There are so many great women of the Bible, women were not just side characters; they were central to many of the Bible’s most pivotal moments. The Bible portrayed women as strong, resilient, and faithful players in the narrative of the scriptures.
This year’s keynote speaker, Wilhelmina Smallman will address the conference in the morning and in the afternoon. A voice that demands to be heard for women and social justice. We also welcome Dr Vivianne Crispin, who will address the conference in the morning and facilitate one of four workshops in the afternoon. Dr Vivianne will share her journey of courage and joy following a life changing event.
The conference will include various speakers / workshops / soloists and musicians. Worship team will be led by Tina Firth and members of the RCC Worship Team.
A Prayer Ministry team will also be available on the day.
We will have a team of workshop facilitators with backgrounds in Education, Health and Domestic Violence who will incorporate the theme of the conference in their respective workshops.
Stalls will include;
- Handmade jewellery
- 10ofthose Christian Bookshop
- Diane `Rose Designs’ – Quality Handcrafted Millinery
- Neck & Hand Massage Therapist
- Sheffield Afro-Caribbean Mental Health Association SACHMA
- The Family Works
- Dementia Support Group.
Conference pack, Programme and gift bag will be available to each registered delegate on the day with full biographies of the conference speakers and workshop facilitators.
Keynote Speaker – Wilhelmina Smallman
Mina Smallman is a retired Anglican priest and former High school teacher. She studied at the Central School of Speech and Drama. Before being ordained 2006 at St Paul’s Cathedral, she was a former Assistant Principal of John Kelly Girls’ Technology College. She served as the Archdeacon of Southend in the Diocese of Chelmsford from 2013-2016. In recognition of her work, she was awarded the title of Emeritus the Venerable.
In 2020, two of Ms Smallman’s daughters, Nicole Smallman and Bibaa Henry, were found murdered in a park in north London. In July 2020, Danyal Hussein was convicted of their murders and sentenced to life imprisonment. Ms Smallman and her husband Chris have criticised the Metropolitan Police Service for being initially dismissive and mishandling the missing persons investigation, questioning whether the murder of women of colour is treated differently by police and society at large. In December 2021, two Metropolitan Police Officers who took photographs of the murdered sisters and shared the images to WhatsApp – conduct described by Ms Smallman as “a betrayal of catastrophic proportions” – were convicted and jailed for 33 months.
Mina Smallman has partnered with Stacey Dooley to tell her story in an upcoming documentary, ‘Two Daughters,’ for BBC Two and iPlayer. She was included in the BBC’s 100 Women List for 2021, for her trailblazing work as the first female Church of England archdeacon from a black or ethnic minority background, and for her campaigning to make UK streets safer and to reform the police.
In 2022, she became an Honorary Fellow of Murray Edwards College, University of Cambridge.
November 2022 Mina delivered the Longford Lecture. Her theme was ‘Catch Them Before They Fall’
She has also spoken at several at Police Federations across the UK.
She was honoured to be consulted and quoted in Baron Louise Casey report.
2024 her book ‘A Better Tomorrow’ will be published.
Host – Tricia Watts
I moved to Sheffield as a teenager where I attended Christ Church Fulwood. It was on one of their Youth House parties that I felt God call me to follow him and my life changed.
I was a teacher for many years first as a PE teacher before I slipped to Primary teaching. I eventually taught at a lovely small primary school in the countryside just north of Sheffield.
Having retired from teaching just before covid, I now work for the Rock Christian Centre here in Sheffield. I work part time at Burngreave Foodbank and am Team Pastor at the church.
I have run/ been on youth camps for the last 47 years!! and have a passion to see young people on fire for Jesus.
I also head up Sheffield Street Pastors which has been running since 2009. I love ‘Caring, Listening and Helping’ in the city centre. We have over 30 street pastors from more than 17 churches. I have many opportunities to represent Street Pastors and the church in city centre meetings and committees.
Jon and I have 3 children and 5 grandchildren, who are all great fun. I love spending time with them. They and I, all love Barney, our dog, and enjoy taking him out on walks.
I love travelling to different countries and seeing different cultures, exploring and also sitting on the beach!
My passion is having fun!!!!
and seeing Jesus held high in our community.
