VALLEY FORGE, PA (ABNS 5/28/19)—American Baptist Women’s Ministries has initiated new community building opportunities as part of their Building Beloved Community Ministry. This ministry brings women from American Baptist related churches with diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds together to build relationships, collaborate, engage in multicultural dialogue and strategize together towards a shared ministry project. The project focuses on outreach, collaboration and will also serve as a model for future ABWM Beloved Community projects in different regions.
Our ABWM sisters in Providence, RI, Buffalo, NY and Philadelphia, PA. are intentionally developing and sustaining relationship with other women in their communities that are language/cultural or ethnically different from themselves. Ann McGloshen (RI), Rev. Dr. Suzanne Kershaw (PA), Geri Daniels and Brenda Johnson (NY) are leading these efforts. They are sharing traditions, building collaborative environments and strengthening our communities and our churches. All ABWM key leaders participated in cultural competencey training as part of the initiative. ABWM- Philadelphia, PA team from Grace Baptist Church, are partnering with the Philadelphia Burmese Baptist Church (PBBC). PBBC is a seven-year-old church that is comprised of Burmese refugees.
This team has a shared desire to help the women and girls in their community acquire tools and resources (spiritual, educational, economic) that will help them flourish in a rapidly changing society. Our ABWM- Providence team from Olney Street Baptist Church will be partnering with women from Iglesia Bautista Hispana El Cavalrio. This team is committed to providing opportunities for their communities to learn each other’s languages. Our ABWM- Buffalo, NY team will be partnering with Pakistani immigrants from First Baptist Church of Niagara. While each group has found different ways to meet their communal needs, all groups are committed to building beloved community through a cultural exchange, sharing traditions, and respectful and inclusive dialogue. ABWM, executive director, Rev. Gina Jacobs-Strain shared, “We are excited about expanding our Beloved Commnity Ministry and for the support of a New Baptist Covenant Grant which has enabled ABWM to deepen our engagement with three geographic regions in this important work; respond to AB women’s desires to enhance multicultural relationships within our sisterhood, and to support our local ABC churches as well our local communities. It is also our hope to duplicate this Building Beloved Ministry initiative in other regions.”
For more information, visit www.abwomensministries.org/NBC today!
American Baptist Women’s Ministries (ABWM) is a diverse community of American Baptist women and girls serving in ministry in Christ’s name in the US including Puerto Rico as well as internationally. With local, area, region/state, and national levels of ministry, American Baptist Women’s Ministries creates and sustains communities of passionately faithful, mission-minded women and girls engaged in worship, service, and friendship. Our ministries include domestic violence and sex trafficking prevention and education, building beloved community, and developing leaders. To learn more about American Baptist Women’s Ministries, visit our website at www.abwomensministries.org.
American Baptist Churches USA is one of the most diverse Christian denominations today, with approximately 5,000 congregations comprised of 1.3 million members, across the United States and Puerto Rico, all engaged in God’s mission around the world.