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.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.
Buffalo, New York
Our Buffalo, NY team, led by Geri Daniels and Brenda Johnson, is with Pakistani immigrants from First Baptist Church of Niagara.
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 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Our Philadelphia, PA leadership, led by Rev. Dr. Suzanne Kershaw, 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.
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 Providence, Rhode Island
Our Rhode Island team, led by Ann McGloshen, 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.
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. |