SPOTLIGHT ON CHARLOTTE CONWAY: A LIFE OF SERVICE AND COMPASSION

Believing in the equality between men and women when it comes to being called to pastoral ministry and understanding that women needed to be prepared professionally to become pastors and to move into leadership positions,Charlotte Conway, a believer in the leadership of Miriam of biblical history, joined Time for Equality in Adventist Ministry (TEAM). This move was based on the discussion that grew out of the 2015 General Conference Session in San Antonio, Texas when a vote was taken on whether each Division could make their own decisions regarding women’s ordination.

Now, for over 15 years, Charlotte Conway has served as the treasurer of TEAM, a role she embraces with unwavering dedication and grace. She oversees more than $100,000 donations that come in to help women world-wide to prepare for pastoral ministry. Her stewardship has helped sustain and grow the organization’s mission to promote

gender equality within Adventist ministry through educational scholarships, ensuring that voices long marginalized are heard, supported, and empowered.

Charlotte’s influence reaches fare beyond spreadsheets and budgets. Her entire life has been a testament to service—quiet, steadfast, and deeply compassionate. Experiencing the loss of her spouse, she and her colleagues created a heartfelt ministry called Heartlifters in 2017. The gathering grew to include anyone experiencing the loss of a spouse through death, divorce, or dementia. Heartlifters has flourished as a meaningful, com-passionate outreach ministry, lifting up those walking through some of life’s deepest valleys.

Retired, Charlotte continues to serve both TEAM and Heartlifters in between playing the

piano, knitting cozy creations, and mentoring. TEAM honors Charlotte not only for years of service but for the integrity and vision she brings to every aspect of her work.

When asked, Is there a favorite story, event, factoid, anecdote, personal reflection that you

would like to share? Charlotte responded:

One evening, my phone rang, and it was an unfamiliar number and I wondered if I should

answer it. Something urged me to pick it up and an unfamiliar voice stated her name and began to tell me that she had just graduated from Andrews University with an MDiv and was being hired as a pastor in a nearby conference. Then she told me the reason for her call. Three years earlier, she had been working in the North American Division as an Administrative Assistant and I had come to pick up an envelope she had prepared for me.

We began a conversation and she told me of her dream to become a pastor, but couldn’t afford to go back to school. So, I told her about TEAM and the scholarships that were available. What I didn’tknow was that she had followed up and applied for a TEAM scholarship and began her studies at Andrews. Then she told me, as she broke down in

tears, “I would have never been able to go back and get my MDiv without TEAM and if you had not told me about TEAM, I would not have graduated and been hired as a pastor. I needed to call you and thank you.”