American Baptist Women Ministries (ABWM)
American Baptist Women’s Ministries became a national organization 1951, with the formation of the National Council of American Baptist women. But women’s ministries in our denomination began long before 1951. For well over a century, women have been strong partners in the American Baptist family- raising money for missions at home and abroad, sending missionaries, and ministering in local churches and communities.
Through the years, women have shaped their ministries to meet emerging needs. The Woman’s Baptist Society, organized in 1871 (the forerunner of the Woman’s American Baptist Foreign Mission Society), focused on women in other lands. The Women’s American Baptist Home Mission Society, formed in 1909, centered on evangelism in the United States. The World Wide Guild was established in 1915 to train, inspire, and empower girls for Christian ministry and leadership; it became a program of Educational Ministries. In 1992, AB Women’s Ministries affirmed and accepted all responsibility for the girls’ ministry and organized it as AB GIRLS.
(NOTE: ABWM is made up of both lay women and women who are professional church leaders. If you want information aimed solely at women in professional ministry, then you need to search on American Baptist Women in Ministry/ABWIM or Women in Ministry (Professional Church Leaders) instead.
Greetings from Connie Tingle, ABWM of IN/KY President
It has been my privilege to serve as your president since November 1, 2025. My term will end in October 2028, and I look forward to working alongside you, doing what God calls us to do. What a privilege it is to count you as sisters. May God continue to bless you as you seek His will. Remember, you are blessed to be a blessing!
To read a brief description of the 2025-2027 ABWM Ministry focus, go HERE.
For a list of 2026 ABWM of IN/KY Officers, go HERE.
If you would be interested in serving as an ABWM Officer/Committee Member in the future or have someone to suggest, please download and print/fill out this Nominating Committee Form HERE and return it to Valorie Cole, Nominating Committee Chair, at one of the two addresses listed below:
Valorie Cole
By US Mail:
105 Candy Ln
Peru, IN 46970
(The 2026 form will be uploaded soon, but is the same as 2026! …Just change the date at the top of the form for now.)
To review the ABWM of IN/KY Bylaws, which were adopted on Women’s Day, hosted by Anderson FBC (Oct. 14, 2023), go HERE.
Upcoming ABWM dates to track on:
Saturday, April 24 & 25, 2026 – ABWM of IN/KY Officers Retreat (Location: Seasons Lodge, Nashville, IN) – Open to Officers & Committees Only
Saturday, June 27, 2026 – ABWM of IN/KY Summer Conference (Location: Franklin College Napolitan Student Center in Franklin, IN). – Open to American Baptist Women of IN/KY. All ladies are welcome to attend! Overnight accommodations may be made at nearby motels.
Saturday, October 10, 2026 – ABWM of IN/KY Women’s Day – (Location: First Baptist Church, Columbus, IN). All ladies are welcome to attend! Overnight accommodations may be made in the Columbus or Edinburgh/Taylorsville Areas if interested.
The 2026 ABWM of IN/KY Scholarship Application is available HERE! (Annual Deadline: February 15th).
