To usher in Women's History Month, the Women’s Empowerment Association of Andrews University (WEAAU) hosted Proximity Vespers on Friday, Mar. 5th. Caryn Cruz (sophomore, English), co-president of the club, introduced the theme of the night, “Identity.” She reminded the audience to remember that women are daughters of God. Lisiane Umuhire (junior, behavioral neuroscience), the religious vice president, invited the audience to assume a mindset of gratitude for all God has done.
After praying, the praise team sang songs that revolved around the central theme of “Identity.” Then an all female team sang, “I am chosen, not forsaken, I am who you say I am,” a wonderful reminder that our value is founded in Christ. After hearing the beautiful harmonies and words of these songs, Laura Fierce (senior, digital communication) shared a spoken word poem. Then, Danielle Pilgrim, Associate University Chaplain at Andrews, introduced the panel for the night. The panel members were Stacie Hatfield, professor of Anthropology in the department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Gabriela Francisco (junior, sociology) and Keila Carmona (graduate, young adults & youth ministry, social work).
Chaplain Pilgrim asked many probing questions about the nature of being a woman in the Seventh-day Adventist church. Questions such as, have you doubted yourself as a woman, how has society shaped your view of women, and how has the Bible played a role in the way that you view yourself as a woman were answered through different perspectives. From these questions came wisdom and deep insight on the struggle but blessing of being a woman. Cameron Mayer (junior, speech pathology) shared, “I really enjoyed how Keila said that God made man and woman in His image and that in order to understand God’s image fully, we need women. I felt like that statement gave me so much purpose and I’m really happy she shared that thought with us.” Keila’s comment enforced the idea that a woman’s identity is hinged on Christ’s identity.
Megan Napod (senior, speech-language pathology, audiology) wrote, “Professor Hatfield’s answers really rang deep in my thoughts and made me think more about what it means to be a woman. She spoke so eloquently and clearly, it was inspiring.” Professor Hatfield spoke about the need to empower all kinds of women and think broadly about their strength. When reminiscing on the events of the night, Keila Mapp (junior, biology) shared how this vespers service impacted her. She said, “Seeing how other women view their value in Christ caused me to look at the roles of women in the Bible differently. It also inspired me to reevaluate my self-perception as a woman in the church and what I can offer by being a woman.” WEAAU’s Identity themed vespers resonated in the hearts and minds of many, reminding us that when we uplift women, we uplift the image of God.
Originally published on March 9, 2021.
The Student Movement is the official student newspaper of Andrews University. Opinions expressed in the Student Movement are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors, Andrews University or the Seventh-day Adventist church.