Speaker / Workshop Facilitator – Dr Vivianne Crispin
Dr Vivianne Crispin is a Registered Nurse who, since 2014, has been a Lecturer in Adult Nursing within the University of the West of Scotland. Vivianne is passionate about seeing women in particular achieving their full potential and raising their self-esteem. This fits well with her day job as a lecturer supporting students, but also in her ministry as the Deacon for Women’s Ministry in Cornerstone Christian Fellowship in Cumbernauld, Scotland. One of her biggest prayers is for the women who are not Christian, but who have a believing husband, that they will come to faith. She also prays for the non-believing husbands of the women she supports in her fellowship.
Vivianne is married to Julien, and has 4 children, 5 grandchildren, and another grandchild on the way. Vivianne and Julien work voluntarily on missions in Africa, mainly Uganda, but also in Egypt, Ghana, South Africa, and Kenya. They work with the small churches in the villages, and along with others in their church, they support an orphanage in Uganda.
Recently, Vivianne had to have her left leg amputated, and she now describes herself as the ‘happiest amputee in Scotland’! However, it has taken patience, resilience, and a reliance on the Holy Spirit to overcome the challenges that being an amputee brings. Vivianne has become a Peer Support Volunteer for the charity Finding Your Feet as they have helped her immensely throughout her recovery and rehabilitation.
Vivianne lives life to the full and says a resounding YES to most things put in front of her. Since amputation she has been on mission to Ghana, has abseiled off the Forth Rail Bridge, and has been zip lining with friends. She even signed up to do a skydive, but the weather saw it being cancelled! She enjoys walking and her aim is to walk the West Highland Way in 2024, and then in 2025 she plans to hike on the Inca Trail in Peru. She is also fond of swimming and has recently finished a swimming challenge of 22 miles in her local pool over 12 weeks for the spinal cord charity Aspire.
Moderator – Sandie Keene
In her career Sandie was recognised as an accomplished leader who was President of The Association of Directors of Adult Social Services and spokesperson for Adult Social Care Services at the highest levels of local and national government. She received a CBE for leadership in Social Care in 2014.
As a Director of Adult Social Services for over ten years she brought drive, passion, skill and humour to deliver multiple successful organisational and service improvements in the most challenging of financial environments through innovative, enterprising and partnership approaches.
After retiring in November 2014, she worked as a consultant to the Health and Social Care sector supporting leadership to achieve partnership and integration of services. She was also a Board Member of the Sheffield Mental Health and Social Care Trust until 2022.
Sandie’s faith is central to everything she has done and all she is. She recognises the call of God on her life and is currently Trustee of 2 faith based Voluntary Organisations. These are Langley House Trust, a national Christian Housing and Care organisation supporting ex offenders to live crime free lives and Together for Sheffield which draws together Christian leaders in Sheffield in Evangelism, Service and Prayer.
Sandie is passionate about empowering the disenfranchised through Social Action and Mission. She is called to support Church Unity initiatives and empowerment of women leaders.
I am married with 2 adult step children and we share our home with a Ukrainian refugee guest and her dog.
Soloists – Patricia Redhead & Lydia Ukeye
I am married and have three children. I currently volunteer at a number of charities. My career was in nursing in the NHS and worked as a nurse for many years in different specialities including surgery, radiology, and ophthalmology.
I took a break to have a family, during which time I worked as a childminder and tutor, and supported the training of other childminders in conjunction with social workers.
I love to sing! It makes me happy. I sing all types of songs, having been introduced to some unusual artists through my singing teacher in the last couple of years.
I grew up in Sheffield in a Christian home, and both my parents sang in church, either as a soloist , or in the choir. I have been singing as far back as I can remember. I recall as a child regularly singing whilst doing my chores and using a saucepan lid as a tambourine.
I have sung in youth choirs, and on several occasions had solo parts, I have also sang in a sextet at church conventions.
I have been a Worship leader in the churches my husband pastored this also included in singing at a wedding as the bride proceeded up the aisle.
Moving around a lot and, close family being absent was part and parcel of the territory. Singing has helped me deal with the challenges of life and isolation, it has kept me strong in my faith.
Singing is part of who I am, to sing songs of love and adoration to my Creator thrills me. I can wholeheartedly say that ”The joy of the Lord is my strength“ (Neh 8 v10)
Singing has been/is part of stirring up and maintaining that joy.
My name is Lydia Ukeye, my place of birth is Burundi. I grew up in a Christian family and my mum used to take me to Sunday school. If she didn’t take me I would cry so much that in the end she would change her mind and accommodate me.
