Trinity UMC 53rd Annual Women’s Day planned

The Rev. Dawn Hand, the newly appointed Director of Equity and Justice for the Western North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church, will be the guest speaker. Mrs. Sadie D. Jarvis will be honored as “Woman of the Year.

Hand, an ordained elder in the Western North Carolina Conference, brings a wealth of experience and a deep commitment to equity and justice to her new role. With a career spanning decades, including leadership positions as Central Maryland and Pittsburgh District Superintendent, Executive Pastor, and Director of Communications. Hand has consistently championed inclusivity and fairness. Her extensive background includes work in missional strategy, clergy supervision, and advocacy for marginalized communities, focusing on issues like immigration reform, children’s poverty, and affordable housing.

A graduate of Winston-Salem State University and Hood Theological Seminary, Hand’s passion for justice is rooted in her faith and a belief in the inherent value of diversity, which she views as a gift from God.

Jarvis is being recognized for her many years of outstanding service to the community and for her leadership and active service in support of the mission of United Women in Faith. She is a veteran educator with experience in the fields of education, guidance, and counseling.

Contributions are being collected to help support women’s missions. United Women in Faith’s 150 year old legacy began with a few bold women determined to change the world for the better. In 1972, United Methodist Women first became the women’s mission organization as part of The United Methodist Church’s Board of Global Ministries. Then in 2012, The United Methodist Church General Conference voted to make United Methodist Women’s national policymaking body autonomous. Today, the organization marks the beginning of a new era as “United Women in Faith.” They stand ready to not only continue the legacy but forge courageous new paths. With a mission to go wherever there is need, without hesitation, because the needs are great but the power, the resolve and the faith are even greater to equip, organize, educate, serve and advocate for those in need.