The Tribune

A local church hopes its annual women’s conference will not only break down denominational boundaries, but also bring about unification and empowerment in the proclamation of the gospel.

The Final Hour Global Ministries on Fox Hill Road this past week wrapped up its 16th annual Travailing Women’s Conference under the theme “Delayed But Not Denied”.

The conference featured a power-packed line-up of local female preachers, as well as well-known American televangelist Dr Juanita Bynum, who spoke of the rise, fall and restoration of her own ministry.

Host Dr Kenva Fowler McClam said the conference opened last Tuesday with a seminar, where Patrice Ellis, wife of Bishop Neil Ellis, lectured on being a lady, self-appreciation as well as appreciating God’s gifts.

“Wednesday night kicked off the nightly services where Senator Jasmin Dareus preached on the story of Hannah and how to travail. She really emphasised spending time with God,” said Dr McClam.

“On Thursday and Friday nights we heard from our international speaker, Dr Juanita Bynum. On the first night she spoke about how the delay is necessary, her own story about going through that process and why sometimes God delays his promises. She further elaborated on the conference theme Friday night and spoke about how as women of God we have to control our emotions.”

The conference switched things up on Saturday with a tea party, headlined by Apostle Raymond Wells and his wife Lydia Wells who spoke on the topic “Act Like A Lady, Think Like A Man”. The couple spoke to distinguishing a man and a lady and highlighted challenges often faced in marriage.

The conference concluded this past Sunday with Pastor Charmaine Cox out of Turks and Caicos preaching at the morning service and capping it off with “Seven Voices of Thunder”, featuring seven female preachers, namely Minister Felicia Archer, Minister Andrea Fowler, Pastor Samantha Maxwell, Minister Tanya R Duncombe, Minister Sherika Brown, Minister Latisha Sweeting, and Minister Simone Duncombe.

Dr McClam explained that the TWC was started by her mother, conference president Rev Dr Saveletta Fowler.

“She has been in ministry for a long time. Her idea was to have a conference to bring women together with one mind set – to seek after God. We had been moving into an era where a lot of women were coming up in church and forgetting who they were. Her idea was to that we still needed to be at the altar, we still needed to be travailing and doing the things of God. She has now gotten me on board,” she said.

“I think adding me helped to cater to the millennials and to show that it’s not just about the old but the young people travailing as well. On the local front I want to continue to see the conference grow but I want it to be so unifying that we see more churches and denomination coming together with one identity in Christ. Our goal is to take the conference on an international platform, spreading the word of God and proclaiming the gospel.”