Our March meeting in Orlando proved once again to be a time of inspiration, forward-thinking, and a realization of the huge task at hand to fulfill our mission. 2017 brought several new sisters into the women’s service team as others transitioned out. This team consists of the Elders Service Team wives and the wives of those on the Evangelist Service Team. The women on the Teachers’ Service Team have also been a part of the group. Together, we try to keep issues pertinent to the sisters around the world in focus as we seek to fulfill our team’s purpose. The mission of the women’s committee is: To inspire women globally to grow spiritually, connect, and advance the gospel. In the most recent gathering of the women’s service team, several topics were discussed. Our first discussion point was in regard to the functioning of the women’s service team going forward. A question was raised as to whether we continue to need a women’s service team and why? We addressed this question and discussed what the ideal functioning women’s service team would look like. The following were some of the conclusions that were reached:

  • The Women’s Service Team (WST) would unite women, as sisters, across all of our fellowships globally.
  • The WST would work as a communication hub to the sisters globally and to our global leadership structure for women’s issues and topics.
  • The WST would act as a conduit to the sisters worldwide of resources including devotionals, good news, lessons, and other spiritual influences.
  • It should be a group that reaches women multi-generationally and concerns itself with issues from every stage of life.
  • The WST would represent the voices of women across every demographic represented in our global fellowship.
  • The WST would work hand in hand with the other service teams to provide ideas and contributions for the advancement of our vision across the world.
  • The WST seeks to be a strong support to the brothers who serve on the evangelist and shepherding service teams.
  • The WST would have as a main objective the training and maturing of female leaders, full-time or non-full-time, in our churches.

How We Get There In Orlando, a task force of 12 women was created to discuss and propose the best way for the women’s service team to be structured. Keeping in mind the priority purposes of training leaders, providing connection and unity, and maturing the women in leadership roles throughout our fellowship. The task force will be talking monthly for the next six months leading up to our meeting in Panama City. The goal is to have a proposal that can be presented to the current women’s service team by the time we attend the 2018 delegates’ meetings. As a second discussion point, we affirmed a decision to continue utilizing a globally recognized day to highlight our vision as women. The global “International Women’s Day” takes place every year on March 8th. The 2018 theme for us was “Press for Progress” so on March 7th of 2018 we had a day of prayer and fasting for the sisters in all of our churches. Then on March 8th, the sisters around the world acted on that prayer and “pressed for progress together” as they served God in whatever way God has so moved them. We feel this event was both unifying and productive and can continue to serve as an annual event for our sisterhood. Our goal is to continue to capitalize on this day each year. Annually we will come together in a variety of ways so we, as sisters, can meet the needs of the women around us, reach out to the lost, and honor God in a very unified expression of our faith. Our vision is to see a greater level of unity through prayer, servitude, Bible studies, meeting the needs of the poor, or even rallying women to hear God’s word preached at conferences around the world. You can read about this year’s exciting time and all the ways God has moved.

Also please note this important website providing resources for growth and inspiration, Women Today.

Our committee consists of the following women: Kim Evans – Elders Wives Service Team Chair.

Marci Arneson – Evangelist Wives Service Team Chair Wives of Evangelists Service Team: Rolayo Ogbonnaya (Lagos); Vicky Auki (Nairobi); Faridah Enrile (Manilla); Caroline George (Bangalore); Siu Wai Wong (Hong Kong); Anne-Brigitte Taliaferro (San Antonio); Patty Asaad (Dallas); Marci Arneson (Chicago); Joyce Arthur (Boston); Kay McKean (N.Virginia); Renee Quint (Los Angeles); Tatyana Zhuravlev (Moscow); Helen Nanjundan (London); Tatiana Kravetz (Kiev); Silvia Mendez (Mexico City); Sarai Serra (Buenos Aires)

Wives of Elders Service Team: Jeanie Shaw (Boston); Abigail Ereola (Lagos); Gloria Baird (Phoenix); Sally Hooper (Dallas); Elexa Liu (Hong Kong); Pat Brush (S. Florida); Linda Brumley (San Diego); Mary Lou Craig (New York); Geri Laing (S. Florida); Kim Evans (Philadelphia); Erica Kim (Denver); Sharon Gauthier (Chicago); Erlyn Sugarman (Los Angeles)

Women of the Task Force Team: Kim Evans, Jeanie Shaw, Marci Arneson, Anne-Brigitte Taliaferro, Tammy Flemming, Irene Renton, Megan Biley, Lauren Malcolm, Carol McGuirk, Erica Kim, Rolayo Ogbonnaya, Sherie Gayle.

Women on the Teacher’s Service Team: Deb Anton (Virginia Beach), Tammy Fleming (Kiev), Suzette Lewis (Toronto), Kay McKean (N.Virginia)