Woman Alive to install new president
BARRIE, ON - After 28 years of non-stop ministry, Nell Maxwell is taking a break.
The founder and president of Women Alive is passing on the torch of leadership after more than two decades heading the national organization.
It wasn't an easy decision, says Maxwell.
"It's probably one of the most difficult challenges of my whole life. It's like giving your child away."
Maxwell, formerly a public health nurse, founded the organization in 1972, with the goal of helping women identify where they fit into the bigger picture of Christian ministry.
Currently there are 22 Women Alive conferences held annually across Canada, focusing on teaching deeper biblical truth and how the gospel relates to issues women face day to day.
The organization also includes couples' conferences and a Men Alive group, headed by Maxwell's husband Ted. Women Alive representatives also lend their voice to social concerns on issues such as child poverty, abortion, pornography and the role of women in Third World countries.
Maxwell plans a brief holiday, but will return to the ministry as president of marriages as well as speaking, teaching and writing a new book on relationships.
New leader
Margaret Gibb, regional director for Saskatchewan and Manitoba for the past three years, will take on the role of president in January. She says one of the biggest issues facing the organization at the present time is attracting a new generation of women.
"I really want to connect with women of various age groups to really find out what the needs of women are today, and then try our best to address those. It's logical that after 28 years in the life of any organization that it needs new vitality and new life and a new emphasis," she says.
Reaching the younger generation as well as ministering to the older generation is key, agrees national coordinator Kathleen Leadley.
"Most of the women in Women Alive were introduced in the 1970s and early 80s, so there's a whole generation in their 20s and 30s who may not have had as much experience with the name Women Alive or been to conferences. They have the post-modern mindset," she says.
"The gospel message is the same message but [the issue] is how do we package it so it's attractive to women of that age group."
Women are looking for direction in complicated life questions that didn't exist in the past, Leadley says, such as protecting children using the Internet and dealing with dual income families.
While some may try to tie Women Alive to feminist movements, Maxwell strongly stresses that is not the case. "We're really concerned with the issues that affect family values," she says.
"The only identification we would ever have with feminists is that we would want to see women's roles recognized as valued," she says. "More than anything it [Women Alive] is to help women find a sense of self-worth.
"I feel if a woman finds her role, who she is in Christ, she is able to contribute in a way that gives her a sense of confidence and competence and doesn't make her feel like a second class citizen."
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