Last weekend in Birmingham, around 800 women gathered at Aston University for the 2005 Baptist World Alliance (BWA) Women's Leadership Conference under the theme "Seeing with New Eyes".

The Conference came days before the BWA Centenary Congress that will commence tomorrow, and has given the Baptists more insights on women’s issues.

The opening ceremony itself has shown the unity in diversity of the Baptist family. Many of the attendees wore their national costumes in celebration - Nigerians in purple and white, Native Americans in flowing dresses, Koreans and Japanese in vivid silks, Latin Americans in tiered skirts. Breaking down the walls of difference, all women are united in Christ and came to see themselves, their Lord and their world with new eyes.

The purpose of the conference was to bring Baptist women together and to discover how God is working through women. In addition, it can also raise awareness of the issues that affect women's lives, so that women can become better equipped to fulfil Christ's purpose in the world.

The main session on Sunday focused on women's identity, drawing on Scriptures such as Genesis 1 and Luke 1, as well as sociological perspectives on the role of women in the 21st century. On Monday, they looked into the changing roles of women in the family and some other individual issues.

Other highlights included a look back over the history of the Women's World Day of Prayer; presentations by each continental Union showing how God was helping them to see their own particular situations with new eyes; times of reflection and sharing in response to the teaching; and a song written especially for the conference by Canadian singer/songwriter and worship leader, Bev Foster.

Dr Audrey Morikawa of Canada shared the five-year experience of being the President of the BWA Women’s Department, "...I have come to realise the cost for many women of following Christ. My hope is that in coming together we can support and strengthen each other to live and serve where God has placed us, however difficult that place may be."

Dr Morikawa complimented the British Baptists for hosting the conference, "The lack of a British Women's Department to provide the local organisation was a potential problem, but the support network for ministerial spouses, Connexion, rose to the challenge and did a great job."

The BWA Women’s Leadership Conference is sponsored by the Women's Department of the BWA every five years. The BWA Women’s Department brings together women from 132 countries and 229 national Baptist women's organisations.