Parenting in ministry comes with unique challenges, but you don’t have to navigate them alone! Join this engaging panel discussion with four seasoned minister’s wives as they share real-life experiences, biblical wisdom, and practical advice for raising children while serving in ministry. Whether you’re in the toddler trenches or guiding teenagers and adult children, this conversation will encourage and equip you to parent with faith, grace, and the support of a Christ-centered community.

Panelists:

Emily Carter is the wife of Seth and mother of 4 little boys: Brody, Bentley, Bailey, and Barrett. Our family is so blessed to serve The Lord with the dear saints as First Baptist Church of Paintsville, KY. As a stay at home mom, I understand the importance of having relationships with other Christian women who know what it’s like to meet the needs of those right within our homes and do it all for the glory of God.

 

Lauren Schmidt is wife to Josh and mother to Benjamin, Jonathan, Liliana, and Asher. Lauren came to know Jesus at a young age and is passionate about fostering, adoption, and women’s discipleship. She is a member at Burlington Baptist Church in Northern Kentucky where her husband serves as lead pastor.

 

 

Anca Martin is married to Todd Martin, leading pastor of Ashland Danville Church in Danville, Ky. They parent four children-3 girls and 1 boy-who came to them from China. The Martins are a multi-cultural family with roots, ties and imprints from Romania, China, Ukraine, France and America. Anca loves to write, teach and study.

 

Cheryl Edmondson has been a pastor’s wife for over 20 years. Cheryl and her husband Ron have two grown sons, both happily married, and five grandchildren. Investing in younger pastors and their families is one of their favorite activities. 

In a world where families are facing increasing challenges- broken relationships, grief, financial strain, trauma, and spiritual disconnect- how can we respond with compassion, wisdom, and grace? Through teaching, testimonies, and interactive discussion, you will learn effective ways to recognize signs of emotional and spiritual distress in families, be given tools for offering support, guidance and encouragement to these families, and discover ways to rely on the power of prayer and presence within the body of Christ.

Speaker:

Carrie Cabell is the Congregational Care Minister at Versailles Baptist Church in Versailles, KY, where she directs the senior adult ministry and provides counseling needs within the church body. She has previously worked in foster care, family preservation, and taught 8 years at Woodford Christian School. She has a BA from University of the Cumberlands in Psychology and an MA in Christian Counseling from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.  She enjoys speaking at women’s events, leading seminars, and connecting with her Chrisitan sisters in Christ across the Bluegrass. Carrie is married to her husband, Michael, and has 3 active teenagers: Jackson, Kennedy, and Madison.

A minister’s wife is often asked to pinch-hit, teaching a Bible lesson or Sunday School class at the last minute.  “How to Plan a Bible Lesson on the Fly” gives you a game plan as simple as A, B, C for sharing God’s Word on the spur of the moment.  The question is not if you will be called on, it’s when.

Speaker:

Dawn Reed is Kentucky born and raised. She has been married to her high school sweetheart for over 44 years and is the mother of 2 grown children. Dawn has worked as a dental assistant for 18 years and is also a newspaper columnist.  Her passions are teaching, reading, and jail ministry. She serves at Fitzpatrick Baptist Church in Prestonsburg where her husband is pastor. 

God designed each of us with unique personalities, and those differences can be a strength in ministry! In this engaging panel discussion, four minister’s wives will share insights on how to embrace your God-given personality while navigating the joys and challenges of ministry life. Whether you’re an introvert, extrovert, planner, or free spirit, come be encouraged to serve authentically and confidently in the role God has called you to.

Panelists:

Elaina Barron is a certified spiritual director who offers soul care and discipleship to women around the world. For thirty years she has been caring for the church and women of all ages in the areas of next steps, transitions, learning to hear God and deepening their walk with Him. She holds a Masters of Divinity and a Doctor of Ministry, and she and her husband Jon live in Richmond, KY where he is the Campus Pastor for Immanuel Baptist Church. They have two adult children, Lauren and Jack, and are loving being grandparents to baby Riley.

 

Marina Shelton has been the Communications Associate for Website and Social Media at the Kentucky Baptist Convention since 2019. She is passionate about serving churches and helping them see the value of social media in outreach and discipleship efforts. She also authors The Pursuit Blog (thepursuitblog.co). Marina lives in Mayfield, Kentucky, where her husband Mason serves at First Baptist Church as the Associate Pastor for Administration and Discipleship. Together they have two children, Micah and Millie.

Deanna Ashbaugh lives in Louisville with my husband Nathan, our 4 children (Piper, Madelyn, Charlee, Roman) and their two crazy dogs Cooper and Moose. In her spare time she loves to read, be outside and spend time with her family. She is a pastors wife and she loves her church family and encouraging/praying for other women around her.

 

Tessa McGilbra is a devoted mom, pastor’s wife, Bible teacher and ministry leader with over 20 years of experience serving alongside her husband in the local church. She is passionate about discipling women, helping them grow in their understanding and love of Scripture and empowering them to teach with confidence and clarity.

The hopes and dreams for married couples as they enter into ministry together range from the joy of spiritually investing in the lives of others to storming the gates of hell. The reality can be far different as we begin to realize the pressures of daily dealing with our own sinful tendencies and the difficulties that arise from ministry in a lost and broken world. In this session, we will look at practical steps we can take for our ministry marriages to thrive and not just survive.

Speaker:

Jaylynn Cook is married to Dr. Bill Cook, Professor of New Testament Interpretation at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and lead pastor of Ninth and O Baptist Church in Louisville. Married for 43 years, they have served as partners in ministry for 40 years and are blessed with 3 grown kids, 2 kids-in-law, and 8 grandchildren. Jaylynn currently serves in women’s ministry/discipleship, preschool ministry, and teaches in Southern’s Seminary Wives Institute.

Have the difficulties of ministry left you feeling weary? Are you walking through a hard season and wondering how you can keep going? You are not alone. Many of us pastors’ wives have been there. Some of us are in the midst of those trials even now. Join us for this breakout session as we come together to seek rest and renewal in the comforting and powerful truth of God’s Word. Together, we’ll encourage one another and explore how to remain faithful in ministry, especially during the hard seasons.

Speaker:

Laura Kazee was born and raised on a farm in South Central, Kentucky. She gave her life to Christ during her freshman year, and she got involved with the ministry of CRU. After college, she served on staff with CRU in Russia for two years, and it was during her second year there that she met Chris; the young man (who was also from Kentucky) that would become her husband. They have two children, Addison and Carter. Ever since becoming a follower of Christ, Laura has served in various ministry roles and loves serving in women’s ministries. She and her husband currently serve at Worthville Baptist Church, where Chris has been the senior pastor for almost twelve years.