UMAction is encouraging United Methodist clergywomen and female seminarians to prayerfully consider attending the “Come to the Water” conference in Nashville from April 10-13.
Sponsored by Wesleyan/Holiness Women Clergy (WHWC), this conference offers clergywomen in Wesleyan traditions “refreshment and renewal with women from around the world, as together, we explore the holy invitation to minister to God’s people.” The brochure for the conference explains that it is “designed to strengthen and encourage women—those called to any form of ministry as well as those preparing for Christian ministry—and to help quip and prepare them with skills to be excellent in their service.”
WHWC is a network of female ministers dedicated to providing resources and encouragement to its members and promoting “full partnership between female and male clergy whose unique giftedness and perspectives are appreciated and utilized for the advancement of the Gospel worldwide.” Its leadership is drawn from such evangelical denominations as the Free Methodist Church, the Wesleyan Church, and the Church of the Nazarene that trace their theological roots to John Wesley and/or to the related Holiness movement. United Methodist women are also welcome to attend WHWC’s conferences, which are held every two years.
Despite our shared theological heritage, these denominations are often overlooked in the ecumenical work of The United Methodist Church. Therefore, in addition to the spiritual refreshment, encouragement, and ministry-equipping offered through the conference’s workshops and plenary preaching, United Methodist participants will also help build important bridges of Christian unity.
Among the many workshop titles offered this year are: Wesleyan/Holiness Theology, Confirming & Living Out God’s Call, Transforming Grief into Gifted Ministry, Spiritual Renewal in the Life of the Church, Sex Trafficking, Prostitution and the Global Sex Industry, Single in Ministry, How Pornography is Affecting the Church, and Biblical Foundations for Women in Ministry.
Many evangelical clergywomen in the United Methodist Church feel sidelined or excluded in some of the denomination’s official clergywomen’s networks because of a dominance of intolerant theological liberalism. “Come to the Water” offers a valuable opportunity for supplemental teaching and fellowship for United Methodist clergywomen.
More information about WHWC can be found on its website: www.whwomenclergy.org
More information about the “Come to the Water” conference, including online regiseration, can be found at http://whwomenclergy.org/cttw.php
Attendance is limited, and the early registration discount ends on March 10.
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