By Marjorie Friddle
By Marjorie Friddle
LOS ANGELES—The sixth annual Connecting and Bonding conference took place again this year at the Renaissance Hotel in Los Angeles Aug. 29 to 31.
This conference is designed especially for elders’ wives and was begun by Jannice May of Pasadena. Jannice has a heart for elders’ wives, and before this conference began, the church did not have a support system designed especially for elders’ wives.
Seventy-nine women were in attendance, 68 elders’ wives and 11 others who were guest speakers and helpers during the conference. Six women were from Canada, two from England, one from South Africa and one from the Philippines. Any elder’s wife is welcome to attend, and this year several attended who are not from our fellowship.
No one to feel isolated
As explained previously, Friendship groups have been established, with 12 women as group leaders. These 12 met before the conference. The purpose of the Friendship groups is to connect and bond with a group of women to keep anyone from feeling isolated. Each group leader has women she stays in contact with during the year to provide support and friendship.
Guest speakers
Guest speakers were Kathleen Hart, Gail MacDonald, Star Parker, Tammy Tkach, Curtis May and Carey McClure. Naomi Beard was worship leader.
Kathleen Hart is our cheerleader and has been a great blessing to our fellowship. Over the past 35 years Kathleen and her husband, Archibald Hart, professor of psychology at Fuller Seminary, have become international speakers to ministry couples. Kathleen is chaplain to student wives at Fuller Seminary. Everywhere Kathleen and Dr. Hart travel, she tells audiences of the miracle the Holy Spirit has brought about in the Worldwide Church of God. Kathleen spoke on “Remaining Faithful to God in Ministry and Daily Life.”
Gail MacDonald is the wife of a pastor who retired after being in ministry for 40 years. She is an author, speaker and counselor of women who live with leadership responsibility. Whether alone or with her husband, Gordon, Gail loves to teach the Scriptures. She is the author of several books, among them, High Call, High Privilege and In His Everlasting Arms. She gave the women information on Being a Living Reminder of Christ, Making Our Fears and Memories Serve Us and Forgiving and Walking Toward Each Other.
Star Parker is founder of CURE, the Coalition on Urban Renewal and Education, a nonprofit organization that provides dialogue on issues of race and poverty in the media, inner city neighborhoods and public policy. Before this, Star was a single welfare mother in Los Angeles.
After receiving Christ, Star returned to college and launched an urban Christian magazine. Her new book, Uncle Sam’s Plantation, will be released in the fall. She spoke to us about Using Our Gifts. “Get involved,” she said. “Do something to help change things.” Star’s picture was on the cover of the May-June 1997 PT with a feature article about her in the issue.
Tammy Tkach, editor of Connections, a journal for pastors’ wives, and wife of President Joseph Tkach, spoke on Connecting and Bonding With the Holy Spirit. Tammy writes a monthly letter to the ministers’ wives, and these are then published in other local newsletters.
Curtis May, husband of Jannice May and director of the Office of Reconciliation Ministries, spoke on Women Who Have Made a Difference. Curtis showed a film, Mighty Times, which is the story of Rosa Parks and the 1955 Montgomery, Alabama, bus boycott, which brought about changes in civil rights for blacks in the South.
After the film, Gail MacDonald apologized to Curtis for the way her people group treated the black community, and Curtis apologized for the way black people have said things against the white community.
Carey McClure is a pastor’s wife and Bible teacher from Eire, Colorado. Carey has spent the past 12 years assisting churches, ministries and nonprofit organizations in the area of fund-raising and strategic planning. She has been involved in ministry leadership for the past 20 years. She spoke on Having Enough Faith to Finish.
Naomi Beard, worship leader, serves as an adjunct professor at The King’s College and Seminary. Naomi is a speaker, pianist, composer and vocalist, with a dynamic worship ministry. She has produced a CD that is available through Connecting & Bonding with all proceeds going to Connecting & Bonding.
Communion service
The conference ended with a communion service led by Ginny Rice, whose husband, Richard, died seven weeks before the conference.
This was a time of being totally pampered by God. It was like being wrapped in a hug all weekend long. Connecting and bonding was present throughout the weekend.
CONFERENCE
SPEAKERS—
From left: Gail MacDonald, Tammy Tkach,
Naomi
Beard, Carey McClure and
Kathleen Hart. [Photos by Deborah Nickel]
Barbara Edwards and Vera
Gibbs.
Linda Helscher and Jane
Parsons
From left: Kathy Davis,
Evelyn
Logrońo, Lulu Guzon and Dell Hanson.
From left: Alberta Ecker,
Karen
Stonecypher, Lois Quillen and
Lorraine Pelley.
Copyright © Worldwide Church of God, 2003