What happens when you mix 4,000 women from 550 churches, forty-two states, Canada, the Dominican Republic, and Japan, and bring them to Atlanta to the World Congress Center? When you add over thirty outstanding teachers, preachers, musicians, and seminar leaders, you have the ingredients for a dynamic Women in the Church Conference focusing on making Kingdom disciples and passing on the faith from “Generation to Generation.”

4,000 women from 550 churches, forty-two states, Canada, the Dominican Republic, and Japan.

This Women in the Church Conference is the fourth conference sponsored by Christian Education and Publications and its WIC ministry over the past sixteen years. This conference had a number of unique features that made it highly strategic: first, the topic— “From Generation to Generation”; second, the speakers—at both the plenary conference and the pre¬conference; third, the target audience— women ages thirteen and up; and fourth the location—The Omni International and Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta.

Delineating the timing and rationale for the conference, CEP Coordinator Charles Dunahoo explains in the conference program, “We believe this is God’s time for such a confer¬ence and pray that the Holy Spirit will con¬tinue to confirm this as the conference unfolds. We have never before felt such a challenge and urgency for this younger gen¬eration. The Apostle Paul said, ‘This moment is of the highest importance’ (Rom. 13:11, Phillips). How true today! The concepts of truth and authority are either being redefined or in many cases, dis¬carded. God tells us to baptize, teach His truth, especially to the next generation and to model its reality in our lives.”

CONFERENCE THEME VERSE:

“Since my youth, O God, you have taught me,
and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds.
Even when I am old and gray,
do not forsake me, O God,
until I proclaim your might to another generation,
your power to all those who come.”
Psalm 71:17-18

Jane Patete, CEP’s WIC Coordinator, stated in her opening remarks on Friday evening, “We have repeated mandates in the Word of God that call us to the purposes of this weekend. Our theme verses Psalm 71:18-19 instruct us to teach; to proclaim and to guard the deposit entrusted to us. The Apostle Paul’s words to Timothy and Titus make this specific to God’s daughters—and that is why we are here as women in the church…

There is a ‘constant’ in each session— Generation to Generation family stories. Some come to us as introductions—but they are here to instruct, encourage, and remind us of a sovereign, covenantal God who puts his law into our minds and writes them on our hearts in very diverse ways.

These stories (presented throughout the conference) are a picture of his church. Rejoice and learn from them.”

The conference raised and attempted to give answers to questions such as: Who will teach the next generation? What will the next generation be taught? What challenges will face future generations? Are women in the church equipped to influence the gener¬ations with the beauty and clarity of God’s truth about womanhood?

The theme of the conference was based on David’s words written in Psalm 71:17-18, “Since my youth O God, you have taught me, and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds. Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, O God, until I proclaim your might to another generation, your power to all those who come.”

This theme and focus represents the task of Christian Education and Publications and its Women in the Church ministry. The purpose of WIC is: “that every woman know Christ personally and be committed to extending His kingdom in her life, home, church, community, and throughout the world.” WIC has been a vital part of CEP’s ministry over the years in assisting churches in the equipping of Christian women to have a biblically Reformed world and life view perspective and witness. The clarity of this purpose was realized by the participants, as reflected in the hundreds of responses received since the conference. One participant from Philadelphia said, “I believe this conference was biblical, covenantal, and kingdom-oriented and will be used of God to transform many.”

According to Dunahoo, an integral part of the CEP ministry is the willingness on the part of the women in the church to deal with difficult issues from a biblically Reformed worldview. Along with the good fellowship and enthusiastic spirit from the participants, there was a real challenge to think about difficult issues from a biblical framework.

PRE-CONFERENCE

The conference, held September 15-17, began on Friday morning with 1,600 women attending the pre-conference sessions. Dr. Ligon Duncan, pastor of First Presbyterian Church, Jackson, Ms., and president of the Alliance for Confessing Evangelicals, opened the pre-conference by addressing the topic “Biblical Manhood and Womanhood: Why It Is Good, Why It is Right, Why It Matters.” Duncan, in expository fashion, set forth the biblical foundation of the role of women in today’s world. Using Scripture, Duncan clearly defined and contrasted the two major views regarding the role of women, namely the complimentarian and the egalitarian. Believing that the Scripture favors the complimentarian view, Duncan chal¬lenged the women to fulfill their role in the church. Following the opening pre-session, twenty-four seminars were offered during the day on variety of topics.