I cried because I loved singing and didn’t want to miss going to Sunday school, because that was where I sang as a child.
I continued going to church as a teenager and got baptised at the Victory church in December 2010 prior to Christmas. It was there that I joined the worship team and became one of the worship leaders.
I love singing and believe that God has blessed me with the gift of singing. I also joined a group called the Three in One Ministry.
Within the group, we composed songs, recorded them and made video clips of the songs together. I am in two of the clips. I also attended the audio recordings for nearly every song.
I met my ex-husband who is from England in June 2012. We dated for a year prior to getting married on 21st June 2014. I came to England in October 2016.
He used to attend Rock Christian Centre and through me also attending, I became a member at the church.
I joined the worship team at Rock Christian Centre but, it took a while for me to start singing. God‘s timing is perfect and he opened a door and I started singing halfway through 2023 up to this present time.
Workshop Facilitators – Nkechi Okoh, Jacqui Gavins, Dr Hephzibah Ogunro, Katy Walsh, Omosede Adekoya & Jill Lawson.
Nkechi has taught from the Bible in a practical way for many years. Individuals, families and community groups have benefited from her teaching as they have discovered hope and restoration in Jesus Christ. She covers a wide range of topics in her teaching, with a special emphasis on how the Bible relates to our daily lives. Her open and practical illustration of personal experiences, along with her direct communication style, enables her to show people how to apply biblical principles and values to their own lives. She is a fervent intercessor who longs to see the Church develop into the complete likeness of Christ.
Nkechi’s desire is to carefully dissect and interpret God’s word in order to discern the will of God for the Church in a time when our world is full of uncertainty. Making the eternal truths of God’s word applicable to a world that is continually changing is her top priority.
Nkechi has volunteered and served obediently in various positions for more for 25 years. In those years, she has served faithfully as Minister and in various leadership capacities in Nigeria and the United Kingdom. She presently leads the Sheffield Chapter of the Christian Women of Influence (CWOI), and she has been a Member of the Board of Trustees of CWOI since 2015.
Nkechi lives in Sheffield and works in Schools. She has a son and daughter and worships with the Rock Christian Centre, Sheffield.
My name is Jacqui Gavins, I started going to New Hope Community Church in 2015. Although I had given my life to Jesus 40 years previously my Christian journey had been a very rocky one.
I was hoping to attend church and not be involved too much but after 4 years in 2019 and having gone through a divorce I found myself in a new full-time job at New Hope Community Church. My roles where foodbank co-ordinator our busy foodbank is open 5 days a week 9.00 to 5.00. Furniture Project co-ordinator, fund raiser and general admin.
In 2020 I trained to be a fully accredited facilitator for “The Freedom Programme” domestic violence course. I had attended a Freedom Programme myself after getting divorced due to domestic abuse of 33 years and had the vision of one day being able to run the course myself.
Since rolling out the course I have been able to hold the programme on a weekly basis at New Hope and at different venues in Sheffield, Rotherham and Chesterfield with more than 350 women having had attended to date. Very often I am asked how I have been able to forgive the person who abused me, and this leads to a conversation about the forgiveness of Jesus and of how He can restore, and mend broken lives.
At the beginning of 2023 one of my colleagues took over the foodbank role and New Hope let me expand the Freedom Programme role by supporting the women who were/had attended the course in a role of community support attending mental health appointments, doctor/hospital appointments, on occasion going to court, filling in forms and other various support.
I have since trained to do “Freedom Forever” which helps ladies who have completed the Freedom Programme to budget, safe dating, look at Clare’s Law and other ways forward to a healthy lifestyle.
Often, I meet other women who like myself stayed in a marriage because of the vows taken seriously in a wedding service at church. It has been freeing to study and help free others to see how the word of God has been twisted to keep women in an unhealthy marriage and to know that that isn’t what Jesus wants for them. No where in the bible does it say that women should be abused and violated.
Hephzibah Ogunro is a Paediatrics Junior Doctor based in London. She has a passion for pastoral care and is part of Christian Medical Fellowship national Pastoral and Wellbeing team as well as being part of her own church (Zeo, Hitchin) Youth ministry team. She is also has an interest in mission and has been involved in various mission trips. She enjoys running, reading and music.
My name is Katy and I love giraffes! I think they are an awesome animal that God created.
I have been brought up in a Christian family with two sisters and we have always been involved in the church family. Growing up I joined the worship team as a singer, I am a Sunday school leader and in the refreshments teams. I love giving back to God.
