GC Session women’s meetings held by Shepherdess International and Women’s Ministries

[San Antonio, Texas] Janet Page, associate ministerial secretary, and Heather-Dawn Small, General Conference Women’s Ministries director, co-producers of the women’s meetings held during General Conference Session, July 6-9, introduced and thanked thirteen division coordinators for Shepherdess International (SI) and thirteen division directors for Women’s Ministries (WM) during the first meeting.

Women’s Ministries leaders celebrated the 20th anniversary of Women's Ministries as a department of the world Church with an anniversary cake. "The Early Years," a brochure recording the history and development of Women's Ministries and a 20th anniversary souvenir badge were also distributed during GC Session.

Several women were honored by Shepherdess International and Women’s Ministries for their life work ministering with women and for “being a vessel God can use.” Honorees: Nicolle Brisé, Inter-American Division evangelist; Adly Campos, international evangelist; Sharon Cress, past coordinator for Shepherdess International; Ruthie Jacobsen, North American Division prayer ministries director, Dr. Ella Simmons, first (and current) General Conference general vice president and advisor to GCWM; Ardis Stenbakken, past director of GC Women’s Ministries and editor of 17 women’s devotional books. Nancy Wilson also received gratitude for her sponsorship of SI as wife of GC president and for her support of enditnow.

Spiritual meetings in the morning featured a sermon presentation. Seminars in the afternoons featured topics for personal development. Sandra Entermann, recording artist from Australia, provided special music for each session. Video reports contributed by each division SI coordinator and division WM director were shown throughout the week of meetings.

Morning spiritual presentations

Dr. Ella Simmons, Be Prepared to Rise and Shine

Raquel Arrais, Be Prepared and Empowered

Janet Page, Be Prepared with Hope

Heather-Dawn Small, Be Prepared as Disciples

Afternoon seminar presentations

Dr. Janice Johnson Browne, The Cyclonic Power of Prayer

Dr. Arlene R. Taylor, Stressors & The Female Brain: "It's not that bad; just get over it!"

Dr. Abner Dizon and Mrs. Maila Dizon, Practical Approaches to Reaching non-Christian Women

Translation services for the meetings were offered in five languages: French, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, and Korean.

The Adventist Book Center’s exhibition store invited the women’s devotional book’s retiring editor Ardis Stenbakken and incoming editor Carolyn Sutton to autograph sessions for the newly released 2016 women's devotional, Living His Love.