History was made last week when United Methodists in Senegal hosted the West Africa Central Conference United Methodist Young Women’s Network. Delegates from six West African countries attended the four day gathering held in Dakar, Senegal’s capital city, September 2-5.
This was the first time that the young women of the four West African annual conferences and the two General Board of Global Ministries mission initiatives had gathered for an international event. The week was also historic in that this was the first time for the United Methodist Church in Senegal to host a Central Conference event.
A total of forty young women attended from Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Liberia, Cote d’Ivoire, Cameroon, as well as the host country of Senegal. They were joined by the West Africa Youth and Young Adult Executive Team, planning team members from Senegal, and leadership from the Women’s Division of GBGM led by Mrs. Finda QUIWA, the Women’s Division Regional Missionary for Youth and Young Adults for Sub-Sahara Africa.
Organized under the theme of Isaiah 1:18a, “Come, now let us reason together,” the gathering was officially opened on Thursday morning by Rev. Paul D. Messer, GBGM missionary, and Country Director for United Methodist ministries in Senegal, who was substituting for Bishop John K. Yambassu, Episcopal leader of the Sierra Leone Annual Conference, who was unable to arrive until Friday morning because of travel difficulties. Rev. Messer challenged the delegates to make their time together one of discussion, careful listening, and respectful argument as they addressed issues of HIV/AIDS, teenage and young adult pregnancy, Christian decision making, and the future shape of ministry with young women ages 18-30 in the West Africa Central Conference.
Delegates to the gathering say that the highlight of the week was getting to meet the young women from other countries and hearing what the United Methodist Church is doing in young women’s ministries in other countries. “It was exciting to see that people of different backgrounds and cultures can work together in the name of Jesus Christ,” said Greta AKO of Cameroon. “We have learned much to help us organize and educate young women in Cameroun on issues that are important to our health and faith. We are not going back empty!”