A South Pacific Division (SPD) church leader has been honoured for his longstanding support for women in ministry.
SPD field and ministerial secretary Dr Darius Jankiewicz received the Champion of Justice award from the Association of Adventist Women (AAW) during a special reception on July 6. The event was held at The Dome convention centre where the General Conference Session is currently underway.
AAW president Nerida Taylor Bates, in announcing the award, said, “The Association of Adventist Women honours Dr Darius Jankiewicz for his passion and historical and theological discourses and how they impact the issue of women’s ordination and his current work educating the pastorate in the South Pacific Division to be more inclusive of women.
“We would also like to mention his wife Edyta who has been in charge of women pastorate in the South Pacific and they are a team in their current role but they each report equally to their leadership above them.”
In accepting the award, Dr Jankiewicz expressed deep appreciation. “It is an honour for me to be in the presence of so many accomplished women and thank you very much for the opportunity to be here,” he said. “I really appreciate this award.”
Dr Jankiewicz was one of four honoured at the event. Women of the Year awards were also presented in the following categories:
* Church leadership: Anathasie Ambela Nda—The first female pastor in Cameroon, known for her evangelism and outreach to marginalised communities including street children, sex workers and those affected by leprosy. She is believed to be the first woman in Africa to perform her own baptisms.
* Leadership in science: Pat Cople—A pioneer in engineering, she was the first woman to graduate from the School of Engineering at Walla Walla College, Portland, and the first civilian woman to serve as chief of the US Air Force Construction Branch. She was honoured for her groundbreaking leadership in a male-dominated field.
* Leadership in medicine: Wanda Phipatanakul—A leading pediatric allergist and researcher, she holds the S Jean Emans Professorship of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School and directs the Clinical Research Center for Asthma, Allergy and Immunology at Boston Children’s Hospital. Her work focuses on health disparities and advancing equity in healthcare, particularly for children.
The AAW also recently announced its Junia Awards recipients—which highlight women active in local church leadership, administration or religious training across each world division.
For the SPD, the 2025 Junia Award winner is Sarah Aratai, a pioneering Cook Islands pastor.
Pastor Aratai double-majored in ministry and theology at Avondale College and became the first female Cook Islander to be called “home” to pastor.
She began ministry in Rarotonga in 2008 and was commissioned in 2014. Since 2020, she has served on Aitutaki, currently leading three churches. She has directed the women’s ministries and health departments for the past 17 years—including involvement in the 10,000 Toes campaign to combat diabetes in the Pacific. She is also a school chaplain for local Adventist and public schools and, in 2021, earned an MBA from the University of the South Pacific. Meeting people in the community and sharing Jesus bring her joy.
Founded in 1982, the AAW is believed to be the oldest, continuously operating organisation for Adventist women. It functions as an independent, volunteer-led, not-for-profit entity committed to empowering women in faith, leadership and service.
