President … Fall 2016
In the winter 1966 edition of The American Baptist Women’s magazine, Ruth Gray wrote:
“May we who serve in places of leadership wear our mantle of responsibility loosely lest we become so set in established ways that we are not receptive to unexpected developments and new relevant ideas.”
As American Baptist Women, we ponder and worry about the future of our organization, as well as our churches in general, as we see more and more decline.
Jesus came into the world to change the way we worship, live our lives and the way we connect with God. He taught us about God’s love and desire for relationship.
As I have mentioned before, change is a scary thing. We are comfortable in the way we do things.
The Jews were comfortable with the way they worshipped and related to God and each other. We are comfortable with the way we worship and relate to God and each other. So the question comes to mind; are we too set in our established ways? Are we receptive to unexpected developments and new relevant ideas?
In April, we studied Isaiah 43:19; God is telling the people that He is doing a new thing. “Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?” God is stirring the pot and unexpected developments and new relevant ideas are in the steam.
At the recent meeting of the state board ideas were shared on ways to become more visible and inviting; ways to become more attractive to the woman in the pew who doesn’t identify with American Baptist Women and the girls we are meant to mentor. We hope to put some of those ideas in place for the near future.
I am asking each person reading this to pray and meditate on what you can do to help women and girls in your life (not just in the pew next to you) to be empowered to become the child of God He wants them to be.
Are you ready to let God out of the box where you/we have Him neatly tucked?
Are you ready to try “a new thing”?
I look forward to working with you to energize American Baptist Women’s Ministries of New York State.
Blessings, Lillian
“We cannot transforms the world until we transform ourselves.”
– Barbara Brown Taylor
