What does recovery from trauma look like when it’s led by women, for women, and grounded in gospel-shaped hope? That’s the heartbeat of Banksia Women—a Sydney-based ministry supporting women who’ve experienced domestic abuse. 

Founded in 2019, Banksia Women walks alongside women in their healing journey—offering care, connection, and community in the name of Christ. With the help of a Women in Ministry Support Scheme (WIMSS) grant from ADM, Banksia Women has been able to grow its services and strengthen the gospel foundations that shape every aspect of their work. 

If there’s anyone qualified to prepare a series of workshops to equip pastoral caregivers, ministry staff and everyday Christians to better serve the mental health needs of their churches and communities, it’s Miriam. Yet if it weren’t for her six-month period as an ADM Fellow, the workshops simply wouldn’t exist.

Living Water, a church plant under the Evangelism and New Churches arm of the Anglican Diocese of Sydney, regularly holds services and gatherings in Redfern Park, rather than inside their building. By doing this, they are better able to engage with the community of Redfern, and also support their largely Indigenous congregation to embrace their connection to country.

Recently, Living Water Church, through one of their team members Bridget Allen, were recipients of a Women in Ministry Support Scheme grant from ADM. Part of this grant has been used to purchase a portable barbeque which the church uses to cook during their outside gatherings. This can draw a crowd as people approach for a tasty meal, and then meet the church members and hear the gospel proclaimed.

Anglican Deaconess Ministries (ADM) is pleased to announce the 26 recipients of the 2024 Women in Ministry Support Scheme (WIMSS). These grants—valued up to $2,000 each—are designed to empower Christian women across Australia as they serve God in creative and meaningful ways.

As we warmly welcome our 2024 ADM Fellows in the ADM space, it is also time for our 2023 Fellows to pack their bags and say farewell. Their Fellowships have come to an end, and they’re leaving ADM to make room for our 2024 Fellows. Or are they?

ADM announces 26 recipients of Women in Ministry Support Scheme grants

Anglican Deaconess Ministries (ADM) is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2023 Women in Ministry Support Scheme (WIMSS). ADM is delighted to award grants of up to $2,000 each to 26 Christian women from across Australia, empowering them in their diverse ministries.

WIMSS grantee Arda Cholakyan is the Children and Families Minister at Lakemba Anglican Church, and she’s using the funding to support ministry to children and their parents.

Birth has always been a big part of Jodie McIver’s life. When she was a child, she was with her parents in the birthing suite as her mother gave birth to her brother Tim, and once again a few years later for the birth of her sister Tarn. While many children may be horrified and scared by the process of birth, for young Jodie, watching her siblings being born was a positive and encouraging experience that sparked a lifelong interest in pregnancy, birth and babies - and ultimately inspired her new book, written with the support of an ADM Fellowship.

Anglican Deaconess Ministries (ADM) is pleased to announce the grant recipients of the 2022 Women in Ministry Support Scheme (WIMSS). ADM has awarded 16 women across Australia grants of up to $2,000 each to support their ongoing ministries.

Marlies Hartkamp came to faith in Jesus as a child and, like many, was challenged to own her faith for herself at university, in her home country of the Netherlands. Now she’s a 2022 ADM Fellow, working on a PhD in disability theology and hoping to inspire the Church to greater inclusivity.

Aunty Sharon Minniecon is an Ugar (Stephen Island) woman. Sharon was born in Ayr in North Queensland as one of 13 children, and is a fifth-generation Christian. Now her three children are the sixth generation of Christians in her family.

Naomi de Vries is quick to acknowledge that her family doesn’t look like the ‘typical’ ministry family in Sydney Anglican circles. But funding from ADM has made it possible for her to pursue new ministry opportunities.

ADM is delighted to announce that twenty women serving Christ across Australia have received grants to support their ongoing ministries.

ADM is pleased to announce that five women have been awarded a 2022 ADM Fellowship in our sixth annual Fellowships cohort.

ADM is thrilled to announce that thanks to a generous donor, an additional $10,000 in funding will be available for Christian women with book projects at the 2021 Annual Funding Event.

The ADM Fellowships program aims to raise up Christian women to engage a sceptical and hurting world with the good news of Jesus, as they serve in our churches, communities, nation and world. It gives Christian women the time, space, finance and collegial support to complete a major project and pursue avenues to engage the public with their work.

Each year, Anglican Deaconess Ministries (ADM) welcomes pitches from Christian women around Australia for grants for gospel-shaped initiatives and ministries at all stages. This year’s online event looked very different from previous years, but the focus was still on supporting Christian women who have “identified a need that they’re seeking to address through what they’ve created.”

Amanda Masonis an Evangelist and Community Chaplain with the Sydney Anglican Department of Evangelism and New Churches. During her Fellowship at ADM this year, she’s creating accessible resources to equip Australian churches in discipling Buddhist-background believers and mobilise them to reach their families and social networks.