My Take on the "Gathering" by Pat Joyce

Leviticus 25 states, "Then you shall transmit a blast on the horn; . . . And proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof." The shofar sounded; the Gathering began. We left the agenda to the Holy Spirit and He came through with flying colors.

I have to admit some trepidation about not having scheduled teachings prepared. That fleshly crutch is so comforting. However, we have spent years of study on the subject of Biblical womanhood. There was plenty there for the Spirit to draw on—it was time to throw caution to the winds and really believe God.

Personally, I blew two questions on divorce—you can read a clear explanation in the articles by Wendy Francisco listed below. I had read them, got the point but did not make them my own. A lesson learned!

Finding others with the same passion for God and who shared His desire to see women set free was a delight—what a gift! Even with differing ages, background and denominations, or lack of them, the underlying unity was tangible. Discussions were strong and even heated but never angry. Miraculous! You should have been there! Kathy Wozniak, Wharton, TX, called it a “think tank.” Good description. Every one of us came away with new and deeper concepts.

The time of live worship was amazing. Sandra Massey, Katy, TX, played a Spirit-led flute while Kathy led on the keyboard and in song. I was deeply touched by communion when we shared a portion of our communion bread with others as we blessed them with a word of encouragement or received a word from them.

On Tuesday no one wanted to break for lunch so we tried the loaves and fishes thing and had a feast from what different ones had brought. For a number of years, I’ve been part of a house church where we practice 1 Corinthians 14:26. Each of us “hatha” (that’s “has a”) song, teaching, question . . . we bring and the Lord puts the lesson together. That was the "Gathering." God did “above and beyond all we could ask or think.”
 

What Happened at the GWTW "Gathering" by Barbara Collins

The Gathering brought us together with many like-minded women who possess the same desire to see the Lord bring women into the place He ordained for them and to function as He intended.  Women must function in their own mind as persons of worth and value in equal standing with every man and not as second-class citizens.  Marriage must be based on biblical equality of husband and wife.   “Minister” is not a noun but a verb, referring to function.  Each woman as well as man has ministry within even though the flow is damned up in many and waiting to be discovered.  

What about your ministry in and through the Body of Christ?  Are you sitting around twiddling your thumbs waiting for church leadership to recognize your place and calling?  On the other hand, is your ear inclined toward Him so that when He calls, you’ll be ready to obey?  Have your giftings been acknowledged in the church or fellowship where you are?  Those of you who are in the marketplace, do you merely go back and forth to your job each day, or have you discovered the way He can make you salt and light in your present environment?  All of these questions are merely points of realization about oneself that prepare the heart to maximize what “The Gathering” was all about.  

Something rich transpires when we use bread and wine to have communion with Him while fellowshipping by eating and drinking together.  We did just that in two of our four sessions.  Some twenty of us came to “The Gathering, met and conversed with one another, and allowed the Holy Spirit to create a bonding between us that will last for the rest of our lives.  The intimacy the Holy Spirit brought during times of interactive dialogue surmounted the limitation of computer communication prior to the meeting.

 Michelle Galloway from Watertown, New York reminded us of the erroneous doctrine we have unwittingly embraced for whatever reason and how much we need to know the truth to help us advance with understanding.  She also mentioned that the intense discussion we had stretched us all in the area of our emotions, feelings and passions.  Carrie Miles from Fairfax, VA added, “I particularly liked the free-wheeling hermeneutical discussion we had on Tuesday afternoon.  These kinds of discussions are rare and valuable, and I learned from it.” Carrie introduced us to the term “earth creature” which refers to man and woman combined until God took woman out of man’s side.  

Andrea Burnette from Murphy, TX said, “What I enjoyed about the Gathering was our ability to come together to share our unique and different perspectives as well as the unity that was displayed even though at times we had to work through our differences.”  Dee Blackerby from Plano, TX wrote, “I can't tell you how much those two days helped me . . . I had two major healings from the Gathering, and then believe the Lord healed me concerning an unholy communion I took many years ago.  I believe the Lord redeemed it with added cleansing and healing with the communions I took!  God's faithfulness has kept me strong in the face of real adversity.  I give Him all the credit.  I serve a faithful and kind God . . .  I needed it (the Gathering) more than I can ever say or tell you!”  

