For 20 years the Wesleyan/Holiness Women Clergy organization has convened the international Come to the Water Conference. This year’s conference gathered at the YMCA of the Rockies in Estes Park (Colorado), April 11-14, 2013. The theme of the conference was Rise Up.
The Wesleyan Church was represented with over thirty in attendance (see photo).
Dr. Jo Anne Lyon, General Superintendent of The Wesleyan Church, reported that following the message of Rev. Joanne Solis-Walker (pictured), there was an extraordinary outpouring of the Spirit for nearly an hour, in which the altars were in use, all were praying, no one left the room, and spontaneous singing broke out from time to time. All felt touched by God.
More than 460 women clergy, including denominational leaders from the seven sponsoring denominations, gathered for four days of inspiring preaching, educational workshops, and peer networking. Featured speakers included Rev. Dr. Carla Sunberg (Church of the Nazarene), Col. Janet Munn (The Salvation Army), Rev. Joanne Solis-Walker (pictured, The Wesleyan Church), and Rev. Lucia Delamarter (Free Methodist Church).
Those attending identified themselves as church planters (11), educators (58), missionaries (23), lead pastors (127), associate pastors (114), state agencies (25), national agencies (18), students (88), other areas of ministry (153).
The sponsoring denominations are: Brethren in Christ, Church of God (Anderson), Church of the Nazarene, Evangelical Friends, International, Free Methodist Church, The Salvation Army, and The Wesleyan Church. About one in five of those attending were students. A special offering was received to establish scholarship funds to help students attend future conferences.
The Wesleyan Holiness Women Clergy encourages and equips women called by God to Christian ministry within our movement. For more information or to join the membership, visit: wesleyanholinesswomenclergy.org.
