Dozens of Seventh-day Adventist women leaders participated in the first region-wide Women’s School of Evangelism in Ñaña, Peru, March 11-15.  

Organized by the South American Division (SAD), the administrative region covering eight South American countries, the event brought together women who are leaders of unions and administrative fields of the Adventist Church in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador, Uruguay, Paraguay, and Peru for training, worship, and inspiration. 

The facilities of the John N. Andrews Auditorium of Peruvian Adventist University were the venue for the event that enlisted 50 women leaders, who participated in the development and organization of the initiative. The Women’s School of Evangelism, which Adventist leaders called “a historic event,” included reports and presentations, seminars, visits to Bible students, and personal testimonies that sought to motivate Adventist women leaders and provide them with tools to do evangelism. 

Women on a Mission 

According to the latest statistics, Adventist women comprise a clear majority of church membership in South America. It is certainly a force to be reckoned with when thinking of preaching the gospel, regional leaders said. “The first Women’s School of Evangelism is an opportunity to combine theory with practice, instilling, first in the leaders, the knowledge that will later be taken to the thousands of Adventist women in different countries,” organizers explained. 

Jeanete Lima Pinto, SAD women’s ministries director, explained that the goal is for women to be intentionally engaged in evangelism. “[Adventist Church co-founder] Ellen G. White said that if there were 20 women where today there is only one," we would see many more converted to the gospel, Lima said. “That statement reminds us that the value and importance of women in mission is special.... We dream of having more women involved.” 

Evangelists Training Leaders 

Besides Lima, the facilitators and speakers included SAD and Novo Tempo TV evangelist Rafael Rossi, South Peru Union Mission evangelist Heyssen Cordero, and North Peru Union Mission evangelists Héctor Roncal and Edison Choque. Women leaders who provided training and inspiration included women’s ministries directors Elena Zubieta (North Peru Union Mission), Fernanda Schuabb (Ecuador), and Waleska Blu (Chile). 

SAD leaders explained that the regional women’s ministries department “is committed to generating adequate spaces to train its leaders to bring the message of hope to more people.” 

According to the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, its Department of Women’s Ministries exists “to uphold, encourage, and challenge Adventist women in the pilgrimage as disciples of Jesus Christ and members of His world church.” Every major church region has its own women’s ministries department, which provides coordinated support, training, and inspiration to Adventist women around the world. 

The original version of this story was posted on the South American Division Spanish-language news site.