Nearly 125 women gathered at Parchment Valley Conference Center in Ripley, WV on Saturday for a great day of learning, inspiration, and fellowship at the 91st Annual Women’s Conference. A variety of workshops were offered to help the women of our AB churches across the state to start and run a women’s ministry in their church and community…..

As I was weeding this past week, I thought about the post I wrote last year; how I related weeds to the sins in our lives. Just about that time I was yanking on a fairly large dandelion growing between some sandstone steps that lead up to our fire pit. It wouldn’t budge, but I was determined to get the roots in hopes it wouldn’t return. I firmly grasped the root at the base, slowly wiggled it, and then pulled straight up. Low and behold, all the roots came with the weed. Of course, it caused me to fall backward from which I am sure all of God’s creation got a good laugh.

Meet the keynote speaker for the 2025 Annual Conference, Cecily Thompson, and get an inside look at and come prepared for her message titled, “What kind of vessel are you?”

She is deeply passionate about women’s ministry as she stated: “Ministry for me began with a very tentative longing in my heart to love and do life with other women. I had no idea what I had to offer but often found myself looking back on my life with regret and thinking, “If I had only known.” I soon realized that many other women were struggling with trying to do it all, be everything to everyone, and wondering why they were always striving but felt nothing except weariness and failure.”

February 15, 2023, was the day that H2O Ministries (Help to Offer Hope to Others) was birthed and has become a mission outreach ministry through Mt. Hope Baptist Temple.  A small group of church members work diligently to provide a hot meal for those in need.  The first free dinner was attended by 34 people from the community.  Since that first dinner was offered over two years ago, we average 150 plus meals with 200 meals being served Thanksgiving of last year.

God has made it possible for us to