The Center | Women's Resource Center

Our Mission

It is essential that individuals preparing for positions in the community and the church be equipped to work effectively with and for both genders in today’s complex and changing environment. The Women’s Resource Center under the aim “Educate, Advocate, Celebrate”, provides a library, resources, information and facilities to achieve this goal.

La Sierra University is a liberal arts university affiliated with the Seventh-Day Adventist Church and is the first to establish a center to support women in equality, responsibility and service. More than half of the world’s population and 60% of all church members are women.

Our Purpose

• We research and honor the accomplishments and contributions of Adventist women in the past.
• We celebrate and support Adventist women in the present and offer information on gender issues.
• We educate and encourage Adventist women and men to greater mutuality in the future.

Our Origins

Accepting President Lawrence Geraty's recommendation, the La Sierra University Board of Trustees voted in November 1996 to establish the first Women's Resource Center in the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Those whose vision and energy sparked the proposal and secured its final approval were Madelynn Jones-Haldeman and Ginger Hanks-Harwood of the School of Religion, Sandra Hodge, Audray Johnson, Penny Miller and Marta Teel, and Susan Thompson. Adeny Schmidt, then vice president of academic affairs, was instrumental in implementing the proposal and appointing the founding director. "Approximately sixty percent of all church members are women. It's essential that those preparing for leadership positions in the church and community be prepared to work effectively with people of both genders," they pointed out.

Our Programs

The Women's Resource Center operates a number of ongoing programs and is developing new projects. [more information]

WRC Board of Advisors, 2011

Don Miller

WRC Co-Chair, Neurologist, J. L. Pettis Memorial Veterans Medical Center; Loma Linda, CA

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Penny Miller

WRC Co-Chair, Retired Professor, School of Nursing, Loma Linda University, CA

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Other members (click name for bio): Norma Bork, Elsie Chan, Sharon Cress, Maritza Duran, Trisha M. Famisaran, Lawrence T. Geraty, Fritz Guy, Georgia Hodgkin, Connie Osgood Johnson, Elissa Kido, Lourdes Morales-Gudmundsson, Ellen Osgood Phelan, Prudence Pollard, Sandra Roberts, Marta Teel, Elisabeth Wear, Hyveth Williams.