Ladies fellowship Monday during the Ministers’ Wives Conference. (Cassidy Higgins/ABSC)
RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – Ministers wives from across the state on Monday had the opportunity to gather together and encourage one another, pray together, and build meaningful relationships.
The Ministers’ Wives Conference was held in Russellville at First Baptist Church with Carla Sibley as the featured speaker. Sibley of Watkinsville, Georgia, has served faithfully alongside her husband Carlos for 35 years, wearing many hats in ministry.
Sibley focused on walking through life by choosing to live “undivided.”
“Living an undivided life calls for focus. We don’t have the luxury of getting caught up in the world or of selfishly serving ourselves. There is too much at stake, and what we are doing day in and day out is too valuable to waste on frivolities. You are vessels of honor in the house of the Lord,” Sibley told the ladies in attendance.
She said that often means reordering pursuits and making sure you’re chasing what truly matters. It’s easy to become divided, pulled between the world and our relationship with Jesus, Sibley said, but we remain undivided when we keep our eyes on Him.
“Let’s have undivided hearts that revere His name. Undivided in our calling to Him carefully abiding … and we want to be undivided in power remembering to appropriate our armor wholeheartedly entering the battle because we love the King,” she said.
One way to stay grounded is through the encouragement of others. Sibley said women need time with women who walk similar paths—those who understand the unique joys and challenges of ministry life.
“We need each other as pastors’ wives,” Sibley said.
Following Sibley’s message, the ladies were given three questions to discuss during table time:
- Have you allowed your heart to become divided because your eyes are not focused on the hope of your calling?
- Have you begun to see another person in your church as an enemy?
- How can you appropriate the power that has been given to you?
For more information on Arkansas Baptist Women events, click here.
The Ministers’ Wives Conference was held prior to the 172nd Annual Meeting of the ABSC, Oct. 20-21. A livestream of the Annual Meeting can be found on the Arkansas Baptists State Convention Facebook page.