News and newsmakers PAST-PRESIDENT WITH THE LORD Few women accomplish as much in their lifetimes as Dr. Beverly Dunston Scott, who departed this life on July 11 at the age of 80. Armed with advanced degrees in nursing, community health, and urban planning, she was a member of the Rutgers University faculty for 23 years. Her extraordinary efforts to relieve poverty and suffering, locally and globally, earned her the Bucknell University Alumni Association Award for Service to Humanity in 2007. Through it all she was a passionate follower of Jesus Christ and an active parter in the 37-year ministry of her husband, the Rev. James A. Scott, at Bethany Baptist Church in Newark, New Jersey. Her obituary tells us she created an interdenominational agency to involve Christian lay people in public education; helped bring hospice to urban New Jersey communities; helped plan a church-sponsored primary school; constantly advocated for home and international missions; worked with homeless shelters; involved her church in outreach to public housing communities; created a GED program for high-school dropouts; advocated for teen mothers; and helped launch workshops for home ownership, financial planning, insurance and computer literacy. She visited 54 countries. As president of several international church organizations, she promoted the digging of wells, recruited health professionals to share their expertise, and generated support for a leprosy colony in India. As an advocate for women, she participated in a dialogue of religious leaders at the Vatican in 2000. She was vice-president of American Baptist Churches; president of Lott Carey Foreign Mission Society (Women's Division), and member of the Baptist World Alliance general board. NABWU was blessed to have Beverly as our president from 1997 to 2002. “She was strong and detail-oriented when presiding at meetings, but warm and caring in her conversations and frequent phone and mail contacts with us,” said Lenora Jamieson, who served on the executive at the time “She faced challenges with a positive attitude and a determination to carry our ministries forward," says Audrey Morikawa, Baptist World Alliance Women’s Department from 2000 to 2005. Beverly’s concern for promotion and a strong corporate image led, for one thing, to the launch of this website. BOUGHT THE T-SHIRT Thelma Wells, an internationally known speaker and writer, brought her inspiring stories and contagious joy to the 100th birthday celebrations of General Baptist Women’s Ministries,July 25-27 at the Gateway Centre in Collinsville, IL. COTTAGE SALE HELPS NABWU For almost 100 summers, missionaries and their families enjoyed vacations at the Canadian Baptist Women of Ontario and Quebec’s lakeside cottage in beautiful Muskoka. Last year, faced with declining demand and increasing costs, CBWOQ sold the cottage and put the proceeds into a “New Life” fund that benefits CBWOQ’s ministry partnerships, including NABWU and the BWA Women’s Department. In April, CBWOQ executive director Brenda Mann surprised the NABWU board with a cheque for $10.000. AMERICAN BAPTIST WOMEN MET IN PUERTO RICO Baptist women of Puerto Rico warmly welcomed 240 American Baptist women and girls attending the Uplifted By the Potter's Hands/Exaltadas en el poder de Dios 2011 Women's Day event on June 24, the opening day of the ABC Biennial Meetings, at the San Juan Convention Center. LATVIAN WOMEN AID CAMP FOR DISABLED CHILDREN Seventy physically and/or mentally handicapped children in Latvia experienced the joy of summer camp run by the Baptist young people of Latvia with enthusiastic and generous financial support from Women’s Ministries: Union of Latvian Baptists in America for the third successive year. The campers received one-on-one attention from camp staff, many of whom are seminary students. Sometimes this has been the first time anyone has paid any attention to these children. “It’s been a big blessing,” says Women’s Ministries president Benita Ukstins. WEEKEND FEATURED VIETNAMESE HEROINE In 1972 a photo of a child fleeing napalm bombs brought the world’s attention to the horrors of the Vietnam war. That child, Kim Phuc, is now a vibrant Christian living in Canada. Her captivating story of how she came to faith in Christ, married, built a new life, and met and forgave the American bomber who caused her suffering was a highlight of the Canadian Baptist Women of Ontario and Quebec’s Women’s Weekend Away, April 29 - May 1 in Brantford, Ontario. 125 YEARS OF WORK AND WITNESS NABWU congratulates the Woman’s Missionary Union of North Carolina, which has been celebrating its 125th anniversary this year. Special resources encourage women at the local church and Association levels to celebrate the past and anticipate the future. The grand festivities took place at the 2011 Missions Extravaganza, April 8-10 at LifeWay Ridgecrest Conference Center. The women chose the theme "Unhindered", based on Hebrews 12:1-2. OUR WOMEN AT THE UNITED NATIONS Because the Baptist World Alliance is a registered non-government agency at the United Nations, the BWA Women’s Department is invited each year to send representatives to the annual meeting of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women in New York. NABWU president Linda Weber attended 2011 conference with BWA-WD president Raquel Contreras of Chile and executive director Patsy Davis, along with Barbara Anderson, Virginia Holmstrom, Sandy Hasenauer, and Jasmine Turner of American Baptist Women’s Ministries. Their reports, a podcast, and an interactive “Free Rice” game are now posted on the BWA Women’s Department website. NABWU WENT TO HAWAII Every five years, North America’s Baptist women have the awesome and humbling privilege of connecting with their sisters from around the world at a leadership conference sponsored by the Baptist World Alliance Women’s Department. The 2010 conference, July 24-27 at the Sheraton Waikiki, focused on our response to the poverty and abuse endured by women and girls. We celebrated what God is doing through Baptist women to address these issues, prayed for one another, and committed ourselves to move forward “In Step with the Spirit.” “Today I was convicted by the Bible’s mandate and the moving stories of Baptist women around the world,” Melody Maxwell of Alabama, one of twelve young reporters on duty, reflected. “How much do I personally do to help the poor? Is my knowledge translating into action, or is it actually numbing me into complacency ... How will my life and your life change as a result of what I’ve heard today?” This once-every-five years event was sponsored by the Baptist World Alliance Women’s Department. Our Hawaiian sisters did a superb job of hosting this event. We applaud the dedicated local arrangements team coordinated by Deanna Aoki, the worship team led by Debbie Kelsey, and traditional dancers. You’ll find excellent reports, a video, and photos of the conference on the BWA Women’s Department website. You can even download the plenary messages on poverty and abuse given by our North American speakers, Susan Omanson and Evaleen Sargent (left), and other leaders from around the world. Prayers for each Continental Union were highlights each evening program. NABWU’s 2005-2010 prayer partners, Asia and the Caribbean, prayed for North America (above). These conferences are always a celebration of many cultures, expressed in music, dance, and national dress. Flashpoints, a dance and drama group from Illinois, vividly interpreted each session’s theme using props such as the butterfly. When it came to national dress, however, most North Americans got lost in the crowd of colorful Asian, African, and Fijian costumes.

