Beth Thomas – St. Louis, Missouri … Women from across the globe are gathering in St. Louis for a unique four-day event hosted by the General Conference (GC) Women’s Ministries and Ministerial Spouses Association. This four-day program (July 7-10) held in the America’s Ballroom at the convention center brings together female leaders and ministry spouses for inspiration, learning, and fellowship. Meetings include devotionals, division reports, practical seminars, exercise breakouts, and worship led by groups from various world divisions—many dressed in traditional attire representing their cultural backgrounds.
“It would be a missed opportunity not to gather when so many women from different divisions are here in one place,” said Galina Stele, GC Women’s Ministries director. “We want to give them the opportunity to learn from each other, support one another, and grow spiritually and missionally.”
Each morning begins with a devotional by Nina Atcheson, Adventist educator and editor of the new Alive in Jesus Sabbath School curriculum. “She helps us connect more closely with Jesus in our personal devotional lives,” Stele said.
Afternoon seminars address practical topics, including surrender to Christ, discovering spiritual gifts, family health, trauma recovery, and mission engagement. Presenters include Sikhululekile Daco (Adventist Review associate editor), Karen Holford (Family Ministries director, Trans-European Division), Margret Mulambo (Ministerial Spouses Association, Southern Africa-Indian Ocean Division), and Elaine Oliver (General Conference Family Ministries associate director).
Division reports from both Women’s Ministries and Ministerial Spouses directors allow leaders to hear how women are being nurtured and empowered across the globe. “Our church is incredibly diverse, and it’s enriching to see what our sisters are doing in other corners of the world,” said Stele.
Jasmin Stankovic, a volunteer from Australia, supports language translation efforts for Spanish and Portuguese speakers. When asked what she enjoyed most about the event, she said, “The best part is the sense of community. Even if we’ve never met, we feel like sisters. It’s like a blended family.”
All meetings are translated into multiple languages—Spanish, Portuguese, French, Russian—and, for the first time, include American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation. “We are recording everything with ASL included, so even if people can’t attend live, they can still be blessed,” Stele added.
The meetings will conclude with a consecration service led by Pastor Ramon Canals, director of the General Conference Ministerial Association. Organizers hope participants leave not only encouraged but also recommitted to their local ministries.
“We’ve been planning this for more than a year,” said Stele. “It’s our prayer that every woman who attends leaves feeling nurtured, empowered, and ready to serve.”
—Beth Thomas is an assistant editor of the Adventist Review. Republished with permission from the Adventist Review News July 8, 2025, article. Photo by Christina Collard.
