Lifeway Forum Equips More Than 800 Women for Biblically Rooted Leadership

More than 800 women serving in ministry and other spheres of influence gathered Nov. 5–6 at Long Hollow Church in Hendersonville, Tennessee, for Lifeway Women’s 2026 Leadership Forum. Baptist Press reported the national gathering on Nov. 9, describing two days of practical leadership training built on a biblical foundation. The theme, “Rooted Together,” came from Colossians 2:6–7 and called participants to continue walking in Christ, established in the faith and overflowing with gratitude. That emphasis gave the program a clear center: Christian leadership is not first a platform, technique or personality profile, but a life nourished by union with Christ and strengthened in the community of believers. Lifeway Women director Andrea Lennon described the forum as a place to connect with God and one another through worship, prayer, learning and friendship. Attendees represented varied callings, including women’s ministry, discipleship, the marketplace and the home. The program combined keynote teaching, worship, interviews and leadership lessons with more than 20 breakout sessions. Topics included biblical literacy, general ministry leadership and personal spiritual formation. Christian spoken-word artist, author and Bible teacher Blair Linne addressed joy, while other teachers helped women consider Scripture, gratitude and the habits that sustain faithful service. The size and breadth of the gathering make it more than a local conference recap. It reflects a nationwide investment in women who teach the Bible, build discipleship pathways, mentor others and carry substantial responsibility in congregations and Christian organizations. For churches seeking durable ministry rather than momentary enthusiasm, the forum’s central claim is significant: leaders flourish when their competence grows from deep roots in Christ, sound doctrine and accountable relationships.

Several reported sessions translated that theological center into concrete ministry practice. Pastor and author J. T. English taught from Matthew 28:16–20 and urged leaders to recover the full scope of discipleship. He framed the journey in terms of belonging to God, being formed by God and being empowered by God for life on mission. That sequence challenges a thin view in which conversion is treated as the end of Christian formation. Instead, churches are called to develop ministries that help believers mature, obey Jesus and participate in the Great Commission even before they feel fully prepared. Bible teacher Melissa Spoelstra closed the forum with teaching on gratitude and contentment, drawing from Philippians 4, 1 Corinthians 10 and Numbers 13. Her emphasis that contentment can be cultivated, and that both complaining and contentment influence a community, connected private spiritual habits with public leadership culture. Breakout sessions also gave attendees tools for interpreting and teaching the historical and cultural background of biblical passages, strengthening the quality of local Bible study. The practical value for congregations is clear. Women often lead small groups, children’s and student ministries, care networks, missions efforts, hospitality teams and discipleship programs; their theological depth affects many people beyond the room. A church can respond by identifying women with teaching and leadership responsibilities, giving them access to serious biblical training, pairing emerging leaders with mature mentors and evaluating whether its programs produce ongoing formation rather than isolated events. The forum also modeled the importance of fellowship across roles and generations. Its most useful takeaway is not simply to reproduce a conference schedule, but to build local cultures where women are refreshed in worship, sharpened by Scripture, connected to trustworthy peers and sent back into ministry with a clearer commitment to make disciples.