SALISBURY — Moore’s Chapel AME Zion Church served as host for the May Salisbury-Rowan Church Women United May Friendship Day.

Rev. Robert Kelley, host pastor, brought greetings to the group, and Linda Hunter, CWU church representative began the program.

Young Christian women from member churches were recognized for their commitment to their various churches and to the vision of Church Women United to “Love Mercy” as found in Matthew 5:7. Dr. Catrelia Hunter presented the history of May Friendship Day.

Karlease Smalls, the Connectional WHOMS Coordinator of Young Adult Missionaries of the AME Zion Church, served as the guest speaker, sharing on the topic of “Love Mercy-The Body of Believers-A True Love.”

Awards were presented to four young Christian women during the program. These included Kaitlin Mueller of Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Brooke Steele of Sandy Ridge AME Zion Church, Layla Mohammed of Milford Hills United Methodist Church and Karlease Smalls of Zion Wesley AME Zion Church.

Salisbury-Rowan CWU has several local outreach ministries, and for May Friendship Day, they donated items and financial contributions to Good Shepherd Clinic. 

Others participating in the program were CWU NC President Vickie Kotlarz, Rev. Andrea Polk, Kathy Tart, Betty Jo Hardy, Lynn Bolick, Rev. Dianne Williams, Phyllis Thomside, Marva McCain, Brenda Venning and Rena Morgan.

Catherine J. Rivens serves as president of the Salisbury-Rowan Unit of CWU, and chairperson for the celebration was Dorothy Gill-Smith. 

The next celebration the unit will observe will be World Community Day, with the outreach organization being Communities in Schools. Additional information will be available at a later date.