2024 Conferences for Women in Ministry
2024 Conferences for Women in Ministry
This is a list of 2024 conferences for women in ministry, church leadership, and higher education. This round-up isn’t an endorsement, just a resource. It is not exhaustive, but it will be updated regularly.*
These are ecumenical and cross-denominational events. Currently, the conferences below are all located in North America; events outside the U.S. will be added as I find them.
I haven’t participated in all these gatherings; I do enough basic vetting you don’t find yourself accidentally joining a sandwich-based cult. Mmm. Love a good sandwich. So -
Please do your own research on theology, affiliation, denomination/tradition, etc.
Note: some conferences have application deadlines.
Some conferences have very similar names, website addresses, and topics. Check details to make sure what you’re registering for is what you want. Please do your own research.
Most event pages (mostly English) do not specify primary language or translation services (except: the WHWC conference confirms main sessions and some workshops will be translated into Spanish; and Sowers Summit has multilingual worship).
Cost varies significantly:
Some conferences and retreats offer scholarship applications or payment plans.
Some gatherings include accommodations and meals. Most conferences require separate travel and lodging, so read details carefully.
Some in-person conferences are part of a larger coaching package.
For at least one annual gathering, there’s opportunity to find roommates ahead of time to share hotel expense.
There are so many free online resources and podcasts - please don’t ever feel like you have to spring $5k for specialist coaching. Your call does not depend on that. If you can manage it, great. But there are many experienced women leaders more than willing to come alongside you as a mentor for a season.
Don’t preemptively assume someone else needs a scholarship more than you do. Be free. Apply with the confidence of one whose mites are seen and celebrated by Christ.
These 2024 conferences are organized chronologically by month, beginning with the earliest events scheduled this winter.
If you’ve participated in some of these conferences in the past, share your experiences in the comments! - Elizabeth Glass Turner
*Already updated in under a week. The internet is a big place, people! (“Place”)
January 2024: The Honor Summit for Asian American Women - Chicago Gathering
The Honor Summit, founded by Pastor Faith Eury Cho, “equips and activates Asian American women for the mission of God.” It is “a non-denominational, nonprofit Christian organization that champions the daughters of God to rise up. The Honor Summit serves churches while dreaming for the day when all churches are able to effectively disciple, activate, and mobilize women for the gospel. Our ministry distinctive drives this hope while also honoring the diversity in the female experience within the church. ”
A Chicago gathering is scheduled for January 20, 2024 from 6 pm to 9 pm at Harvest Community Church, featuring missional microchurch network co-planter Maila Kue Kim.
The larger August 2023 conference in Naperville, Illinois celebrated the theme of “The God Who Sees,” welcoming over 160 attendees for the day-and-a-half event.
The Honor Summit Cohort Experience was created and taught by Ruth Pham Jae, equipping women over the course of seven weeks.
Details will be available soon for The Honor Summit 2024 conference for Asian American women, which is anticipated to be held in August. Sign up to learn more here.
February 2024: Propel Women - Ecclesia Cohorts with in-person summit (application deadline December 1, 2023)
Ecclesia Cohorts are part of Propel Women. Christine Caine and Rev. Tara Beth Leach lead Ecclesia Cohorts to mentor and equip women in ministry. According to the Ecclesia Cohort website, the deadline to apply to join the February 1-June 30, 2024 Ecclesia Cohort is December 1, 2023. The In-Person Summit for women who are members of Ecclesia leadership cohorts is February 6-8, 2024 in Southern California.
Ecclesia cohorts include:
Live webinars
Small group and one-on-one coaching
The three-day in-person summit for cohort members
Visit here to see testimonials and learn why Ecclesia came to be.
February 2024: Ezer Collective - Use Your Voice Leadership Intensive Event by Jo Saxton
The Ezer Collective is “a two-day intensive dedicated to investing in women leaders – in all industries and roles – equipping them to use their voice and step into their God-given calling.” Speaker, author, and church planter Jo Saxton launched Ezer Collective: “I founded Ezer Collective to create a space for women leaders to experience this together because I believe that stronger leadership is built collectively.”
