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Our mission and purpose
Mission
The vision of Wesleyan Holiness Women Clergy International is full partnership between female and male clergy
whose unique giftedness and perspectives are appreciated and utilized for the advancement of the Gospel worldwide.
Our Purpose
Wesleyan Holiness Women Clergy exists to assist women, world-wide, in the Wesleyan Holiness tradition
• to discern a call to vocational ministry
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to nurture the call through education, networking, resources and personal encouragement
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to advocate for women clergy in all aspects of church and professional leadership
•
to serve as a resource to our supporting church traditions
Wesleyan Holiness Women Clergy board of directors
Each board member represents one of seven supporting denominations that selects its board members. The seven
board members elects the officers of W/HWC. The board oversees the "Come to the Water"
planning committee and the Academic Initiatives committee.
(If you're interested in serving on these committees, please contact your denominational representative.)
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The Rev. Sheryl Colter, President
(Free Methodist Church)
Sheryl is an ordained elder and served on the planning committee for the Come to the Water Conferences for the past
four years. During her election to the WHWC Board, Sheryl served as the solo senior pastor at two
Free Methodist churches in Michigan for six years. Prior to that, Sheryl and her husband, Robert, lived in
Kentucky, while Sheryl completed her Master of Divinity degree in pastoral ministry from Asbury Theological Seminary.
In earlier years, she served 18 years as a critical care and emergency room nurse. Sheryl and her husband have
been married more than 25 years, and have four children and five beautiful grandchildren.
RevSherylColter@aol.com
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Commissioner Eva Gaither, Vice President
(The Salvation Army)
Eva is a fifth generation Salvationist, and began serving as the National Director for Women’s Ministries for the
Salvation Army in the United States in 2006. Eva was ordained and commissioned as a Salvation Army officer in 1964,
and her more than 40 years of service in the Army has taken her around the world. She has served in numerous
leadership positions with her husband, Commissioner Israel L. Gaither, USA National Commander. In January 1999,
Eva was appointed head of the Women’s Ministries in the Southern Africa Territory and then returned briefly to
USA East with responsibility for Women’s Ministries, and in November 2002 Eva was transferred to London and
served as the World Secretary for Women’s Ministries. The Gaither’s daughter, Michele Gaither Sparks is Director of
Communications at the Gatton College of Business and Economics at the University of Kentucky. Their son Mark
is a physical education teacher and varsity basketball coach at Bethel Park High School in Bethel Park,
Pennsylvania. Their three grandchildren are the joys of their lives.
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Rev. Dr. MaryAnn Hawkins
(Church of God, Anderson)
MaryAnn is Associate Professor of Christian Mission and Dean of the Chapel at Anderson University School of
Theology. She has been in ordained ministry in the Church of God for 30 years, serving the church in
congregational ministry, as a missionary in East Africa, and in Higher Education. She is a graduate of
Bartlesville Wesleyan College [BS in Religion], Azusa Pacific University [MA in Social Science], and
Fuller Theological Seminary [PhD Inter-Cultural Studies]. MaryAnn married Rev. James T Hawkins in 1973,
and they have two grown children. MaryAnn has attended six of the previous Come to the Water gatherings,
teaching workshops at several.
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The Rev. Carla Sunberg, Treasurer
(Church of the Nazarene)
Carla is Pastor of Evangelism and Discipleship at Grace Point Church of the Nazarene in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
Prior to moving to Fort Wayne, she and her husband, Chuck, were missionaries to the former Soviet Union for 13 years.
During that time Carla worked as director of Compassionate Ministries, and Director of Theological Education for the
Church of the Nazarene in Russia, Ukraine, Armenia, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgzystan. She is currently the chairman of
the USA/Canada Women Clergy Council for the Church of the Nazarene. She is a graduate of Mid-America Nazarene University,
Nazarene Theological Seminary and is currently a Ph.D. student at Nazarene Theological College and the University
of Manchester. She and her husband are proud parents of two daughters, Christa, a junior at Olivet Nazarene
University and Cara, a freshman at Olivet.
CarlaSun@aol.com
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The Rev. Dr. Dixie Yoder
(Brethren in Christ)
Dixie is founder and executive director of Infinite Grace Ministries in Weatherford, Oklahoma. Infinite Grace is a
ministry of Biblical Counseling and Discipleship. Dixie has worked with the Billy Graham Association’s Crisis
Response teams in New York City after 9/11, and in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. She has been actively
involved in teaching and leadership in the Brethren in Christ denomination for the past 25 years. She and her husband,
Galin, have two sons, two lovely daughters-in-law and four very special grandchildren.
revflash@direcpc.com
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Recorded Minister Lynn Clouser Holt, Covener
(Friends)
Lynn is Pastor of Education and Spiritual Formation at North Valley Friends Church in Newberg, Oregon. She also
serves as the convener for WHWC’s 2008 Come to the Water Conference in Nashville, Tennessee. Lynn has 12 years in
professional pastoral ministry with Evangelical Friends International, and received her Master of Divinity degree
from George Fox Evangelical Seminary. She is no stranger to WHWC, having assisted the original planning board
for the first CTTW conference in Glorieta, New Mexico. Lynn and her husband, Jon, have five children and five
grandchildren.
lynnhc@verizon.net
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Rev. Lois Watkins
(The Wesleyan Church)
Lois is appointed to Special Services in the Indiana North district of The Wesleyan Church and serves an
assisted living facility with Marketplace Chaplains and volunteers for
New Hope Hospice in Marion, Indiana. Prior to moving to Marion she and her husband, Jim, pastored LaOtto Wesleyan
Church in Indiana for 16 years. For much of that time Lois served on the District Board of Administration and
continues to serve on the District Board of Ministerial Development. She has served two-year terms on four
previous occasions with WHWC, including the founding organizational board and the first planning committee for the
Come to the Water conference. Lois attended Indiana Wesleyan University (Marion College) three years and graduated
from Indiana Southern University, as well as earning a Master of Divinity degree from Anderson University School
of Theology.
lefwatkins@yahoo.com
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