“We hope to have a community of global women leaders who are connected, with common threads—continuing to encourage each other to live as Jesus lived,” explained Sonya Habimana, Strategic Lead at Uptick.

In a new 2022 collaboration with the Baptist World Alliance (BWA) Women, Uptick is launching its first cohort of Uptick Global: BWA Women. The effort is an expression of the Uptick process, which has strengthened the lives and leadership of more than 500 high-potential young leaders in ministry since it began in 2008.

“Uptick has had a longstanding relationship with the Baptist Women of North America (BWNA),” said John Chandler, Leader of Uptick since its inception. “Beginning in 2017, we began sponsoring an Uptick Voice cohort with them—an in-person expression of Uptick which included ‘leaders who happen to be women’ from all over the U.S. and Canada. The onset of the pandemic and our migration to developing online iterations of Uptick enabled us to work with BWNA, as well as some enthusiastic donors, to create this first cohort of Uptick Global Baptist Women.” He also commented that leaders and donors expressed much excitement about this opportunity, because it will address the current lack of resources for emerging, high-capacity young female leaders in many cultures.

“This focus is necessary,” Sonya clarified, “because women tend to be underinvested and often struggle to have full agency in various contexts, because of struggling to envision themselves in the context or needing skills and concepts for navigating in male-dominated environments.”

Uptick’s mission—to find and form the next generation of Jesus-shaped leaders—is accomplished in small cohorts (Uptickers) by providing personal and group interaction with mentors who help participants examine their leadership as disciples of Jesus Christ. As a result, Uptickers become more aware and accountable in taking faithful steps toward God’s call—developing a discipleship plan for a future thriving in ministry.

Uptick Global: BWA Women offers the Uptick experience specifically to young women called to ministry in a global setting, working across languages, cultures, and nations; collaborating with others on global issues; or developing resources to address global and national issues. Through a nine-month process, Uptick Global leaders will lead these women in exploring greater insights into their own lives and leadership, gaining wisdom from mentors and peers, and developing global leadership intelligence.

Members of the first cohort, who have met for two, two-hour sessions so far, include women from Cameroon, Canada, Guatemala, Guyana, United States, Lebanon, Papua New Guinea, Armenia, Columbia, Kenya, New Zealand, Trinidad and Tobago, India, and Singapore. Despite some inconsistencies in the technology that makes their meetings possible and some differences in language that need extra translation, they’ve experienced a lot of enthusiasm from the participants. “With the time differences around the world, some have to join the meetings at 1:00 or 2:00am their time,” Sonya commented, “but everyone is present and attentive.”

“One thing I’ve learned,” recalled Sonya, “is that the challenges of life and womanhood seem to be universal.” She said the women often speak of being incredibly busy, leading and facilitating so many different types of ministries trying to meet many needs. They struggle with the challenge of not being able to do it all—between church, community, and home. “Consequently, the women have quickly formed a virtual community of encouraging, praying for, and sharing life with each other—no matter the context.”

Sonya and other Uptick leaders are optimistic about this cohort and what it can mean to potential young leaders in future efforts. “We hope the women’s excitement and enthusiasm will compel new cohorts for the coming years, and several of them will become multiplying, discipling leaders in their context—continuing Uptick in their communities. I also have no doubt we will learn from them ways to ensure the universal message of discipling can be contextualized to a wider world.”

For more information about Uptick, visit uptick.org.

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