30 Years of Women's Ministries

In 2025 Women’s Ministries is celebrating 30 years of service.
But its history started long before, when in 1898, Ellen White supported Sarepta Henry in organizing ministry for women in the Adventist Church. In the book Welfare Ministry page 145, Ellen White wrote, "The Lord has a work for women as well as for men. They may take their places in his work at this crisis and he will work through them. They can do in families a work that men cannot do, a work that reaches the inner life. They can come close to the hearts of those whom men cannot reach. Their labor is needed."
Initially, the women's ministries department nurtured, trained, and motivated women for service and outreach. Following Christ's method, Adventist women today reach out to people in their communities, meet their needs, and build friendships and trust. Following the women's ministries' agenda, they focus on six common global issues: illiteracy, abuse, poverty, health risks, workload, and the lack of mentoring and leadership training. In local communities and remote areas, Adventist women distribute food, clothes, blankets for widows, breast prostheses for women after mastectomies, dresses for orphan girls, and more. They conduct literacy counseling and health awareness programs and other workshops. During the women's ministries' end-it-now day which falls on the fourth Sabbath of August. Women conduct workshops, organize marches in their cities, promote healthy family relationships, and raise their voices against any form of violence. In the East, Central Africa, and Southern Africa Indian Ocean divisions, they opened women's centers of influence that have become rehabilitation and educational centers. There people learn new skills such as sewing, gardening, cooking, and computer science. These centers of influence change and save the lives of children, young girls, men and women, giving them a new perspective, hope and a better future.
Adventist women are also active in the distribution of literature and follow-up programs. They plant the seeds of truth and cultivate interests through different kinds of meetings, retreats, individual and small group Bible studies, creative Bible workshops, prayer groups, and social media, sharing Bible lessons, and other resources. Adventist women also participate in reaping campaigns, conduct evangelistic series, and make tireless efforts to preserve the harvest through visitations and the Am I My Sisters keeper program for reclaiming the lost. From 2022 to 2024 globally, 540,981 people were baptized because of the direct efforts of Adventist women and women's ministries activities and 282,411 people were reclaimed into the Adventist church. A genuine friendship with an Adventist often is at the heart of many people's conversions.
Watch the video report to hear the story of how Omobonike Sessou helped a friend find Jesus.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6g8sZjGqZ0