2010 BWA WOMEN'S LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE
By Patsy Davis
On Saturday, July 24, there was an air of excitement in the ballroom foyer of the Sheraton Waikiki Hotel as
Baptist women registered for the BWA Women’s Leadership Conference. There was an average of 750 women
participating each day, with attendance on some days reaching 800. There were 62 countries represented.
The theme “In Step with the Spirit” was inspired by Galatians 5:25: “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk
in the Spirit.” The conference focused on combating abuse and poverty to coincide with the United Nations
Millennium Development Goals focusing on ending poverty by 2015. Baptist women are striving to end these
problems by walking in the Spirit.
The opening session was the Aloha Dinner on Saturday, July 24. Deanna Aoki issued a warm welcome to
all present and table hostesses met participants with shell leis. The Aloha spirit was felt by everyone.
In greetings from David Coffey and Neville Callam, the Women’s Department was praised as an
organization of women known for creative and impressive leadership among Baptists worldwide.
Debbie Kelsey wrote the conference theme song, In Step with the Spirit, and led the worship team of
five. Debbie and several other worship team members are from Hawai‘i, which added to the richness of the
experience. The worship included music and creative dance from the different continental unions.
“Redeeming the Time,” was the theme throughout Dorothy Selebano’s presidential address. The Women’s
Department president reminded those present that “as women walking in step with Christ, we can influence the
world.” She spoke fondly of her past five years in office and confessed that initially, she was afraid until God
told her, “Dorothy, it is not about you. It is about me…you are an instrument in my hand, allow me to use you.”
Two full days were dedicated to leadership training beginning with Bible study, the presentation of the
state of women in the world paper, and responses from Baptist women who are doing something to change
the state of women in the world. The training concluded with a personal time of decision giving each person
an opportunity to write down what she is going to do to make a difference. Through these presentations the
women learned about 27 million women who will be trafficked into the sex trade in their lifetime and 1.5 billion
who will be abused. The women were overwhelmed by the information they received, but left motivated to
take the gospel and rehabilitation to prostitutes, abused women and the impoverished caught captive in every
corner of the world.
A special effort was made to bring one young woman from each of the continental unions to form the
Young Women’s Group. A team of 10 met daily in addition to attending all the general leadership sessions. The
following are some of their thoughts and reflections.
“Women not only bear the brand of poverty, but they also bear the brand of managing poverty. One woman
can change anything, but many women can change everything.” Asha Sanchu
“We learned that two billion women and children live in poverty, 600 million women and children are currently
hungry and 290,000 children under the age of six die every day due to the lack of good nutrition. The Bible study

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