Heart and Hands photo credit: Unsplash.com | Kelly Sikkema
General Conference Women’s Ministries Directors
Galina Stele
Director
General Conference Women's Ministries
12501 Old Columbia Pike
Silver Spring, Maryland USA 20904-6600
1 (301) 680-6608
Galina Stele, D.Min., was voted as GC Women's Ministries director during the business session of Spring Meeting, April 10, 2024, following the untimely death of Director Heather-Dawn Small in January 2024. Stele had been elected associate director during the business session of Annual Council, October 8, 2023. She previously served the GC Office of Archives, Statistics, and Research since 2012, first as a research and evaluation assistant, and since 2016 as a research and evaluation manager. Born in the Russia Federation (and growing up mostly in Kazakhstan), Stele served the Seventh-day Adventist Church in various positions including professor of theology at Zaoksky Theological Seminary in Russia, at Euro-Asia Division (headquarters in Moscow) as shepherdess coordinator and general editor of Shepherdess and Living Church, and director of the Euro-Asia Division’s Institute of Missiology.
Galina was the first woman to graduate with a doctorate of ministry from Andrews University in Berrien Springs, Michigan, USA, in 1996 and is a widely published author. Her special interests are human-subject research, small groups, church member and youth retention, and family matters. She loves being involved with evangelistic events. She is in demand as speaker for evangelistic series, Weeks of Revival, women's and youth congresses, and Total Member Involvement (TMI) events.
Galina's seven years of experience at the division level as shepherdess [ministerial spouses] coordinator included many combined events with Women's Ministries. Her practical theology, in-depth Bible study, and love for small groups will fit in well with Women's Ministries goals, objectives, and resources. Her organizational and leadership skills are already a blessing for the world church.
In her free time, Galina enjoys reading and writing, gardening, cooking, assembling puzzles, and spending time with family. Dr. Galina Stele is married to Dr. Artur Stele, General Conference Vice President, and they have a married son and a grandson.
Omobonike Adeola Sessou
Associate Director
General Conference Women's Ministries
12501 Old Columbia Pike
Silver Spring, Maryland USA 20904-6600
1 (301) 680-6636
@gc.adventist.org
Omobonike Adeola Sessou, most recently, held the position of Director of Children’s and Women’s Ministries at the West-Central Africa Division from 2010 to 2025. Dr. Sessou was born in Nigeria. She has a Master of Arts in Leadership and a PhD in Organizational Leadership.
Dr. Sessou has authored a book titled Lord Make Me a Virtuous Woman and she co-authors the women’s devotional books for WAD and is a contributing author for the GC Women’s Ministries devotional book. She coordinated the pilot Women’s Ministries trauma recovery project at the West-Central Africa Division this year.
Her passion is to inspire women to attain leadership by using their God-giving capacities to support the Church and their community. She loves preaching, teaching, counseling, and mentoring young people. She enjoys ministering to women and engaging in prayer ministry. Her favorite Bible passage is Isaiah 41:10 and her favorite words are “fear not.” She is married to Pastor Sessou Kwasi Selom and their union is blessed with four children.
Premila Pedapudi
Administrative Assistant
General Conference Women's Ministries
12501 Old Columbia Pike
Silver Spring, Maryland USA 20904-6600
1 (301) 680-6636
[email protected]
Being associate pastor and ordained church elder has provided manifold blessings through her work in multiple ministries at various Seventh-day Adventist churches in Maryland, including mentoring and nurturing youth; ministries for adults, women, children, and deaconesses; outreach and evangelism, Pathfinders, and also Sabbath School. Her love of singing, reading, teaching, and preaching are a great resource in serving God.
Her husband, Joseph Kelly, son Praveen, twin daughters Serena and Selena, sons-in-law Samuel and Ebenesar are a great support in her ministry. The excitement about the arrival of her first grandson, born in July 2019, is still fresh!
Premila holds a master’s in business administration, a bachelor’s in business administration, and a bachelor’s in education. Passionate about women’s ministries, her desire is to encourage and empower women to live a God-inspired life. She firmly believes God’s Word in Jeremiah 29:11, “I know the plans that I have for you…”
Celeste Diaz-Vazquez
Editorial Assistant
General Conference Women’s Ministries
12501 Old Columbia Pike
Silver Spring, Maryland, USA 20904-6600
Tel: 1 (301) 680-6608
[email protected]
Celeste Diaz-Vazquez holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communication from Andrews University. She has served as a missionary in South Korea and Thailand. For seven years, she worked on numerous magazines, books, and other publications as a copyeditor and proofreader at Pacific Press Publishing Association in Idaho. For several years, she also served as a Youth Sabbath School teacher there. Now she is the editorial assistant for the Women’s Ministries Department at the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. In her free time, she enjoys walks in nature and playing her instruments for church. Her favorite Bible text is Isaiah 12:2,
“Behold, God is my salvation;
I will trust, and will not be afraid;
for the Lord God is my strength and my song,
and he has become my salvation.”
