Several members of our church have served with the Methodist Missionary Society in Nigeria, and so we are particularly pleased to note the award of this year’s Methodist Peace Prize to Ros Colwill.
Ros serves as a mission partner on assignment with the Methodist Church in Nigeria. Colwill, a trained social worker, initially worked with leprosy sufferers in Nigeria. She encountered many leprosy victims with mental health problems and became increasingly aware of the number of impoverished people with mental illnesses and learning disabilities where she worked. She gathered support locally and internationally and developed a pioneer project in a small village in the South East of Nigeria, Itumbauzo, called “Amaudo” (Village) which began in 1990.
Previous holders of the prize awarded by the World Methodist Conference are former South African President Nelson Mandela, Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, and former U.S. President Jimmy Carter. It is even more inspiring to acknowledge Ros as this year’s recipient as she has partial disability following a stroke.