OPENING SESSIONS

The main conference opened on Friday evening at the Georgia World Congress Center. WIC Coordinator Jane Patete opened with these words:

I officially welcome you, proclaiming ‘that I am not ashamed of Gospel of Christ, for I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard until that Day what has been entrusted to me.’ Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you. The Lord has set a table before us. It is lavish and full of rich delights. It is a foretaste of the marriage supper of the Lamb. It is a table that provides true and living water. It is a table that is for the redeemed of the Lord—men and women for whom Christ died. It is a table where we can celebrate and remember that he chose us to be a guest. It is a table that sustains and satis-fies. It is a table for the broken and hurting among us. It lifts our eyes to the Lamb that is worthy. It is a table of healing and reconciliation. Welcome!

Wade Williams, presently the Director of Worship and Music at North Shore Fellowship, a downtown church plant in Chattanooga, Tn., served as the weekend worship leader. Williams and the World and Celtic Ensemble from ChristChurch Presbyterian, Atlanta, led the 4,000 participants in a variety of hymns and spiritual songs for the opening session. Williams utilized several groups and individuals to assist in the worship: Kevin Twit and Indelible Grace, Third Lobby from Covenant College, Nicoline Gleason, Joni Eareckson Tada, Chuck Betters, Jr., and Kathy Chapell. Late evening concerts by Indelible Grace and Ginny Owens were well attended. Others who made special musical presentations were Kristen Wargo and Wendy Brasefield.

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Wade Williams, presently the Director of Worship and Music at North Shore Fellowship, a downtown church plant in Chattanooga, Tn., served as the weekend worship leader. Williams and the World and Celtic Ensemble from ChristChurch Presbyterian, Atlanta, led the 4,000 participants in a variety of hymns and spiritual songs for the opening session. Williams utilized several groups and individuals to assist in the worship: Kevin Twit and Indelible Grace, Third Lobby from Covenant College, Nicoline Gleason, Joni Eareckson Tada, Chuck Betters, Jr., and Kathy Chapell. Late evening concertsby Indelible Grace and Ginny Owens were well attended. Others who made special musical presentations were Kristen Wargo and Wendy Brasefield.

PLENARY SPEAKERS

The conference began with a challenge from Dr. Duncan, one of the three pastors of the conference, to “Love the Church Like God Loves the Church.” Duncan was introduced by his mother who has played an important role in his spiritual development over the years. Paige Benton Brown and Diane Langberg were the speakers for both Saturday morning plenary sessions. Brown encouraged the participants to submit to God’s purposes in the world in her topic “God’s people from generation to generation, what do I have to know?” Langberg’s topic, “The Bridegroom’s Call to the Lady Ecclesia,” charged the women to be aware of the hurting and needy women both in and out of the church.

Each of the plenary sessions incorporated life stories, referred to above by Patete, that underscored the reality of the topics being dealt with in the main sessions. These stories have been a highlight of the WIC Conferences in the past. This year attendees heard stories about adoption, parents with a special needs child, friendship, loss and recovery.

Joni Eareckson Tada was the keynote speaker for the afternoon session. During the pre-conference schedule, Joni had a special session with the 200 teenage girls present and spent time visiting with many of the special needs participants. She signed several hundred books after the afternoon session and came back to the evening session to sing and give a personal testimony.

Michael Campbell, pastor of Redeemer Church, Jackson, Ms., was the evening preacher. He challenged the participants to have a kingdom perspective and to be “Shining As Lights In An Ever-Darkening World.”

SUNDAY MORNING

The Sunday morning session had two parts. One was the Sunday school hour where each of the committees and agencies of the PCA were given an opportunity to lead a class. Topics such as discipleship, senior citizens ministry, taking the gospel to children, and a world mission’s challenge were offered during that time. Men and women representing the PCA agencies led the classes.

Dr. Bryan Chapell, president of Covenant Theological Seminary, was the Sunday morning preacher. His theme was “The Church Triumphant” (Ephesians 1:1523). Music leader Wade Williams, Kathy Chapell, and the Covenant College Ensemble led in the musical part of the worship service.

IN CLOSING

Dunahoo said that the challenge is to continue to build on this foundation and encourage our people to have kingdom perspective that claims all areas of life to the glory of God. CEP along with is WIC ministry is committed to assisting, encouraging, and challenging local churches in passing on the Faith to the rising generations. “…do not forsake me, O God, until I proclaim your might to another generation, your power to all those who come.” •