NAD Holds First Annual Conference on Women in Adventist History
4 October 2023 |
The North American Division (NAD) Office of Archives, Statistics, and Research is set to host the inaugural Women in Seventh-day Adventist History research conference next weekend, from October 12-14, 2023, according to an NAD press release. This event will be held at the Sligo Adventist Church, situated within the Washington Adventist University campus in Takoma Park, Maryland. An array of researchers will be presenting, shedding light on the pivotal roles and stories of historical Adventist women.
Distinguished keynote speakers gracing the event include Ella Simmons, the former vice-president of the General Conference; Anneke Stasson, acclaimed author of “Women in the Mission of the Church”; Heidi Olson Campbell, a prominent women’s historian and the voice behind the podcast “Women in Adventist History”; and sociologist Laura Vance. Participants can anticipate insightful presentations that highlighting the vast contributions of Adventist women – from missionaries, evangelists, and Bible workers to educators and medical practitioners.
Kicking off on Thursday evening, the conference will be inaugurated with an address by NAD president G. Alexander Bryant. The subsequent days will be packed with devotionals, academic papers, and comprehensive sessions. Highlights include a Friday evening feature with Ann Roda, vice-president of Adventist HealthCare for Mission Integration; a presentation on Millerite women by Kevin Burton on Friday morning; and a Saturday morning dialogue led by Adventist women leaders. An added bonus for attendees is a Saturday afternoon tour exploring local Adventist heritage sites, which pays homage to the invaluable contributions of Adventist women in the vicinity of the former main headquarters in Takoma Park.
Topics for discussion are wide-ranging: from women in diverse church roles, to academic contributions, roles in social justice and leadership, economic impacts on women’s roles in both domestic and societal spheres, and to the influence of women in arts and healthcare.
The conference includes the goal of fostering scholarship and compiling papers for a prospective book, meant to raise awareness of women’s seminal contributions throughout Adventist chronicles. The recent Pathfinder honor for Women in Adventist History is also meant to raise awareness and was released in anticipation of this event.
Registration for the event can be found at: NADadventist.org/WomensHistoryConf.
