President … Spring 2022
Greetings Everyone,
As I preside over my last board meeting as President it is with bittersweet joy that I leave this great ministry intact and stronger than ever before.
Under my watch, the following updates have occurred. As of July 29, 2021, we are now recognized as a 501 c (3) Non-Profit Charitable Corporation by the IRS. As of September 16, 2021, we are now recognized as a tax exempt non-profit with NYS Tax Exempt status and privileges. We are now recognized by the IRS as American Baptist Women’s Ministries of New York State Corp. We have updated our NYS checking account to include the use of a debit card. We have purchased our own projector for use at our meetings and conventions. To God be The Glory!
When I stepped into the role of President in April 2019, The Lord had other plans in mind for the world, which would change how I would preside as President, and not as the usual status quo President. In March of 202, the United States declared that we were in a global pandemic. Everything we knew as normal was changed. The United States went into a national lockdown to protect its citizens from this unknown once in a century pandemic. Our annual New York State convention was slated for the following month in April in Rochester, NY. The Lord redirected our steps in his will, so we cancelled the in-person convention and we went virtual via zoom, and we also conducted several teleconferences as well.
In the year 2021, things were not looking favorable for an in-person state convention by April, so we again went virtual via zoom. This virtual convention was a very nice convention and we all enjoyed it tremendously. The Lord saw fit to bring vaccines about in a record rate, and as the nation went about getting ourselves inoculated with the vaccine, the future began to look brighter. I have been a pandemic president, for two years, but… “I still give thanks to the Lord for he is good, for his mercy endures forever.” Psalm 136:1.
The Lord blessed this great ministry, to meet together in-person for the first time in two years for the October 2021 Fall Board meeting at the beautiful Chautauqua Harbor Hotel on the Chautauqua Lake; and what a time we all had! It was all in the atmosphere, just a joyous time of fellowship and love permeated the environment. We even had AB GIRLS in attendance, which prompted me to stop procrastinating and bring my three granddaughters, who are also AB GIRLS to this convention, so they can experience the love and the spiritual atmosphere of our gathering together. They are all here with me for this convention. This is ABWM NYS Corp, first in-person convention in three years. I’m looking forward to what the Lord has in store for us this weekend.
I would like to thank all the women and the Chairwomen who stayed in the positions and did their jobs to continue to make this great ministry work smoothly; it is God who gets the glory for keeping us together.
To God be the glory for the great things he is doing in our lives, what he has done in our lives, and for what he is going to do in all of our lives. It has been an honor and privilege to serve you as President, and I bid you farewell.
Rev. Grace Kelley-Neal Outgoing President, April 2022