The current 2024 dates for intensive in-person workshops for women in ministry include these dates in Portland:
February 15-16, 2024 or
February 16-17, 2024
Register here. Catch a glimpse of the spirit of Ezer Collective in this brief but beautiful highlight video from 2021:
If you can’t make the in-person gathering, check out Jo’s book Ready to Rise: Own Your Voice, Gather Your Community, Step into Your Influence or listen to Lead Stories podcast with Jo and Pastor Steph O’Brien.
March 2024: Women Clergy Conference by Wesleyan Holiness Women Clergy
Many smaller Wesleyan Methodist denominations have ordained women for over a century, while mainlines began in the past 50 or 60 years. But the numbers of women pastoring in smaller denominations shrank considerably after WWII, while numbers grew quickly in mainline bodies.
Wesleyan Holiness Women Clergy began (pre-internet!) as a way to connect and resource women pastors across denominational lines. For years, WHWC has hosted conferences, and its numbers have grown.
The next Wesleyan Holiness Women Clergy conference is in Dallas, Texas from March 7-9 2024. Early registration is discounted. Visit the site en Español here. All main sessions and some workshops will be translated into Español/Spanish.
WHWC partner denominations include The Free Methodist Church USA, The Salvation Army, Church of the Nazarene, The Wesleyan Church, and Church of God Ministries. Rev. Soo Ji Alvarez is the current conference director. The 2024 conference speaker line-up is here. Learn more about the WHWC here.
Check out this highlight video from the 2022 WHWC Conference:
A note: ordained women in smaller denominations with congregational-call clergy placement frequently have considerably lower salaries than counterparts in larger mainline denominations with an appointment system of clergy placement. Lower salaries mean greater opportunities to provide conference scholarships. Help fund scholarships by purchasing a shirt here.
March 2024: CCCU - Advancing Women in Leadership
Many conferences are for women leading in churches; this conference is for women leading in Christian higher education contexts.
Since 2016, the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities Women and Leadership Task Force has overseen the annual March “Advancing Women in Leadership” conference.
The 2024 CCCU Advancing Women in Leadership conference is scheduled for March 11, 2024 at Taylor University. Register here and explore area lodging here.
(The one-day CCCU Advancing Women in Leadership conference is distinct from CCCU’s Women’s Leadership Development Institute, which is a year-long program that includes an in-person gathering - visit here to learn more about the WLDI.)
April 2024: Women Speakers Collective - Renew Soul Care Retreat
The Renew Soul Care Retreat is a bit different from other conferences for women in ministry. Hosted by Danielle Strickland’s Women Speakers Collective, it’s specifically for women leaders who are seeking rest and renewal.
The Renew Soul Care Retreat is April 1-4, 2024 at The Oaks Retreat Center in California. The gathering includes workshops, guided reflections, and contemplative prayer walks in a retreat center with opportunity for outdoor movement, play, and relaxation.
Three nights’ accommodation are included along with meals and snacks, so what seems like a higher-than-normal price tag includes all that; payment plans are also available, though participants are responsible for travel costs.
Also from Women Speakers Collective, check back for 2024 dates for PreacHER Academy, an alternative to seminary homiletics courses, and for two-day Speaker Bootcamps.
April 2024: She Leads Church 2024 Online Summit
She Leads Church is a completely online conference for women in church leadership.
It is *free to attend for those registered ahead of time.*
The She Leads Church summit is scheduled for April 11-12, 2024. Registration is currently open here.
Originally launched by Katie Allred and Kadi Cole, this year’s summit celebrates the theme “Timeless Wisdom: Learning Leadership from Biblical Women.” If you choose to get a paid pass, you’ll gain access to the full video library of past conferences.
(Visit here to see topics and speakers from the 2023 She Leads Church summit.)
