Women of Faith Attract Over 16,000 for Final 2005 Conference

The largest women’s ministry began its last conference of the year Friday, drawing over 16,000 women from across the nation to Orlando, Fla., for a time of comfort.

The largest women’s ministry began its last conference of the year on Friday, drawing over 16,000 women from across the nation to Orlando, Fla., for a time of comfort.

“I love the music. I love the speakers. I love being able to hear their stories and relate them to my life,” said Alisia Norcross, 33, who came with 30 other women from church for the two-day Women of Faith mega event.

When asked why she attended the annual conferences for past half decade, Norcross said it was for the comfort she received from the women who speak from real-life experiences.

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A core of six women headline Women of Faith (WoF), three of whom have been part of the team since day one. Year after year they amaze attendees with brutal honesty-based messages that keep them coming back for more.

The Women of Faith arena-sized sessions open women to relationships with each other, their families and friends. Women of Faith emphasizes what women can share together.

“One of the things that I experience – just as an individual when I first attended a conference – is I really enjoy spending time around other women. Women have forgotten what it is like to have a weekend with the girlfriends and just to laugh,” said Nichole Masker, spokesperson for WoF.

The fellowship with other women and listening to speakers divulge stories of suffering and eventual triumph has allowed the popular ministry for women to grow every year for the past ten years.

The ministry celebrates its tenth anniversary this year by achieving new heights. Besides opening a new conference for teen girls called the “Revolve Tour,” the ministry just surpassed 3 million in October. The ministry also partnered with Christian Booksellers Association to place hundreds of kiosks with products for women in Christian stores, and they began to offer pre-conference seminars this year. Next year, they will be hosting a brand new leadership seminar.

On the success of WoF, organizer Jennie Clay said, “I think God has just chosen to bless Women of Faith…It's incredible to see the hand of faith in this ministry. The women are just incredible. They love to share hope with other women.”

Other than God’s guiding hand, women attribute the ministry’s growth to the increasing needs that they have in today’s society.

“We live in a world that is evil and getting worse and worse and worse , and I don’t know what I would do if I didn’t have God and learn more about Him,” said Norcross. She said raising her three children to be godly while in an ungodly world is her most challenging task.

Another attendant pointed out that many times women suffer from the stress of leading alone. Their male counterparts are either not as involved or completely absent.

“I think a lot of women are finding they need to be spiritual leaders when sometimes the man is not. That’s what I think,” said 33-year-old Tracy Browning from Hahira, Ga. “My husband is great but a lot of husbands are not as involved as women, and we’re having to be leaders for them.”

But according to the organizers, women just need each other for the support that often heals them from having to be alone.

“Women being with other women, it changes you on a chemical, emotional level,” said Masker.