Many Gifts, One Mission: Women Serving at the Caribbean Union Conference Session
Women served in diverse roles at CARU’s 18th Session, showing that every gift is needed and valued in advancing the Church’s mission.
Reading time | 4 mins
“All are gifted, needed and treasured,” stated Sis. Debra Henry, Women’s Ministries Director, CARU.
Eyes trained to recognise guests in need, the women of the Adventist Ushers for Christ Hospitality Ministry (AUFCHM) slipped quietly among delegates, guests and visitors to the 18th Session of the Caribbean Union Conference. Founded in Saint Lucia by Sis. Denise Fontenelle-Holder, the ministry began in 2009 as SDA Ushers for Christ and now totals 893 certified ushers across the Caribbean Union. Whether offering a word of welcome, directing guests to seats, or even solving logistical challenges, they practice humility in service. As Patron of the AUFCHM, Dr. Kern Tobias, immediate past president of the Caribbean Union Conference (CARU), shared that “hospitality is a biblical mandate.”
With chapters in six of the 10 fields of CARU, AUFCHM was born out of Sis. Fontenelle-Holder’s many years of ushering in church and zonal crusades. Formalizing the structure and operation of the group was her response to a God-given directive to transform her years of specialized industry experience into meaningful service.
Throughout the auditorium, women dedicated to serving God and the church, like those of the AUFCHM, can be found serving in an amazing variety of roles. Some sit as delegates, helping to make decisions that will influence the future of the Church in the Caribbean. Others coordinate logistics, lead worship, document the proceedings, manage communications, and welcome guests from across the Union. Together, their contributions reflect a shared commitment to ministry and mission.
"If we would humble ourselves before God, and be kind and courteous and tender-hearted and pitiful, there would be one hundred conversions to the truth where now there is only one." — Ellen G. White (Testimonies for the Church, vol. 9, p. 189).
For many women attending the Session, service is not confined to a title or department. Rather, it is who they are and how they use their unique giftedness to assist others, whether through years spent teaching Sabbath School classes, mentoring young people, leading community outreach programmes, serving as conference directors, school principals, hospital administrators, and other leadership roles in Adventist institutions, and elsewhere in the public and private sectors. Women’s Security Officer, Karen Mark-Reyes, felt “grateful to meet and help people as they attend the session.” With a radiant smile, she explained that her naturally pleasant personality lends itself to making people feel welcomed and comfortable – that is her biblical mandate.
Among the delegates were women from different territories, professions, and generations, each bringing unique experiences and perspectives. Yet common threads emerge in their stories—deep faith, a commitment to service, and a desire to see the Church flourish throughout the Caribbean. Ambulance driver Janine Simon, understands that her appointed role of transporting sick persons to the hospital is also service to God. “Helping those in need is an important ministry.”
Romans 12:4–6, “For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office, so we, being many, are one body in Christ,” aptly summarises their service. The Session itself is a living expression of that truth. Every role—whether highly visible or quietly performed behind the scenes—contributes to the Church's larger mission.
As the proceedings continued, the women serving at the Caribbean Union Conference Session reminded us that ministry takes many forms. From the production booth to the delegate floor, from the worship platform to the registration desk, their gifts, leadership, and dedication help shape not only this gathering but also the future of the Church across the Caribbean.
“We look forward to the future with the same commitment: to empower every woman to use her gifts for the kingdom of God.” – Sis. Debra Henry, Women’s Ministries Director, CARU.
Credits
Photo credit: Communication CARU