June 2024: Woman Preach! Inc - Jarena Lee Preaching Academy
*Applications are now closed* for the week-long June 2024 Jarena Lee Preaching Academy at Methodist Theological School in Ohio. The preaching academy is named after Jarena Lee, the first woman preacher in the AME Church (licensed in 1819). The next JLPA is scheduled for 2026, with applications expected to open in January 2025.
The Jarena Lee Preaching Academy includes preaching practice, plenaries and cohorts, resources, rest, lodging, and meals.
Visit womanpreach.org for more information on preaching intensive opportunities and events.
June 2024: Revoice Conference
The Revoice Conference is for pastors, church leaders, and lay members who are sexual and gender minorities; for parents; and for pastors who want to better serve church members who are sexual and gender minorities. Started in 2018, Revoice is an ecumenical, cross-denominational conference including a variety of Christian traditions (read more on Revoice history, theology, and beliefs here).
This year’s Revoice conference is June 26-29, 2024, at the Vineyard Columbus Westerville campus in Columbus, Ohio. Registration is now open here. In addition to the in-person conference, this year there is an online component available as well. You can find a scholarship application for potential participants here.
According to the conference website, “This year’s conference is centered on Ephesians 2, which declares that we are God’s handiwork - a masterpiece made by God, to do good works for God and with God. We’ll explore how our lives as LGBTQ+ Christians can be unique displays of the glory of God, and what masterpieces we’re called to make with our lives. To come to Revoice, you don’t have to have your position on theology clarified, your labels finalized, or any questions answered. You can come to the conference with as many questions as you’d like.”
The website also confirms that “the annual Revoice conference is a place of safety. Period. We have carefully crafted places for you. This extends from something as “insignificant” as the option of a privacy lanyard that tells our staff to not include you in any imagery, videos, or social media posts.”
July 2024: Writing for Mystic Activists, at the Collegeville Institute
This very small workshop for any clergy requires an application - but travel within the continental U.S., conference fees, lodging, and meals are provided for applicants who are accepted. Writing For Mystic Activists is “for faith-rooted activists and clergy who want to engage writing as a contemplative practice.”
This workshop is scheduled for Wednesday July 10th-Tuesday, July 16th, 2024. Applications are due Monday January 29, 2024. The application is here.
According to the website, “Writing for Mystic Activists is an invitation to join Chanequa Walker-Barnes and Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove for a week of attention to writing as a contemplative practice for activists and clergy. It is an opportunity to connect with a long tradition of resistance writers, develop your craft, and build community with others who experience a similar vocation.”
Writing for Mystic Activists is co-sponsored by the School for Conversion. “The School for Conversion works for beloved communities that unlearn habits of social division. We do this by experimenting in a way of life that meets Jesus in the neighbor and the stranger, making surprising friendships possible.”
Rev. Dr. Chanequa Walker-Barnes is a clinical psychologist and professor of practical theology and pastoral care at Columbia Theological Seminary She is the author of multiple books including Sacred Self-Care: Daily Practices for Nurturing Our Whole Selves and I Bring the Voices of My People: A Womanist Vision for Racial Reconciliation.
Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove is a preacher and author who currently serves on the National Steering Committee for the Poor People’s Campaign. He is also Assistant Director for Partnerships and Fellowships at Yale University’s Center for Public Theology and Public Policy.
July 2024: CBE International’s Tell Her Story - Women in Scripture and History
Christians for Biblical Equality (CBE) International provides a deep practical and academic archive of resources on women and church leadership. These include the Priscilla Papers academic journal and Mutuality magazine (a fantastic and beautifully produced resource) as well as online courses and a podcast.
In addition to multimedia publishing, CBE International also hosts in-person conferences in the U.S. and other countries. (CBE Int’l held a conference in Brazil in 2023 and has resources available in a variety of languages.)
The next CBE International conference in the U.S. is July 26-28, 2024, in Denver. “Speakers include: Nijay K. Gupta, Philip B. Payne, Cynthia Long Westfall, Terran Williams, Taffi Dollar, and Mimi Haddad with more to come!”
