Article December 13, 2004 Issue

PRESIDENT OF THE MOTHER CHURCH—NOT JUST A TITLE

M. J.

Cynthia Neely loves her work. Selling baked goods, for example, twice a week in Boston's South End. She volunteers at Haley House to support the training of unemployed youth to become bakers. But what's also important to Cindy is that people are getting to know her as she's getting to know them. Come January, Cindy will be bringing even more to her work at Haley House when she gives a Christian Science talk there on "New Beginnings."

"Volunteering at places like Haley House means that I'm being a presence in the community," Cindy says. "And that's important for us—for The Mother Church—to get to know our neighbors and for them to know us. The director at Haley House tells me, 'You give our store a peaceful and orderly presence.' So I see that I have a harmonizing influence. I'm putting a face to our religion—to the practicality of it and to the universal love that Christian Science teaches."

Not only does Cindy volunteer at Haley House, but she attends interfaith breakfasts and lunches all across the city. She's now on the board of Cooperative Metropolitan Ministries, which includes 70 churches that oversee after-school programs and other community services. Cindy is the first Christian Scientist to be a member of the board.

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