News and newsmakers

PAST-PRESIDENT WITH THE LORD

Few women accomplish as much in their lifetimes as Dr. Beverly Dunston Scott, who departed this life on July 11 at the age of 80. Armed with advanced degrees in nursing, community health, and urban planning, she was a member of the Rutgers University faculty for 23 years. Her extraordinary efforts to relieve poverty and suffering, locally and globally, earned her the Bucknell University Alumni Association Award for Service to Humanity in 2007. Through it all she was a passionate follower of Jesus Christ and an active parter in the 37-year ministry of her husband, the Rev. James A. Scott, at Bethany Baptist Church in Newark, New Jersey.

Her obituary tells us she created an interdenominational agency to involve Christian lay people in public education; helped bring hospice to urban New Jersey communities; helped plan a church-sponsored primary school; constantly advocated for home and international missions; worked with homeless shelters; involved her church in outreach to public housing communities; created a GED program for high-school dropouts; advocated for teen mothers; and helped launch workshops for home ownership, financial planning, insurance and computer literacy. She visited 54 countries. As president of several international church organizations, she promoted the digging of wells, recruited health professionals to share their expertise, and generated support for a leprosy colony in India. As an advocate for women, she participated in a dialogue of religious leaders at the Vatican in 2000. She was vice-president of American Baptist Churches; president of Lott Carey Foreign Mission Society (Women's Division), and member of the Baptist World Alliance general board.

NABWU was blessed to have Beverly as our president from 1997 to 2002. “She was strong and detail-oriented when presiding at meetings, but warm and caring in her conversations and frequent phone and mail contacts with us,” said Lenora Jamieson, who served on the executive at the time “She faced challenges with a positive attitude and a determination to carry our ministries forward," says Audrey Morikawa, Baptist World Alliance Women’s Department from 2000 to 2005. Beverly’s concern for promotion and a strong corporate image led, for one thing, to the launch of this website.

BOUGHT THE T-SHIRT

Thelma Wells, an internationally known speaker and writer, brought her inspiring stories and contagious joy to the 100th birthday celebrations of General Baptist Women’s Ministries,July 25-27 at the Gateway Centre in Collinsville, IL.