The conference will “engage and educate an influential audience of institutions and organizations shaping the next generation of Christian leaders. We will bring in speakers on women and church history to address the distorted reading of women in biblical history, while showing the evidence of women's leadership in history.”
More conference information will be forthcoming. Sign up for email updates here.
In the meantime, CBE International invites donations for two pressing and strategic factors:
“It is crucial that we provide scholarships so more people can attend the conference. The scholarships will be used to bring in students, pastors, and others who cannot afford to pay the registration fee. Understanding women's biblical value and equality is essential to empowering their life, studies, and communities.”
“One…goal is to create networks and critical partnerships in Colorado. There are 5,342 religious nonprofit organizations in Colorado, and they employ 14,341 people. Almost half of these organizations are in Denver. Thank you for helping develop influential egalitarian leaders with the ability to address the abuse of patriarchy throughout many organizations.”
If your organization is interested in becoming an event sponsor, a resource packet and application are available here.
July 2024: She Speaks Conference
This women’s conference for Christian communicators is scheduled for July 19-20 at the Hilton Charlotte Airport Conference Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. Registration for She Speaks 2024 is currently open.
She Speaks is sponsored by Proverbs 31 Ministries with the aim of “helping women find, own and use their voices to make an eternal impact.”
The 2023 event was available to watch online, included opportunity to prepare and pitch a book proposal to industry experts, and included speakers like Lysa TerKeurst, Gloria Umanah, and Hosanna Wong.
Expense is subjective; compared to many conferences, this is not a low-cost event even with differing tiers of participation. While there’s no guarantee a book proposal would be accepted by agents or publishers there, if some participate in the 2024 conference, many writers might consider the cost “worth it” to break through traditional publishing red tape to get a meeting with a publishing representative. Looking toward 2024, so far it appears engagement with industry representatives will be channeled through Proverbs 31 Ministries Compel Training.
[Note: Traditional publishing may yield additional opportunities, broader platform, and speaking engagements; please also keep in mind that most traditionally published authors do not “earn out” their advance and usually see few royalties. Academics and scholars in particular can speak to the reality that most books are “passion projects.” Writers of color will certainly have additional insights on bias in publishing. Dr. Sarah Hinlicky Wilson, here, offers an alternative publishing take if you want to get into the weeds of The 21st Century Publishing Landscape; listen to her audio, “How to Launch Your Own Independent Press”.]
September 2024: Women in Ministry, Inc. Conference - Dr. Cynthia Hale
Rev. Dr. Cynthia Hale is the recipient of a number of honors and sits on a variety of boards. She is the founder of the Women in Ministry Conference and Elah Pastoral Ministries. Among many accomplishments, “Rev. Dr. Cynthia L. Hale is the founder and Senior Pastor of the Ray of Hope Christian Church in Decatur, Georgia. Dr. Hale received a Bachelor of Arts in music from Hollins University; a Master of Divinity degree from Duke University; and a Doctor of Ministry degree from United Theological Seminary.”
The Women in Ministry Conference “is a premiere national conference with a focused mission to develop, coach, and mentor Christian women in ministry for the 21st Century.” The next gathering is scheduled for September 9-12, 2024.
The conference conveners “are passionate about the impact mentoring has on the lives of individuals, the communities they serve, and the organizations they transform. They are also motivated by the conviction that ministry is a vocation of public and social significance, and a calling worthy of nurturing the brightest and the very best for leadership. Since its inception in 2005, the WIM Conference, Inc. has served and worked with more than 1,000 women who impact, inspire, and transform the lives of so many people across the nation.”
The Women in Ministry Conference “is exclusively dedicated to the formal development of professional women who serve in ministry as pastors, ministers, professors, chaplains, scholars, executives, activists, authors, seminarians, psalmists, evangelists, missionaries, etc. It includes plenary and breakout sessions facilitated by a diverse range of leaders who foster dialogue and provide an opportunity for access to current and relevant information in the field of ministry.”
Videos from the 2023 Women in Ministry Conference are available for purchase here.
