Announcing the SDB Robe of Achievement is an opportunity to celebrate lives well lived. This is a joy to do together! The 2025 SDB Robe of Achievement Award was announced at the 2025 SDB General Conference Session in Kenosha, WI by Women’s Board President Lydia Solomon. The robe was subsequently presented to this year’s recipient, Margaret Taylor, at the Little Genesee Seventh Day Baptist Church (Genesee, NY). A great opportunity to recognize and celebrate!
Presentation at the 2025 SDB Conference Session
Written and presented by Women’s Board President Lydia Solomon.
The purpose of the Robe of Achievement Award is 1) to honor a woman each year who has had an influence or contributed “beyond the limits of her own community and church”, and 2) to challenge other women to emulate the qualities of the recipient.
From a young age, her heart was attuned to the things of God. Around the age of ten, she accepted Christ and was baptized—a decision that would shape the course of her life for decades to come. Her faith would become the foundation of a journey filled with service, creativity, compassion, and unwavering devotion.
She pursued her education with determination and vision, attending Salem College for a year and a half before following her artistic passion to the Art Institute of Pittsburgh. There, she earned a diploma in art illustration, sharpening skills that would later become tools for ministry and expression. Her creativity was not just a personal gift—it was a blessing she consistently used to uplift and inspire others. In the early 1970s, her artwork was featured in the Sabbath Recorder. She also used her talents locally by painting signs and billboards for Rock City Park, a beloved family-owned site.
A devoted wife and mother, she raised four children and has been richly blessed with six grandsons and nine great-grandchildren. Her nurturing spirit extended well beyond her home, making her a matriarch not only to her family but also to her church and community. In 1978, she began working with the Junior High Sunday School class, planting seeds of faith in young lives. That same year, she served as Chair of the Women’s Interest Committee, helping
guide women’s ministry with insight and care. Her dedication to justice and service was evident through her role on the Christian Social Action Committee in 1989 and 1990, where she actively contributed to initiatives that uplifted the marginalized and met community needs with compassion.
Her ministry partnership with her husband was a powerful expression of shared calling. Together, they co-directed the Youth Pre-Con program for six years starting in 1991, shaping the spiritual lives of countless young people. Their ministry also took them across international borders, as they traveled to Brazil six times to teach the TIME (Training In Mission and Evangelism) program, equipping local leaders for service and evangelism.
For over two decades, she served on the Missionary Society Board of Managers—first from 1991 to 2013, and again from 2020 to 2023. From 1998 to 2007, she also held the position of Assistant Secretary, helping maintain the mission and momentum of the Society through careful documentation and prayerful support.
Known throughout her community as a gifted seamstress, she created wedding gowns, custom clothing, and uniforms with both excellence and love. She made or altered garments for her family, church members, and even the South Harrison High School Marching Band and Cheerleading Squad. Her sewing ministry extended to making curtains for homes and churches and upholstering furniture—every stitch infused with care and purpose.
She has long been a spiritual leader—teaching Sabbath School, leading Bible studies, mentoring women, and serving as a deaconess and member of the church’s Spiritual Leadership Team. She has hosted and directed numerous SCSC (Summer Christian Service Corps) teams, offering hospitality, guidance, and encouragement to young Christian workers. Her involvement in Bible Study Fellowship further reflects her lifelong hunger for Scripture and community learning. She also co-directed camps and ministered faithfully alongside her husband, Pastor Dave Taylor, living out a partnership grounded in grace, vision, and love.
Her life truly reflects the wisdom of Proverbs 31: “She is clothed with strength and dignity… she speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue.” Whether painting signs, stitching gowns, teaching the Word, or holding the hand of someone in need, she has honored God with every season of her life.
Today, we recognize and celebrate Margaret Taylor of the First Hopkinton SDB Church in Ashaway, RI —a woman of deep faith, creative brilliance, enduring strength, and unfailing love. Her children rise up and call her blessed; her works praise her at the gates.
