The Alliance Women at the Quadrennial: A Blessed Connection Among Sisters in Christ

After more than a year of preparation, the AWF Global Network of Alliance Women met in person during the Quadrennial Convocation in Guayaquil, Ecuador. Women from all over the world connected and shared blessed moments of prayer, Bible study and worship. Let us thank God for this incredible time they shared and the fruits of their meetings. May he continue to guide and bless our sisters.

It started in 2020, when AWF President Jura Yanagihara contacted regional and national women leaders to prepare workshops for the 2021 AWF Quadrennial Convocation. After that, the AWF Global Network of Alliance Women began meeting once a month through Zoom. In May 2021, they extended the invitation to women in other regions and countries who wanted to participate. More than 70 sisters connected virtually and prayed for one another, with new friendships and partnerships blossoming.

Women from all five AWF regions – Latin America, Africa, North America, Asia Pacific and Europe and the Middle East – were able to meet face to face at the Quadrennial conference in Guayaquil, Ecuador, October 19-24. It was a moment of joy, having only seen each other through a screen until then.

Eunice Lumawag, the leader of this ministry, described the experience, “The women not only connected with one another, but also prayed and got to know each other’s families and countries.”

They conducted three workshops for women. The first one, led by Mami Yanagihara and Isabel Muthre, was centered on new connections: they talked in groups, learned about one another’s ministries, families, countries, etc.

“Going Deeper: Listening to God through His Word and Prayer” was the theme of the second workshop, presented by Eunice Lumawag. The women focused on learning and relearning to walk with God. “It is something that we can carry each day as we continue to grow deeper in him and also share the learnings with our fellow women back home,” Eunice said.

The third workshop focused on “Going Beyond: Connecting to God’s Heart for the World.” Jen Vogel and Nadia Arias shared about their mission trip experience and how we can use our profession as a tool in sharing the gospel. Eunice added, “It was eye-opening to us as it made us think about what ministry we can be involved in in the future.”

All three workshops ended with a time of prayer. As Eunice put it, quoting A.B. Simpson, “Prayer is a link that connects us to God.” The women joined their hands to pray for one another, for the Alliance family and for God’s guidance and blessings.

How great is our God! We thank him for the unforgettable moments we shared during the Quadrennial.

As a result of this development and with the support and recognition by the AWF leadership, the AWF Women Ministries were formed. The team is comprised of Eunice Lumawag (facilitator) and Priskila Paksoal (Asia Pacific), Christine Amani and Marie-Claire Gla (Africa), Dalal Shawareb Shahatit (Europe and the Middle East), Isabel Freire de Muthre and Nadia Arias Reydet (Latin America), Jen Vogel and Monica Breault (North America), Mami Yanagihara and Beatrice Koopmann (AWF).

May the Lord continue to bless the Alliance women and use them to advance his kingdom.