The 2025 annual update from Baptist Women Chair Tanya Lameta
Reflecting on the highlights that we have managed to accomplish during this past year, it has been small wins with big impacts!
- In October 2024, Tanya and Iunisi travelled to Brisbane for the first Baptist Women Pacific region retreat to represent BWNZ.
- 2024 National Hui – the BWNZ facilitated the Acknowledgement to Baptist women leaders who have been mistreated within our Baptist movement
- National Hui women’s breakfast grew in numbers
- Jody Payne joined the board to represent the Lower South Island
- In May, Iunisi went to Tonga with Elissa Macpherson (Baptist Women of the Pacific president). There Iunisi preached, and got involved in women’s ministry and youth ministry.
- The five Regional Association Hui allowed space for BWNZ voices to be included
- Baptist Women of Pacific conference in Brisbane – the worship was led by Tanya’s worship team and Iunisi was one of the keynote speakers
- Baptist World Alliance Women’s summit – Tanya’s worship team sang to represent Baptist Women of the Pacific region and New Zealand, and Iunisi ran a breakout session
- Baptist World Congress – our BWNZ were proud to attend along with our wider Aotearoa Baptist family, and Roi Nu performed with the Australian and New Zealand Kachin cultural group
- The 2025 Baptist Women’s World Day of Prayer is scheduled during the months of October and November. BWNZ are working alongside pastors and churches to have people gather for a time of prayer for women in our local Baptist churches, Baptist churches of the Pacific region, and worldwide.
The Baptist World Congress this year instilled some great new initiatives that our board members are looking forward to rolling out for New Zealand over the next coming year for our women in leadership, women in churches, and women in missions.
We have built strong connections with the Baptist Women of the Pacific region, and we plan to continue our missional relationship that New Zealand and Papua New Guinea began many years ago.
There is still more work to be done, and we will continue to stay in prayer for new members to join BWNZ as we farewell others. We have been busy, and we love it! We are grateful for Angus Budge (National Council) who has been a supportive sounding board for our ideas, goals and structure. We look forward to working with the new National Leader and hope to share the heartbeat of BWNZ accordingly.
We would like to thank Charles Hewlett who has supported our work, our travel, and our voices. We love you and your aiga (family) – fa’afetai tele lava Charles!
The proverb "pikipiki hama kae vaevae manava" is a Tongan saying that literally means "bind or link strongly the canoes together to the outrigger of the vaka moana and share the breath". It represents the importance of lashing together community, mutual support, sharing of knowledge and resources during challenging times. An ancient practice for stability, rest and exchange before continuing the voyage.
Soifua.
This report is from the 2025 Annual Report of the Baptist Churches of New Zealand which can be viewed here.
Image: Baptist Women of the Pacific Conference
