"One Light, Many Reflections: Women Passing the Flame" was the theme for the AAW’s 18th annual conference, held on October 12-15 at a hotel in Sacramento, California. Approximately 150 women, some of them accompanied by men, came to pray, sing, listen, talk, laugh, and sometimes cry together.

On Thursday evening there was a one-act play by Pacific Union College’s Dramatic Arts Society, Susan Glaspell’s "A Jury of Her Peers" (also known as "Trifles"). The play drew enthusiastic responses because it touched on issues vital to Adventist women: loneliness, neglect, abuse, and the importance of love and support.

Friday began with small prayer groups and then moved to an opening plenary session by Lisa Beardsley, executive vice-president for Loma Linda University. Beardsley spoke on "Prototypes of Spiritual Women." The rest of the morning was spent in workshops, one on mentoring, by Gail Catlin, president of LeaderSpirit, and the other a rhetorical analysis of the Utrecht ordination speeches in 1995 by Beverly Beem, professor of English at Walla Walla College, and Ginger Hanks-Harwood, assistant professor of religion at La Sierra University.

Other meetings through the day included a talk on "In My God’s Secret Garden," by Ileana Douglas, vice-president for academic affairs at Pacific Union College, and a panel on Ellen White by Kit Watts, director of LSU’s Women’s Resource Center, and Terrie Aamodt, professor of English and history at Walla Walla College. A Sabbath vesper service and agape feast concluded the day.

On Sabbath morning there were reports from Maranatha, Women of Spirit magazine, LSU’s Women’s Resource Center, and TEAM ministries. Then Bev Sedlacek, a psychiatric counselor, and Bonnie Dwyer, editor of Spectrum, spoke on the topic, "Why We Need Each Other," pointing out the need for both "flaming liberals" and "dyed-in-the-wool" conservatives to love and listen to each other. Other activities included a liturgy, "The Dance of Light," by Hanks-Harwood, and a sermon by Jean Sheldon entitled, "The Legacy of Eve," which focused on Mary Magdalene.

Speakers for the afternoon included Carolina Rosa, a religious liberty activist, on the subject of "Liberty." Later a panel of college women from PUC, led by Marilyn Glaim, professor of English, discussed "What We Want Our Older Sisters in the Church to Know." They emphasized their desire not to be prejudged, but to be accepted and loved as they are.

Saturday night was the annual Women of the Year banquet, at which Adventist women are honored in various categories. This year the following awards were made: Elaine Estes Drury, Family Life; Karen M. Flowers, Church Life; Effie Jean Ketting, Lifetime Achievement; Dorothy Ellen Valcarcel, Community; Rebekah Wang-Cheng, Outstanding Achievement; Penny Estes Wheeler, Professional Life; and Miriam Wood, Lifetime Achievement.