“What could ever be
A greater honor bestowed
A higher privilege won
Than to be chosen as a servant
To the Most High’s Son.

Thank you Lord for the gift
For your hand on my life
For the taste of eternity
The sounds of destiny
That surrounds a pastor’s wife.”

This excerpt from “The Wonder of it All” comes out of Shirley Walker’s book “Window in a Glass House.”  Walker, wife of San Antonio pastor Dr. David Walker, penned this poignant book about the calling to be the wife of a man in ministry.  The book precipitated an event that is now reaching out to women whose husbands are called to this life of ministry.  The Ministry Wives’ Conference was first held in 2005 and was initiated by Walker and Lida Smith, another lady whose husband has been in ministry for several years.  Both women yearned for a place to allow ministry wives a time where they could come together and share their desires, thoughts, anxieties, and joys with other women who understood.

“(This conference) was birthed by the two of us who know well the rigors and the delights of partnering with a husband called by God,” said Smith.  “Our heart is to strengthen women as they walk alongside their husbands in ministry.”

Walker concurs by adding, “The conference is designed to speak to the deepest places in a woman’s heart by presenting Jesus as the Lover of her soul, not just because of who her husband is or what she does…. (We want) to present liberating Biblical truth specific to her role as a shepherd’s spouse and to provide that solely needed safe place where she can share her personal struggles, knowing that her words will be kept in confidence and that she will receive Godly counsel.”

This type of Godly counsel will come in many forms throughout this 3-day conference.  Breakout sessions, solitude, times of worship, prayer time, and special speakers will provide most of the ministry at the conference.  Along with Walker being the keynote speaker, Tex Tippit, wife of international evangelist Sammy Tippit, and Angie Nunez, another San Antonio pastor’s wife, will be sharing about their own personal struggles and triumphs through their time in ministry with their husbands. 

Tippit says that, “There will be times of laughter and fellowship, tears of joy and brokenness.  You will be encouraged and you can be an encourager to other women who will attend.  We are on the same journey - to walk in the footsteps of Jesus and to become all that God intends us to become.”

This encouragement not only comes out through the process of the women sharing their hearts with one another, but a unique feature of the conference is the role that prayer plays before the conference even begins.  “Once a woman is registered for the conference her name is placed on our prayer list and women begin to pray for her,” said Smith.  She tells the story of a woman who last year began to pray for another local minister’s wife.  She felt God asking her to pray with the phrase “Full of Grace” for this specific woman.  What she did not know at the time, was that the young woman had just found out she was pregnant. Although she and her husband hadn’t even shared the good news with family or friends yet, they decided if their baby was a girl, she would be named Grace.  She did indeed have a baby girl, who was hence named Grace.  “It was undeniable that God had drawn near and spoken clearly to the intercessor of the condition of that young mom.  What a picture of how clearly God speaks when we listen and how intimately He is involved in our lives,” continued Smith.

During the actual conference, prayer also plays a major role.  “The highlight of the conference is a time when we are able to pray over each attendee individually and specifically,” says Walker. “Each one of the leadership team has a personal testimony of the impact prayer has had on their own walks with God.”

For those who want to begin praying for the women in attendance, Walker and Smith ask for prayer that “each attendee will have a fresh, personal encounter with the loving God” and that “God will go to the deepest recesses of each heart and meet every woman with His undeniable presence and His remarkable revelations in a personal way.”  They also ask for prayer for the Ministry Wives’ Conference staff members to have both wisdom and discernment and that they would be given fresh ways to minister to the women who will attend this year’s conference.

If you have a husband in the ministry and/or are in the ministry yourself, this conference will impact you beyond your wildest hopes.  The conference fosters a place where women can gather together and deepen not only their relationship with God, but with their husbands, friends, children, and own personal life. 

To register for this life-changing experience, please contact Dana at 210-654-7880 (M-F; 9:00 A.M.-4:00P.M.-CST).

**Information for the conference:

Where:  The Radisson Hill Country Resort in San Antonio, Texas.

When:  Thursday, October 19 - Saturday, October 21.  (Hotel registration begins at 3:00 pm on Thursday.  Conference registration begins at 5:00 pm on Thursday.  The Conference ends around 5:00 pm on Saturday.)

Cost:  $265 for registration before August 18. (includes hotel room; Thursday night dinner, Friday & Saturday breakfast and lunch).

$280 for registration between August 19 and September 20.