 |
The women of the American Baptist Churches General Executive Council met April 4 - 7, 2008, prior to the spring meeting of the General Executive Council at the Canterbury Retreat Center in Oviedo, Florida. The Together in Ministry project underwrote the retreat for its collegial purposes: to refresh the women spiritually as individuals and as sisters, and to strengthen them for their leadership in the General Executive Council. |
Nine women members of the General Executive Council met under the facilitation of two expert women in ministry, Margaret Cowden and Trinette McCray. The retreat ended with anointing the room for the GEC meeting that was to follow in that same space. The anointing was a powerful symbol of the presence of the Spirit among retreat participants to be shared with the remaining GEC members when they arrived.
Some comments from participants:
“It was a rich and valuable experience for me. It served to help prepare me/us for the upcoming meeting with prayer, worship, honest and forthright dialogue, valuable conversations.”
“Later, during the GEC sessions, we could remember details of our retreat in one or another place in the room, and gain strength from the sweet memory. We all agreed that as women, we share unique perspectives, while at the same time acknowledging that that doesn't mean we always agree with each other. As women, we have the ability to stay focused on the task at hand in ways that value the importance of relationship and working together through tough issues. Standing together as women in the GEC is more about supporting each other in ways the enhance the group's ability to actually hear our voices, than it is necessarily about speaking with one voice. Being heard is the first step towards having our voices and input actually impact denominational decisions and processes.”
“I think the women gave to the entire group a look at partnership as colleagues that was based on positive, faithful and hopeful collaboration. We are called by Christ to serve and be served. In the context of the group experience, there is a special balance of assertion of influence and corresponding humility to surrender ego required by each of us so we can listen to each other. This calls for trust.”
Do you see value in future such gatherings? “Oh yes--I didn't think I had time to do this retreat and frankly when in part because of a sense of obligation to those facilitating the meeting, not because I assumed I would benefit personally. I was wrong--there was great personal benefit for me, particularly in the breaking down of some walls, and in providing me (someone who flies solo most of the time) with a sense of community that will keep me and my mission connected to ABC, in part through my elder sisters in the faith and in ABC leadership.”