Honor R. Hill in Boston symbolically “passed the gavel” online, to the incoming Hans-Joachim Trapp in Berlin, Germany, during a unique Annual Meeting simulcast from both countries.¹⁰

At times the President has given a brief address at Annual Meeting. These speeches have covered a range of topics, from encouraging members in their individual practice of Christian Science, to sharing inspiration about the state of The Mother Church and its branches, to addressing global issues and showing how members can serve their communities through prayers and actions.

In 1944, outgoing President Daisette D. S. McKenzie’s remarks included words of encouragement in the midst of wartime:

Looking deeply enough we indeed see today this “glow of divine reflection” piercing the thunderclouds of war. It hastens from heart to heart, over earth and ocean, desert and darkest jungle, on battlefield and airplane flight, healing the wounded, comforting the mourner, guiding the lost, shielding and inspiring the soldier, and calling people of all races to find unity and peace in divine Love. It is now the great concern of Christian Scientists to see that this spiritual momentum shall increase in spite of all the efforts of falsity, selfishness, and greed to stay its course, that these morning beams may mount into the glorious noontide of a world redeemed.…

 

A great general once said, “Give me an army of men who love each other, and I will conquer the world.” We must be that army, or it profiteth us and the cause of Christ nothing. Our Leader has not left us without a knowledge of the way, but points it out unmistakably in saying this: “The little that I have accomplished has all been done through love,—self-forgetful, patient, unfaltering tenderness” (The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Miscellany, p. 247). It is as though she said to us, “Whither I go ye know, and the way ye know;” and, “Universal Love is the divine way in Christian Science” (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 266).¹¹

The focus of each President’s work over their year of service has varied to meet the needs of a particular time. Cynthia Neely, who served from 2004 to 2005, was asked to focus her work locally in Boston. She met with civic leaders, participated regularly in clergy association meetings, volunteered, and gave inspirational talks. In an interview with the Christian Science Sentinel, Neely shared how she found clarity in her work:

As I prayed about what to do once I’d made contact with these individuals and organizations, it came to me that I could minister to anyone’s needs—unconditionally. I could show other clergy and people in the community Christian Science in action—by being a good Samaritan, a healer, a friend—with no strings attached. I would simply meet people wherever they were, whatever their journey. I could “give them a cup of cold water,” as Mary Baker Eddy asked us to do as Christian Scientists (see Science and Health, p. 570).¹²

Recently the Library reached out to four more recent-past Mother Church Presidents, to find out how they each thought of and fulfilled the role.

Lindsey Taylor
Gloucester, Gloucestershire, England
President from 2024–2025

Lindsey Taylor recalled spending considerable time in prayer and discussion with the Board of Directors, deciding how to focus her work. Ultimately, she centered her efforts on her native United Kingdom and Ireland. She conducted meetings by invitation with individual churches throughout the region, which took the form of discussions with branch church members in support of Christian Science healing within their churches. Taylor noted that consistent healing activity among a branch church’s membership provides a solid foundation for all its activities, as well as being attractive to the local community:

During the meetings, healings were shared, questions were asked and answered based on the ideas that were shared from the Pastor [the Bible and Eddy’s book Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures]. My intention was that anyone attending the meetings should go away feeling the daily, ongoing support for healing that is given in these works.¹³

One church relayed that, as a result of their meeting, a feeling of division among members had been healed, replaced with a notable sense of fellowship and unity.

In addition, Taylor represented The Mother Church at a summit for Christian Scientists in Lagos, Nigeria.¹⁴ Following the summit, one attendee was impressed that the officers in attendance (which also included the Clerk) integrated themselves into the activities, rather than standing apart as though higher in rank. Taylor pointed out that this represented the absence of hierarchy, which is a feature of The Mother Church’s organizational structure, as well as of Christian Science branch churches.¹⁵

Megumi “Mimi” Oka
New York City
President from 2021–2022

Mimi Oka was President as the world was emerging from the Covid-19 pandemic. In that context, she shared, “It became clear that supporting our worldwide congregation’s participation in Church, and the healing effect Christian Science is having on ‘elevating the race,’ was the issue at hand.”¹⁶

Oka prayed daily for the Church, including its Directors and global membership. In a time when travel was not easy or even possible, her daily prayer was her principal work during her term.¹⁷ She turned to the Manual to help frame her prayers, which included study of the By-Law titled “Duties of Church Officers.”¹⁸ This guided her thoughts in seeing the President’s role as “…supporting the government of our Church by the Manual.” It also gave her new ideas about the spiritual nature of law, during a time of heightened global fear and distrust of government. “I love that Mrs. Eddy establishes the relationship between law and government, and that our obedience to these laws constitutes our protection,” she said. “And that is because the government of our Church is firmly established on divine Principle.”

Oka used regular updates on worldwide Christian Science activity, provided by The Mother Church’s International Service Department, to give further focus to her prayers. She also wrote articles that were published in the Christian Science periodicals.

Mark Swinney
Sandia Park, New Mexico, USA
President from 2007–2008

The concept of God as Father-Mother was foundational for Mark Swinney as he conceived of his time as President: “I was focused, especially, on remaining tangibly aware of God’s Mother-love for me and for everyone,” he shared. “My hope was that people would feel the spirit of this statement in the Bible: ‘As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you’ (Isa. 66:13).” With this focus, he conducted the 2007 Annual Meeting, sharing that “there was some unique divine guidance God gave for me to be active in beholding for everyone God’s loving, mothering care and nature.”

During his term, Swinney traveled around the world, leading workshops for those considering the public practice of Christian Science healing. These meetings covered topics such as a practitioner’s responsibilities and the ethical aspects of the work. “Wherever I went, God’s affection, goodness, and wisdom was forefront,” he said. “I simply watched for each meeting to be rich with God’s self-expression of spiritual Motherhood.”

Annu Matthai
Bangalore, India
President from 2016–2017

As she conceptualized her role, Annu Matthai found useful meaning in one particular word:

In thinking about the role of President, it was very helpful to find that preside originates in the Latin præsidēre, meaning “to watch over.” So I started thinking about this role as watching over Mary Baker Eddy’s Church—with daily prayer for The Mother Church, for its officers, for the global Christian Science movement, for the Cause of Christian Science—prayer recognizing the growth and progress of Church safely held under God’s wing and fulfilling its healing purpose.

During her year as President, she visited Asian countries where Mother Church members lived, “so they could feel included in the love of The Mother Church.” She shared further inspiration that guided her during meetings with members:

I felt it was important to recognize The Mother Church is not confined to Boston. It’s not limited to a country, culture, language, or physical location. Church is a spiritual concept which is with us wherever we are. So you could say that The Mother Church is wherever its members live.… It was wonderful to recognize that we were all united by the “pearl of great price”—Christian Science—irrespective of whether we lived in Turkey or Tokyo or the many countries in between.

In their own way, each of these individuals found the importance of embracing the worldwide Mother Church membership in prayer. This grounded and guided their work. It directed their choices, revealing how to approach the position of President in ways uniquely suited to their particular times of service.

An excerpted version of this article is published in the September 2026 edition of The Christian Science Journal, pages 41–45.