Pastor Romina Masih has been named the South Pacific Division’s Junia Award winner for 2026 by the Association of Adventist Women.
Pastor Masih, who ministers at St Martins Seventh-day Adventist Church in Christchurch, New Zealand, has served the Church for 30 years as a pastor and theology lecturer. She described receiving the award as “an incredibly humbling and deeply meaningful moment”.
“This award is not something I receive as a recognition of what I have accomplished, but as a reminder of the many people God has placed in my path and the privilege of serving them,” she said.
“I receive the Junia Award with gratitude, knowing that the greatest honour is not the recognition we receive, but the opportunity to use our voice, our calling and our lives to make room for others.”
According to the Association, Pastor Masih came from a nominally religious Hindu family in an environment affected by drug use and dealing. Her experience of God’s transforming grace inspired a passion for sharing that hope with others.
Pastor Masih studied theology at Fulton College (Fiji), Pacific Adventist University (Papua New Guinea) and the Adventist International Institute of Advanced Studies (Philippines). She served as a church pastor in Fiji, a theology lecturer at Fulton, and has spent the past 14 years ministering in the South New Zealand Conference.
Pastor Masih has also served on several General Conference and South Pacific Division committees. She currently sits on the Women in Ministry Leadership Advisory Committee, Biblical Research Committee, and Board of Ministerial and Theological Education, contributing to leadership, biblical understanding and theological education across the Church.
“Today, much of my ministry is focused on supporting and advocating for neurodivergent communities—helping churches become places where neurodivergent individuals and their families are understood, welcomed, valued and genuinely included,” she said.
“Behind my ministry is also the privilege and responsibility of being a mother to a 10-year-old son and a pastor’s wife, while serving as a pastor myself. These experiences have shaped my understanding of ministry—not simply as a position, but as a calling to see people, listen to their stories and stand alongside those who may sometimes feel unseen or unheard.
“For me, the Junia Award is therefore both an honour and a responsibility. It encourages me to continue advocating for women in ministry, championing neurodivergent communities and serving a Church where every person can know that they belong and have a place in God’s mission.”
Established in 2024, the Junia Awards recognise women from each Seventh-day Adventist division who are actively leading churches, teaching religion or serving as chaplains. For more information visit their website.
