VALLEY FORGE, PA (ABNS 3/10/16)—American Baptist Women’s Ministries announces that Beth Hettrick Berry of the Wakefield Baptist Church in Wakefield, Rhode Island, has been named as the 2016 recipient of the Shine the Light Award.
The Shine the Light Award, established by American Baptist Women’s Ministries, ABCUSA, serves to recognize women who serve as outstanding light-bearers for Christ. The award highlights a specific ministry project or projects that best demonstrate how the individual or group receiving the award have spread the light of Christ through their congregation, their community, or the world; it highlights creativity and collaboration in ministry.
Beth Hettrick Berry has been named as the 2016 recipient of the award for her outstanding ministry work with students with special needs through the drama performance organization she founded, GEAR (Give Everyone a Role). Additionally, when realizing that once these students graduated they no longer had performance opportunities available to them, Beth collaborated with community agencies to create productions involving special needs adults cast alongside other actors and musicians. Beth also volunteers at the state Baptist camp and works with children and youth in the congregation. Her nominator, Nancy Bancroft, noted especially that Beth’s “everyday witness cannot be missed by all those with whom she works.”
AB Women’s Ministries Executive Director Virginia Holmstrom commented on Berry’s ministry, saying, “Gifted with skills in the performing arts, Beth invested her love for drama and her compassion for special needs students to generate an even larger blessing for the whole community. She shines the light of Jesus Christ through her ministry.”
Beth Hettrick Berry will be presented with the 2016 Shine the Light Award as part of American Baptist Women’s Ministries 65th Anniversary Celebration banquet at the AB Women’s Ministries’ national women’s and girls’ event, 3D: Dwelling, Discovering, Discipling, July 21-24, 2016, at the Washington Dulles Airport Hilton in Herndon, Virginia.
Past recipients of the Shine the Light Award, more information about the award and the nomination process may be found on the American Baptist Women’s Ministries website at www.abwministries.org/shinethelight, or contact the AB Women’s Ministries office at (610) 768-2288 or info@abwministries.org. Nomination forms for the 2017 award will be available in the fall of 2016.
American Baptist Women’s Ministries is a Christ-centered ministry with a commitment to encourage and empower women and girls to serve God.
American Baptist Churches USA is one of the most diverse Christian denominations today, with over 5,200 local congregations comprised of 1.3 million members, across the United States and Puerto Rico, all engaged in God’s mission around the world.