Seventh-day Adventist Church empowers women

THE Seventh-day Adventist Church has empowered not less than 6,000 women drawn from, who assembled at Babcock University campus, Ilishan-Remo, Ogun State, for skill development training.

The empowerment exercise, which commenced last Tuesday with leaders in the church, led by Western Nigeria Union Conference President, Pastor (Dr) Oyeleke Owolabi, as resource persons, will be rounded off today.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Pastor Owolabi, who said women were indispensable in nation building for sustainability and development, noted the need for women empowerment.

“Seventh-day Adventist Church believes in women empowerment for self-sustainability and also to be useful in the service of God and humanity. In this light, the  church embarked on periodical vocational and spiritual training of women across the globe,’’ Owolabisaid.

Director, Women’s Ministries Western Nigeria Union Conference, Mrs Victoria Omodan, in her address said the women ministries had empowered several women in the church in different fora  to address poverty, illiteracy and spiritual ignorance.

According to her, the church must engage women who were vulnerable to reduce their level of dependence in their communities.

Director, Northern Nigeria Union Conference Women’s Ministries, Mrs Palu Amala, said that women in the North were being empowered to be self-sufficient and appealed to government at all levels to dissociate politics from the ongoing insurgency and give room to for religious tolerance.

She added that the church would not relent in its efforts to support those affected in the ongoing crisis, irrespective of the tribe and religion.

Vice Chancellor, Babcock University, Professor Ademola Tayo, speaking on the theme of the conference, Revived to Serve, said the theme was apt and a welcome development, noting that the convention would provide a platform for spiritual and societal networking.