Written by Savannah Lamb

My first experience with the Cumberland Presbyterian Women’s Ministry was during the 2017 General Assembly and Women’s Convention. I was a Youth Advisory Delegate for the 187^th General Assembly in Tampa, Florida. My aunt, Reverend Lisa Oliver, was a commissioner that year so we got to go together. When we weren’t in meetings, we joined in the gathering of the Women’s Convention. The theme that year was Connecting with Our Neighbor, and that is what I remember most about my first convention. I immediately felt welcomed and at home there; those women, strangers, were my sisters and they treated me as such from the moment I walked in. Not only was there great fellowship, but there was also a great worship experience. We sang wonderful hymns and listened to excellent speakers. Before the end of the week, I knew I had to go back the next year, and that is just what I did. I was not a YAD in 2018 and my aunt was not a commissioner, but there we were at the 188^th General Assembly and the Women’s Convention in Norman, Oklahoma. While many women were still strangers, some of them I recognized. Whether they had met me already or not, these women still came up to me and greeted me like I had known them for years. I started to create friendships with these women, sharing meals with them throughout the week, talking to them, getting to know them. Before I left this time, I knew I was going to make this an annual event for as long as possible. So, there we were, in Huntsville, Alabama at my third convention. I was looking forward to seeing all the friends I had made over the past two years and worshipping next to them for a whole week.

Every year there are service opportunities for all the women at convention and I especially enjoyed this one. We went to the National Children’s Advocacy Center and made weighted teddy bears for the children to hold when they need comfort. Earlier in the year, I was given a perpetual membership of the CPWM from the women of my church. At convention, I surprised my aunt with her perpetual membership. It was a very special moment for both of us to now be official members of the Women’s Ministry. The 2020 Convention in Louisville, Kentucky was the first time I made plans with people beforehand, but just like every other plan made for the year, they were cancelled because of Covid. During a year of isolation and hardships, these women came together over Zoom and fellowshipped together while recognizing our female clergy. While this was a great alternative to not seeing everyone’s smiling faces at all, by the time we got to Louisville this past summer it was a much-needed time of reconnection.

This convention was different for a few reasons, one being that we all valued the time we were getting to spend together just a bit more than usual. Our hugs, conversations, and meals all lasted longer than they had in previous years. Another reason this year was different, is because I was asked to be one of the speakers. This year’s theme was Rise Up, and I spoke on the theme verse Isaiah 40:31. I hate public speaking and I was very nervous in the days leading up to my message. However, for the first time ever, when I got up to the podium, I wasn’t nervous. There was a peace that flowed over me, and I was no longer nervous. I wanted to share what the Lord had written on my heart with my sisters in Christ. I think the relationships I had formed over the years and the overall atmosphere in the room quelled my nerves.

The CPWM has done more for me in the past five years then I could ever fully explain. I’ve developed life-long relationships, made memories while bonding with my aunt during our road trips, and grown tremendously in my faith because of this wonderful ministry. My best friend, Mary Rolman, and I have been asked to join the board as Young Women Advisors. I am looking forward to this next year as I will be helping plan convention with the CPWM board and hopefully getting more young women involved in the amazing ministry.