Women Equipping Believers, Evangelizing Unbelievers

When Jesus was leaving earth to go to His Father, He gave His authority and power to His followers and commanded them to “go.” In answer to the Great Commission, the Southern Union Women’s Ministries Department in the United States is committed to equipping believers and evangelizing unbelievers. Through impactful initiatives like evangelism training, evangelism series, and mission trips, women demonstrate a commitment to spreading the gospel and empowering women globally.

Equipping Believers

The Southern Union Executive Committee decided to offer evangelism training at the Women’s Ministries Annual Spring Advisory Summit earlier in 2024. Participants received training in the art of evangelism. Key speakers included Carolyn Sutton from Adventist World Radio, who discussed both traditional and digital AI evangelism; and Bryant Taylor and Kirk Nugent, who presented “Digital Discipleship,” where each did a podcast.

Workshops by Roger Hernandez, Southern Union ministerial and evangelism director, and Kathy Hernandez, ministerial and evangelism assistant director, emphasized practical support for churches preparing for evangelistic outreach. Richie Halverson, Southern Union church growth and revitalization director, highlighted evangelism as a lifestyle, coining the term “evange-living.”

Evangelizing Unbelievers

Several conferences in the Southern Union territory have held evangelism series hosted by women trained at the 2024 summit.

In the South Central Conference, the New Life Church in Huntsville, Alabama, led by local pastor Nelson Stokes, hosted “Rebound, a 10 Days of Inspiration Series.” With much prayer, Shirley Scott, Southern Union Conference women’s ministries director, organized the series. She was assisted by women’s ministries leaders Carolyn Jordan and Cynthia Douglas, Bible worker Gloria Bell, and other department leaders who worked untiringly to ensure total church involvement. The church used digital discipleship, including text messages, emails, and social media to invite the community. Scott thanked the Southern Union Conference for assistance through financial support and encouragement.

The kickoff event was a community-wide barbecue, drawing hundreds of neighbors. The day included food, fun, and fellowship. Bible workers used the opportunity to offer Bible studies and make appointments. The visits allowed the team to pray for and encourage many individuals in their homes.

Nicole Stokes, South Central Conference evangelist, is a millennial who delivered relatable messages that resonated with attendees. Her authenticity and practical approach to life issues, combined with her use of the Bible and personal experiences, made her messages transformative. The Holy Spirit’s presence was evident, with attendees feeling personally addressed by her sermons.

The 10-day series was well attended. Vacation Bible School, light evening meals, food boxes, and diapers blessed the community. The impact of the series resulted in 12 baptisms and several requests for Bible studies.

In the Carolina Conference Hispanic Churches, a vision was realized with Janet Paulino, Carolina Conference assistant women’s ministries director, at the helm. The evangelistic project had the support of Ricardo Palcios, Carolina Conference Hispanic ministries director. Elizabeth Talbot, of Jesus 101 Biblical Institute, provided guidance on using her study, “Jesus Wins,” to prepare women for leading evangelistic series.

Women from the local churches responded positively to the call to preach the gospel. Some churches had a different woman preaching each day of the week, while others had the same preacher throughout the week. With divine providence, the evangelism series witnessed a remarkable spiritual awakening, resulting in the salvation of 170 individuals. Others are currently engaged in Bible studies, deepening their understanding of the faith.

Mission beyond Borders

The Southeastern Conference held a women’s evangelism series in Panama City, Panama. During the “Love Beyond Borders” initiative, under the leadership of Esmeralda Guzman, Southeastern Conference women’s ministries director, women boldly evangelized across the city.

The trip included 20 women, four men, and three young people. Before embarking on this mission, the group completed 20 hours of cross-cultural missions and evangelism training from Samuel Telemaque, Inter-American Division director of missions. Michael Owusu, Southeastern Conference president, his wife, Brenda, and Southeastern Conference secretary Pierre Francois joined the group and conducted a one-week evangelistic series, holding 26 simultaneous campaigns.

A total of 91 precious people were added to the body of Christ. In addition to preaching and presenting special features such as health and children’s programs, they raised US$1,000 to provide hygiene packs to incarcerated women who were baptized.

Evangelism is a lifestyle in the Southern Union territory, and women are constantly being equipped to evangelize, adding to the church daily such as to be saved.

The original version of this story was posted by Southern Tidings.