September 2024: Sowers Summit
The Sowers Summit is an annual gathering in New York City: “A diverse, intentional, & Holy Spirit-filled space to equip the body of Christ to be sowers of God’s word.”
Founded by Pricelis Dominguez, Sowers Summit includes multilingual worship, community-building, prayer, a diverse speaker lineup, theologically centered workshops, pragmatic justice, and more. Women, men, and teenagers are invited.
This conference is part of Full Collective: “We are on mission to ignite women to be sowers of God’s word and growers in their God-given callings.” (In its beliefs page, Full Collective makes room for women who hold complementarian interpretations of Scripture, while also affirming God’s calling on women to preach and teach the whole Body of Christ.)
Sowers Summit 2023 speakers and panelists included Pastor Faith Eury Cho, author and editor Katelyn Beaty, Ariana Rivera, and many more.
Explore more here - Pricelis Dominguez is a Bible teacher, writer, and speaker who “graduated from CUNY City College with a Bachelor of Arts in English. I hold a M.S.Ed. from Bankstreet Graduate School where I studied Leadership in Community Based Learning and a Masters in Social Work with a Leadership in Community Development Concentration from Nyack College. I am now pursuing a MA in Biblical and Theological studies at Denver Seminary.”
Sowers Summit 2024 is scheduled for September 26-September 28 on the theme “The Radical Life.” Registration opens in early spring 2024; sign up here to be notified when registration is available.
Full Collective also hosts international retreats for women; 2024 retreats to the Dominican Republic and Morocco are, tragically, already full.
2024 Loading Screen: Lead Bold Conferences + Cohorts
It’s likely that Leading Bold - which has sponsored conferences and cohorts for several years - will add events to the 2024 calendar. Check back for more information.
(One thing I appreciate about the way Leading Bold structures cohorts: “Not called Pastor, but serving in a pastoral staff role? Our Pastors Cohort is open to women serving in pastoral staff roles in churches where women are not given the title of pastor.” What a beautiful way to honor women and meet women wherever they are!)
Other websites, conferences, and resources include:
www.mcwen.org, Minority Christian Women Entrepreneurs Network featuring meet-ups and a planned August 2024 conference
whensheleads.org, a website with event info for leaders of womens’ ministries and women in ministry in roles other than lead pastor positions
Past Women in the World Conferences at Boston University’s Anna Howard Shaw Center
Women of the Church: A Catholic Leadership Forum, a 2023 national conference (“When it comes to women in the Church, the Spirit is stirring. The conference did as St. Paul urged the early Roman Church: to Welcome Her and all her extraordinary gifts. Everyday, through diverse vocations, women share their leadership skills, liturgical and ministerial talents, theological insight, and prophetic imagination. These gifts were celebrated and, in community with others, we imagined a Church even more welcoming of women.”)
halfthechurch.net, a 2022 gathering “helping egalitarian churches align their theology with praxis in order to see an increased amount of women leading within the American Church”
boldlead.org, Center for Bold Leadership at Hood Theological Seminary
She Leads podcast: unrelated to conferences, hosted by Rev. Thea Curry Fuson
sheleads.us, gatherings hosted by Church of the Nazarene congregations in 2018
sheleadssummit.org, a 2021 gathering
www.sherises.com, a 2023 gathering in California
shespeaksconference.com, a 2023 gathering for Christian communicators
One Last Note
It’s hard to describe how much can change in 20 years, unless you’re over 40. I got my first email address in…college, got my first laptop my *senior year* back when conventional wisdom was that Wikipedia was a highly unreliable source; pre-YouTube, pre-Facebook.
I was a Christian Ministries major, and the only - the only - conference for women in pastoral ministry I’d ever even heard of in college was the Wesleyan Holiness Women Clergy Conference - and I think at the time it was only held once every four years.
So I look at this page, this very partial, incomplete page, and - all I can do is give thanks.
To every event organizer: thank you.
To every event sponsor: thank you.
To every event scholarship manager: thank you.
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