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May - June 2000 The Sabbath Sentinel
Groundbreaking Conference Held in Dallas
by Linda Hardy White
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Calling it a "historic event" among the churches
of God, 103 women gathered for the ground
breaking Women's Conference 2000 during
the weekend of March 10-12, 2000. The
Conference, which reached its maximum
registration capacity in mid-January, took place
at the Wyndham Garden Hotel in Dallas,
Texas. Attendees traveled from as far away as
California, Connecticut, South Carolina, and
Michigan and represented a variety of
Sabbatarian affiliations.
Women's Conference 2000 was sponsored by
International Bible Learning Center, which is
dedicated to providing an educational forum and
services for Sabbatarians. IBLC's mission
statement and educational offerings can be found
at www.iblc.org
. The organization sponsors conferences on an
ad-hoc basis.
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The conference organizer, Linda
Hardy White, begins the conference
with an overview, starting with
Deborah, of the role women have
played throughout history. Linda
showed how Jesus restored the
value women enjoyed under the Old
Covenant. She also expounded on
Titus 2:3-5 and the active role
women should take in teaching
other women.
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Working from the premise that their contributions have
been undervalued during the past 60 years, IBLC's goal
was to encourage women to generate a new vision and
respect for their role in the church. Each attendee was
greeted with a gift bag of Mary Kay products, Scripture
card, chocolates, and an address/notebook. They were
also invited to a get-acquainted reception and mixer on
Friday evening.
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Allie Dart describes the need
for proper education in the
home, and how parents can use
materials (developed by CEM) to
have a systematic approach in
teaching about the Bible. Allie
encouraged parents to inculcate
children with short Biblical
principles every day. She also
offered a variety of tips on
educating a godly youth.
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A discussion on the historic role of women in
the church, by Linda Hardy White, set the stage
for conference presentations held all day
Saturday and Sunday morning. By associating with
and including women among His followers, Jesus
restored the value that women had lost under
rabbinic Judaism. New Testament writers approved
of women teaching other women and children
(Titus 2:3-5), as well as teaching in informal
situations (Acts 18:26). A basic study reveals
no restrictions in Titus as to when or how often
such teaching should take place, nor does the
passage indicate whether teaching is to be done
in a group setting or through a mentoring
process. The application seems to be left up to
the individual church group-with a few
arbitrarily deciding that women teaching other
women cannot take place on the Sabbath or that
it must be conducted with an ordained
minister present.
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The New Testament shows a vibrant group of women
sponsoring home fellowships, serving as patrons of
Jesus' ministry, carrying messages to other
congregations, working with the apostles as
fellow-laborers, performing acts of charity, and even
teaching men individually on occasion. Some of them,
like Philip's four daughters and the women of Corinth,
had the gift of prophecy. Yet these contributions are
rarely brought up among the churches of God.
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Indeed, some view 1 Corinthians 11 and women
prophesying as particularly problematic within
their theological construct. Post-apostolic
examples of personal evangelism by women, and
their impact on the historical development of
the church, have also either been ignored or
treated with benign neglect. [How long will such
"oversights" continue to hinder Spiritual growth
of the whole church?]
Using Titus 2:3-5 as their guiding principle,
seven speakers then gave presentations on issues
of general interest to women. Speakers included
Allie Dart, Gillian Gully, Jewell Cress, Carolyn
Scharpen, Tarcila Fox, Louisa Sandsmark, and
Melodee Overton. Topics covered educating the
next generation, using the Bible to define
success, thinking "outside the box" in terms of
personal service and growth, home-schooling, and
managing time, money, and conflict.
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Gillian Gully shares her experience in trying to
find a job after being out of the work-force for
20 years. In her presentation, Gillian defined
success in Biblical terms. As well, she touched
on how, being an example of diligence and
righteous behavior (as a Proverbs 31 woman), she
was able to help her husband become well-known
in their community.
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As well, Marita Brooks prepared a break-out session for
single women, Carol Boyer presented a workshop for
teens, and Rosemary Crow moderated an open forum on
personal evangelism and service. The open forum
generated a considerable amount of discussion, with
women sharing the ways in which they are committed to
serving both inside and outside of the home.
Attendees also enjoyed a country music show and ice
cream social and received a variety of door prizes
contributed by a local independent congregation from the
Dallas area.
The participants expressed their interest in holding
another conference next year. Some are making tentative
plans to sponsor regional meetings. Tapes of the
proceedings are available through IBLC.
Linda Hardy White is the IBLC's Chairman of the
board, and the Women's Conference 2000 organizer.
TSS
May - June 2000 The Sabbath Sentinel
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