wfn.org | ABCUSA: Women's National Prayer Breakfast Set for Jan. 29

["SCHRAMM, Richard" <Richard.Schramm@abc-usa.org>]

American Baptist News Service (Valley Forge, Pa. 1/14/03)--Women religious
leaders from across the U.S. will gather at the Willard International Hotel
in Washington D.C. on Jan. 29 for the first national prayer breakfast
organized by women.  The event, sponsored by the Global Peace Initiative of
Women Religious and Spiritual Leaders, is planned as a call to prayer
following the final report on weapons inspection in Iraq scheduled to be
delivered to the United Nations on Jan. 28.

Women leaders from all the major faith traditions will lead a one-hour
session of prayer and reflection for the nation and the world, beginning at
7:30 a.m.  A breakfast will follow, with presentations on peace-building
efforts by women and ways women from government, business and religion can
collaborate.  As chair of the Global Peace Initiative of Women Religious and
Spiritual Leaders, the Rev. Joan Brown Campbell, an ordained American
Baptist and former general secretary of the National Council of Churches,
will open the ceremonies and preside at the prayer breakfast.

American Baptist women will be represented at the event.  "I am encouraged
by this historic occasion to gather with other women of faith to tangibly
express our deep desire for peaceful resolution of conflicts in our world,"
said Virginia Holmstrom, executive director of American Baptist Women's
Ministries, who encourages American Baptist women to join her at the event.
"We need to be in prayer during the critical days during which governments
will form responses to the Iraq weapons inspection report to the United
Nations," she said.  "Women everywhere are touched by the effects of
war-women of war-torn countries struggle to provide for their families, and
women watch their loved ones being called to war.  Women also can have a
role in the prevention, resolution and healing of conflict.  This is our
call to prayer."

There is no registration cost.	Interested women are encouraged to RSVP by
contacting Marianne Marstrand at (212)593-6438 or marstrandm@ruderfinn.com.

K/2003ABNS/03ABN8

American Baptist News Service: Office of Communication, American Baptist
Churches USA, P.O. Box 851, Valley Forge, PA 19482-0851; (800)ABC-3USA x2077
/ (610)768-2077; fax: (610)768-2320; www.abc-usa.org;
richard.schramm@abc-usa.org