Organisers of the first ever Equip Ministry Wives are looking for a new venue as Saturday's premier conference attracted over 400 women.
Organiser Ainsley Poulos says demand exceeded ‘supply’ on Saturday, as more and more women continued to register in the days leading up to the conference.
The one-day event, held at St Anne’s Ryde’s conference centre, was designed for women with husbands working, studying or serving in the field of ministry.
Ministry wives from Baptist, Presbyterian, Anglican, Reformed, Chinese Churches and Independent churches made up the 400-strong crowd, with 25 per cent coming from outside Sydney.
Mrs Poulos says the needs of ministry wives within and outside Sydney, for whom there are “very few forums”, have been foremost in the minds of the Equip team as they planned the conference.
“This was particularly evident for women whose husbands work in independent churches or non-church-based ministries, or even those who work in part-time roles within churches,” Mrs Poulos says.
"We thought there was a need, and we had the resources to do it, so we thought we should do it.”
Lessons in encouragement
For the inaugural Equip Ministry Wives conference, the Equip team enlisted Dean of Sydney, Phillip Jensen (pictured) to speak about what it means to be an excellent wife in general, and in ministry.
"He's got a real heart for ministry wives and for helping and encouraging them in their role, and I knew he was going to say fabulous stuff and he did," Mrs Poulos says.
"He obviously knows what encourages a minister, but really the talk was to help women see that they are their husband's crowning glory,. and what a privilege that is, and that they, like no one else in this world, can encourage their husbands."
Carmelina Read (pictured top) followed with a presentation on “10 ways to discourage your husband”, in which she outlined a list of ‘what-not-to-dos’.
"Carmelina was very open and honest about her own failings, which was just so courageous of her. That helped us to realise that ‘yes, I have said and done things that are not so encouraging as well, but God is forgiving’," says Sydney Anglican Karen Williamson, whose husband Michael is the rector at Shellharbour City Centre Anglican Church.
"It was a good reminder to be gracious and kind and tell my husband how much I appreciate him."
A team of "Equip ministry advisors' " "seasoned" ministry wives " were also on hand to listen to and pray with women during breaks.
Mrs Poulos says feedback regarding the advisors indicates that women "appreciated being able to have a different set of ears to bounce things off".
The fellowship factor
For Mrs Williamson, being among hundreds of other women in a similar life situation was one of the conference's main highlights.
"It was very encouraging to see the place absolutely packed to the rafters with women," she says.
"There was a feeling that we're all in this together, irrespective of what denomination you are, that we're not alone."
When asked whether such a conference falls into the "helpful' category or the "necessary' category, Mrs Poulos says it is necessary because it's helpful.
For this reason she says Equip Ministry Wives was designed to help women married to men in ministry to be encouraged about the joy and privilege of their ministry and to lift their sights above any difficulties.
Key challenges unique to the experience of ministry wives include the stressful nature of ministry life and the sometimes unreasonable expectations of others, Mrs Poulos says.
"People think clergy wives should be Miss Ministry Dynamos, when they've just got to love and help their husbands " and I think we lose sight of that," Mrs Poulos says.
As the team plans for next year's August 29 conference, their two central goals for helping ministry wives deal with and overcome challenges remain at the forefront of their minds.
"One of the main challenges is not losing sight of the eternal significance of what you're doing, and another is not losing sight of the privilege of your role in the ministry of God's word," Mrs Poulos says.
"When you nail those two challenges, all the others are doable."
Photos courtesy of Asterisk Photography