I am newly married to an amazing man of God and each day we aim to build our relationship with God stronger.
I am a Secondary school food technology teacher and love to bake in my spare time.
I have been in the RCC family for 10 years when my Dad became the Assistant Pastor and have loved growing up in the church and developing my faith.
Sede Adekoya works in the public sector and serves on the catering team of the Rock Christian Centre. She has an interest in social issues and has written for The Guardian and The Telegraph. Her interests include writing, photography, and cooking.
She’s blessed with a beautiful family and is mum to an energetic toddler who keeps her very active.
My name is Jill and I have been a member of New Hope Community Church in Halfway Sheffield since 2019.
I was brought up in the Methodist church from being a baby and made a commitment to Jesus 35 years ago.
New Hope has a mental health support group called “GROW” which started in 2008. I had a friend who needed some support, and I went along to the group to give her some moral support in 2020,
In 2021 after covid the church coffee shop had shut and it was decided not to reopen it, I was already running my own café business in Victoria Queys and asked if I could take over the coffee shop as my own business. “Jills Coffee at New Hope” has been a successful ministry with people asking to look around the church and having lots of great opportunities to tell customers about the Love of Jesus and give testimonies.
In January 2023 after training to be a facilitator I now lead the “GROW” mental health support course holding it on a Wednesday evening, we have around 25 people who attend on a regular basis. The course is a 12-step rolling programme it is a free and open to anyone.
Highlights of 2023’s Conference
A reflection of the day.
“The 13th of May 2023 finally came and with it dawned a warm and sunny day, Rock Christian Centre’s first women’s conference was finally a reality. From its inception from the previous mid-October the planning team had a vision for women. Within a safe and desirable environment to facilitate, cultivate, supporting each other by networking to learn, to worship, to develop spiritually through workshops and have fun.
The women were about to go on a journey and by involving the men folk of the church in stewarding, providing practical help/support and food. All the ladies had to do was to come and enjoy everything that was being provided.
Rock Christian Centre is very much involved in community outreach programmes such as Burngreave Foodbank, Street Pastors, CAP, Word 4 Weapons, The Lighthouse Project and Amen shoeboxes.
The programme was carefully planned with pampering in mind and spoiling the women with an array that would be sure to catch their attention. There were various stalls such as Christian books and cards, jewelry, quality millinery, Women’s health, The Jericho Road Project, and the Freedom Project, two vital support groups for women that are disempowered. There was also a choice of relaxing therapists so that the ladies could experience feeling cherished and pampered.
To ensure that the ladies could network and snack on Danish pastries and fresh fruit registration was off to an early start. Been warmly welcomed and handed a goodie bag by the men on the welcoming/registration team was certainly a caring gesture. Every detail had been thought through with our brothers in Christ assisting even in the car park. Some ladies who were apprehensive or unsure soon relaxed and began to mingle and engage in conversation. Gentle background music played as the ladies filtered into the conference room.
The scene that met their eyes was a delight there was a beautiful stillness in the room that struck you. White tablecloths and fresh flowers arranged in glass posey vases adorned each table not to mention the red runners and corresponding red seats.
The conference opened with prayer by Tricia Watts. Paulette Forbes-Williams introduced Jon Watts senior pastor of RCC who warmly welcomed the delegates on behalf of the leadership team. Housekeeping was delivered succinctly by Paulette and Lucy Swift. The worship team led by Josephine Kobusingye set the tone which was just a taster of what was to come.
Sandie Keene a previous accomplished leader was an excellent conference facilitator for the day. She exuded warmth and a deep understanding by her words and body language. She was efficient and her humorous approach to timekeeping using traffic light cards was very well received as chuckles echoed around the room. No one got issued with a red card.
Clarissa Notice our first speaker gave women permission to find out who they are in Christ. By allowing transformation to take place one would behold the glory of God. Three young women from RCC read bible verses following each speaker namely Bethany Kibutu, Megan Hunt and Tiffany Kibutu. Their scriptures pertained to virtuous women.
Rev Lyn Weston our second speaker addressed the conference with her personal testimony of surviving domestic abuse and encouraged women to speak out. Lyn allowed the Lord to use her which connected beautifully with what Clarissa had shared.
Our ears were treated to a medley of songs played on the saxophone by Cynthia Palmer-Golding. The delegates sang along in particular to ