Emeritus Board

The United Conference for Women began in 1976 with the vision of about 20 women, friends who has known each other since childhood and worked together in church, youth, and music ministries.

Our Story

In the year 1976 these 20 women met in the choir room of Bethany Tabernacle Church in Detroit, Michigan. They didn’t know if anyone else would want to attend. But they did, and the first UCW weekend was held at Adrian College in Michigan with 76 women in attendance. Now the cost you might ask, it was $15.00. Next year, attendance tripled and kept going up from there. We have had gifted speakers from around the country come and minister to women from all walks of life. We have had prayer warriors to seek God’s face and counselors to lead other women to seek his face as well. We have had women with a heart for the hearing impaired and a mind to work to ensure that their eyes could “hear” the Word of God.

Remembering Ethel Holley, mother of Jessie Reeder (Emeritus board member),Thelma Mason (Emeritus bookstore head), and mother-in-law to Verna Holley (Emeritus president) told the women:

"Start your own conference."

Emeritus Board Founders

Verna Holley

Emeritus President

The Lord caused UCW to grow. So we had to look for places that could accommodate our schedule, places we could afford, and places that were nearby for those who we thought would attend. We also received help from a group called Religious Conference for Meetings Association. Their Conferences helped those attending to plan successful meetings with how-to's, hotels, and the like. We agreed on the conference theme from a translation of the verse in Colossians 2:6-7 TLB, and based on that verse came up with our theme, "Daily Strength for Daily Needs."

Jeanne Johnson

Emeritus Vice President

“Participation in the United Conference for Women has been a wonderful way to fulfill my missionary dream by sharing with women how to know Jesus Christ as their personal Savior, and that it is possible to develop a daily walk with God. Being able to minister alongside the other members of the Executive Board, many of whom I have known since my early teens, has also been a HUGE blessing! Over the years we have shared the normal ups and downs and highs and lows of life—births, graduations, marriages, death-- and became a built-in support system for each other"

Jessie Reeder

Emeritus Board Member

“United Conference for Women is essentially a group of women who have been friends for more than 40 years. Many of us knew one another since we were 8, 9 and 10 years old. We have raised our children as a part of United Conference for Women. And many of the women who have come now are family and friends. We are united first to Jesus Christ and then to one another.”

Shirley Baker

Emeritus Board Member

“We came to understand that such a ministry was needed for 'our' ladies that would provide warm

welcomes and address the issues we face.”

Mae Lewis

Remembering Emeritus Board Member

Said in 2015 “I remember that it was too late to get our registrations into the Winning Women

Conference and we were encouraged by older women. I can remember them telling

us we could do the same thing, if we wanted to do it.” Ethel Holley, mother of Jessie Reeder, told the women: “Start your own conference.”

Daily Strength for Daily Needs

Colossians 2:6-7

A Multi-Generational Women's Conference

Emeritus Board

Our Story

Emeritus Board Founders

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