Rhonda Van Lare from Fairport, N. Y. reminded us that we all have special giftings and talents.  When those anointings come together, watch what the Holy Spirit creates in and through us when we operate as one in unity.  She continued by saying that being open to the transformation of our minds is the beginning of how God imparts His truths to replace wrong theologies and misinterpretations of scriptures.  By identifying ourselves with the lies of the enemy, enlightenment now allows God to replace those lies with His truths.  Rhonda concluded by saying it would be great to have an open forum to carry on these discussions such as the blogging format that Alice is orchestrating on the website.

 Francine Erre from Lexington, Ohio added:  “The Gathering kind of reminded me of the early church.  The room may have been a little small, but it was big enough to fit us in.  In the early church they, also, met in small rooms in their homes.  I liked the way we not only could face each other, and at times we seemed to change places and had new people to talk to.  I enjoyed the music, some of the songs I knew.  I especially loved it when one of the ladies shared with us one of the songs she wrote.  I think she said while she was in the shower, and Kathy was able to play it on the keyboard so we all could sing it.  I'd like the words to the song.  I enjoyed the prophecies given during the meetings.  I loved the way we were able to discuss different ideas without arguing because we were doing it in Christian love trying to find answers.”
Kathy Kobel from Rochester, N. Y. said she “appreciated the sensitivity to the Holy Spirit’s leading and the start of the sessions with worship.  Thank you for having an overhead with the words available. I also found the taking of communion a special time and liked receiving the individual prayer.  

“More details as to what the actual Gathering was about may have encouraged more to attend. I expected more of a conference and didn't expect it to be so interactive, which was purely my assumption. . .  

“Having the Gathering piggy back with the AWA conference made good sense and allowed for an efficient use of resources for those traveling from out of town.  Next year I would like to see the Gathering and AWA conference work even more closely.  . .  

“I see God's favor on God's Word to Woman ministry and staff.  I sense He is going to continue to open up new doors and bring divine connects and great expansion in the ministry. 

Many stated how much the GWTW website has impacted their lives.  A prophetic word came forth saying an increase in resources as well as access to the website would be forthcoming in many nations.  The flood gate is about to open.   

The meeting room in the Best Western became a hallowed, sanctified place in which the Holy Spirit was released to “do His thing,” bringing us to an openness and transparency that we never dreamed possible considering all the masks we have put on in the name of “churchianity” and “religiosity.”  Worthwhile?  You bet.  

What Happened at the AWA Conference?

The Apostolic Women Arising conference was held in the Irving, near DFW airport on June 14 – 17. God does use these conferences to give a word to His church on biblical womanhood. AWA began with mentoring sessions on Wednesday with the full conference beginning Thursday evening. Tapes of the main conference may be ordered from International Breakthrough Ministries by calling 972-870-0208.

Barbara Wentroble, the Convener, shared that all of us must learn how to balance family and ministry. Transition often requires us to do things a different way in the seasons of our life, for example. In today’s society, she said, we must honor biblical principles above traditions even generational traditions. Partnership in marriage and family causes us to learn to share rather than divide into women’s work vs. a man’s job. We must learn to function together. In her second presentation, Barbara spoke about the apostolic spirit. Using the book of Ruth as an example, she told us. Moab means “land of ease,” and even today we are always looking for a place of ease. However, if we move from the place God ordained for us, death will come to us as surely as it came to the Elimelech and his two sons. The main idea is for us to sense a sound—a new sound to break into a new season. Apostolic people sense a sound before they see a manifestation. Although she departed from the place where she was, restoration was granted to Naomi. Barbara believes the prodigals are coming home leading to a revival among our youth.

Later on, Barbara shared a powerful message on submission, stressing that only the Lord can demand your submission. “Obedience” is never used in the context of a Christian marriage and the husband/wife role. Submission to be valid must always be from a spirit of willingness, never forced,  To view the remainder of this article, click here. 
 

If you know of a church or home group that is practicing Biblical Equality, please let us know. Many people contact us for help and we'd like to be able assist them.