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Work, Pray, and Play: Women Ministers of Color Visit Greater Fort Lauderdale
It’s their time, they say.
They spend most of the year as encouragers and spiritual guides for others struggling to survive in a challenging world. They are church leaders, first, and some are also mothers and wives.
But, it’s their time, now.
Five days, oceanside, on sunny, tropical Fort Lauderdale Beach. Afternoons shopping and perusing exhibits at the African American Research Library and Cultural Center. Sipping iced cappuccinos at a sidewalk café, or just relaxing by the pool. Evenings lazily cruising the Intracoastal Waterway and the Atlantic Ocean, perhaps catching a show, or enjoying some of the area’s spicy multicultural cuisine. Worship services at one of over 100 culturally diverse churches – from traditional to New Thought – which dot Broward County. Choices abound. That’s why the third annual Women in Ministry International Conference chose Greater Fort Lauderdale, and the group is already planning more permanent ties to the area.
More than 400 attendees convene this month at the Harbor Beach Marriott Resort and Spa for renewal, restoration, and sisterhood, coming from around the U.S., parts of Africa, England, Canada, and the Caribbean. The conference is hosted by Reverend Dr. Suzan Johnson Cook, an accomplished author and senior pastor at the Believers Christian Fellowship in New York City. An influential religious leader, educator, and presidential advisor, Dr. Cook officiated at the funeral of Coretta Scott King, widow of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
"We’re privileged to host such a prominent gathering of minority women of faith here October 20-24," says Albert Tucker, vice president of multicultural business development for the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention and Visitors Bureau. "Greater Fort Lauderdale is an attractive destination for persons of faith and color."
Greater Fort Lauderdale is a major site for African American tourism, family reunions, and big-name minority meetings and conferences. The area will also be the home of the planned Gospel Complex for Education and Preservation, spearheaded by internationally-known musical director and TV personality Dr. Bobby Jones. Women in Ministry (WIMIN) plans to establish a headquarters and permanent home at the complex.
WIMIN is an advocacy, mentoring and congregation placement movement for Black, Latina and Native American religious leaders. At their meetings, women in church stewardship from around the world share experiences and learn from each other through forums, group discussions, and presentations from experienced women of faith.
The theme of this year’s International Conference is "Sisters Soaring to Success."
Right now, it’s their turn.
-Kitty Oliver
It’s their time, they say.
They spend most of the year as encouragers and spiritual guides for others struggling to survive in a challenging world. They are church leaders, first, and some are also mothers and wives.
But, it’s their time, now.
Five days, oceanside, on sunny, tropical Fort Lauderdale Beach. Afternoons shopping and perusing exhibits at the African American Research Library and Cultural Center. Sipping iced cappuccinos at a sidewalk café, or just relaxing by the pool. Evenings lazily cruising the Intracoastal Waterway and the Atlantic Ocean, perhaps catching a show, or enjoying some of the area’s spicy multicultural cuisine. Worship services at one of over 100 culturally diverse churches – from traditional to New Thought – which dot Broward County. Choices abound. That’s why the third annual Women in Ministry International Conference chose Greater Fort Lauderdale, and the group is already planning more permanent ties to the area.
More than 400 attendees convene this month at the Harbor Beach Marriott Resort and Spa for renewal, restoration, and sisterhood, coming from around the U.S., parts of Africa, England, Canada, and the Caribbean. The conference is hosted by Reverend Dr. Suzan Johnson Cook, an accomplished author and senior pastor at the Believers Christian Fellowship in New York City. An influential religious leader, educator, and presidential advisor, Dr. Cook officiated at the funeral of Coretta Scott King, widow of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
"We’re privileged to host such a prominent gathering of minority women of faith here October 20-24," says Albert Tucker, vice president of multicultural business development for the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention and Visitors Bureau. "Greater Fort Lauderdale is an attractive destination for persons of faith and color."
Greater Fort Lauderdale is a major site for African American tourism, family reunions, and big-name minority meetings and conferences. The area will also be the home of the planned Gospel Complex for Education and Preservation, spearheaded by internationally-known musical director and TV personality Dr. Bobby Jones. Women in Ministry (WIMIN) plans to establish a headquarters and permanent home at the complex.
WIMIN is an advocacy, mentoring and congregation placement movement for Black, Latina and Native American religious leaders. At their meetings, women in church stewardship from around the world share experiences and learn from each other through forums, group discussions, and presentations from experienced women of faith.
The theme of this year’s International Conference is "Sisters Soaring to Success."
Right now, it’s their turn.
-Kitty Oliver
posted by GuestBlogger-GFL at 11:41 AM
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