During the 2026 AWAB Annual Lecture, the Association of Welcoming & Affirming Baptists gathered for a special moment in the life of our organization: the dedication of our official AWAB stole.
Created by AWAB friend and supporter Lori Norvell, the hand stitched stole is both a work of art and a visible expression of the ministry AWAB has carried forward for more than five decades.
For Lori, creating it was a labor of love.
A Stole Filled With Meaning
The idea began as Lori learned more about the many churches and communities AWAB Executive Director Brian Henderson visits through his work. She wondered whether he had a stole that could represent AWAB while preaching, worshiping, and participating in ministry throughout the wider Church.
What followed was a collaborative process between Lori and Brian as they considered the symbols and stories the stole could carry.
Every part of the finished piece was created using reclaimed or repurposed materials.
Among its symbols are the AWAB quatrefoil, a rainbow, and a trans heart reflecting AWAB’s commitment to transgender people and the wider LGBTQ+ community.
The stole also features a turtle, connecting it to a symbol with deep roots in AWAB’s history and the reminder that progress often requires us to “stick our necks out.”
Another element recognizes the giving community whose generosity helps sustain AWAB’s ministry.
Lori shared during the dedication that as she worked, she found herself thinking not only about Brian, but about the many people touched by AWAB’s work. Each stitch became part of something larger than the garment itself.
A Gift for AWAB’s Future
Although the stole will initially be worn by Brian Henderson, it was intentionally created for more than one person.
The stole belongs to the office of AWAB’s Executive Director.
When the time comes for a future leader to take on that role, the stole will be passed forward with them. Lori even created space on the back where the names of those who serve as Executive Director can be added over time.
In that way, the stole becomes part of AWAB’s continuing story.
It honors those carrying the work today while leaving room for leaders who have not yet arrived.
Dedicated to the Continuing Work
During the Annual Lecture, those gathered joined in dedicating the stole to the continuing ministry of AWAB.
The dedication remembered those who came before us and those who risked much so that LGBTQ+ people might find places of belonging within the Church.
It also gave thanks for congregations and faithful people who have proclaimed that LGBTQ+ people are beloved by God and belong fully in the life and ministry of the Church.
The stole was dedicated to the work of love, justice, and full inclusion.
As it is worn in churches and gatherings in the years ahead, we hope it will serve as a reminder of AWAB’s history and of the work still before us.
May it remind us who we have been, who we are, and who we are still being called to become.
Watch the AWAB Stole Dedication
Watch the dedication from AWAB’s 2026 Annual Lecture below and hear Lori Norvell share the story behind the creation of this meaningful new piece of AWAB’s history.