COTTAGE SALE HELPS NABWU

For almost 100 summers, missionaries and their families enjoyed vacations at the Canadian Baptist Women of Ontario and Quebec’s lakeside cottage in beautiful Muskoka. Last year, faced with declining demand and increasing costs, CBWOQ sold the cottage and put the proceeds into a “New Life” fund that benefits CBWOQ’s ministry partnerships, including NABWU and the BWA Women’s Department. In April, CBWOQ executive director Brenda Mann surprised the NABWU board with a cheque for $10.000.

AMERICAN BAPTIST WOMEN MET IN PUERTO RICO

Baptist women of Puerto Rico warmly welcomed 240 American Baptist women and girls attending the Uplifted By the Potter's Hands/Exaltadas en el poder de Dios 2011 Women's Day event on June 24, the opening day of the ABC Biennial Meetings, at the San Juan Convention Center.

LATVIAN WOMEN AID CAMP FOR DISABLED CHILDREN

Seventy physically and/or mentally handicapped children in Latvia experienced the joy of summer camp run by the Baptist young people of Latvia with enthusiastic and generous financial support from Women’s Ministries: Union of Latvian Baptists in America for the third successive year. The campers received one-on-one attention from camp staff, many of whom are seminary students. Sometimes this has been the first time anyone has paid any attention to these children. “It’s been a big blessing,” says Women’s Ministries president Benita Ukstins.

WEEKEND FEATURED VIETNAMESE HEROINE

In 1972 a photo of a child fleeing napalm bombs brought the world’s attention to the horrors of the Vietnam war. That child, Kim Phuc, is now a vibrant Christian living in Canada. Her captivating story of how she came to faith in Christ, married, built a new life, and met and forgave the American bomber who caused her suffering was a highlight of the Canadian Baptist Women of Ontario and Quebec’s Women’s Weekend Away, April 29 - May 1 in Brantford, Ontario.

125 YEARS OF WORK AND WITNESS

NABWU congratulates the Woman’s Missionary Union of North Carolina, which has been celebrating its 125th anniversary this year. Special resources encourage women at the local church and Association levels to celebrate the past and anticipate the future. The grand festivities took place at the 2011 Missions Extravaganza, April 8-10 at LifeWay Ridgecrest Conference Center. The women chose the theme "Unhindered", based on Hebrews 12:1-2.

OUR WOMEN AT THE UNITED NATIONS

Because the Baptist World Alliance is a registered non-government agency at the United Nations, the BWA Women’s Department is invited each year to send representatives to the annual meeting of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women in New York. NABWU president Linda Weber attended 2011 conference with BWA-WD president Raquel Contreras of Chile and executive director Patsy Davis, along with Barbara Anderson, Virginia Holmstrom, Sandy Hasenauer, and Jasmine Turner of American Baptist Women’s Ministries. Their reports, a podcast, and an interactive “Free Rice” game are now posted on the BWA Women’s Department website.

NABWU WENT TO HAWAII

Every five years, North America’s Baptist women have the awesome and humbling privilege of connecting with their sisters from around the world at a leadership conference sponsored by the Baptist World Alliance Women’s Department. The 2010 conference, July 24-27 at the Sheraton Waikiki, focused on our response to the poverty and abuse endured by women and girls. We celebrated what God is doing through Baptist women to address these issues, prayed for one another, and committed ourselves to move forward “In Step with the Spirit.”

“Today I was convicted by the Bible’s mandate and the moving stories of Baptist women around the world,” Melody Maxwell of Alabama, one of twelve young reporters on duty, reflected. “How much do I personally do to help the poor? Is my knowledge translating into action, or is it actually numbing me into complacency ... How will my life and your life change as a result of what I’ve heard today?”

This once-every-five years event was sponsored by the Baptist World Alliance Women’s Department. Our Hawaiian sisters did a superb job of hosting this event. We applaud the dedicated local arrangements team coordinated by Deanna Aoki, the worship team led by Debbie Kelsey, and traditional dancers.

You’ll find excellent reports, a video, and photos of the conference on the BWA Women’s Department website. You can even download the plenary messages on poverty and abuse given by our North American speakers, Susan Omanson and Evaleen Sargent (left), and other leaders from around the world.

Prayers for each Continental Union were highlights each evening program. NABWU’s 2005-2010 prayer partners, Asia and the Caribbean, prayed for North America (above).

These conferences are always a celebration of many cultures, expressed in music, dance, and national dress. Flashpoints, a dance and drama group from Illinois, vividly interpreted each session’s theme using props such as the butterfly. When it came to national dress, however, most North Americans got lost in the crowd of colorful Asian, African, and Fijian costumes.

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