August 27, 2009

VALLEY FORGE, PA – Six Karen and Chin women attended the National Women's Conference and six Karen young adult women and girls attended the National Gathering for Girls—both sponsored by American Baptist Women's Ministries—on July 25-31, 2009, at Lake Williamson Christian Center in Carlinville, IL.

The national board of AB Women's Ministries had held a scholarship fund drive in 2008 to enable women and girls from these communities to attend the national conferences. Commitment to raise the scholarship funding followed the welcome of four Karen women who attended the women's conference in August 2008.

K Yaw Paw from Kansas City, MO, participated in the women's event this year, and said that while at the conference her heart had been touched with a desire to be a missionary and do God's work.

A growing number of American Baptist congregations are engaging in outreach to refugees from Burma.

"American Baptists have a longstanding tradition of welcoming displaced persons and building networks of support for them," said Virginia Holmstrom, executive director of AB Women's Ministries. "The national board of American Baptist Women's Ministries began in 2008 exploring ways to participate in such efforts and has taken steps to build relationships with our Baptist sisters coming to the U.S. from Burma."

Holmstrom particularly noted the number of Karen girls and young women attending the National Gathering for Girls this summer, expressing excitement for the relationships that are being deepened.

"When I went, I brought nothing with me to the conference, but when I came back, my luggage was full of God's love, hope, courage, friendship, memories, and spiritual growth in my heart to continue to do God's ministry in different ways," said Be Tha Ny, the Karen woman attending "One," the National Gathering for Girls, as an adult leader.

"I give thanks to the American Baptist women that helped us go to this conference," said Say Moo, from Rochester, New York. "Hopefully, if I have the opportunity next year, I would like to join with AB GIRLS at the National Gathering for Girls again, too. We are all ‘One' in Christ."

Next summer American Baptist Women's Ministries will sponsor national conferences for women and girls on July 10-15, 2010, at the Ramada Plaza Hotel and Conference Center, Columbus, Ohio. For more information, visit http://www.abwministries.org.

The mission of American Baptist Women's Ministries is to provide vision, training and resources for women and girls in American Baptist churches. Its ministries empower women and girls to worship God, grow spiritually, develop their spiritual gifts, care for one another, and reach out to others.

American Baptist News Service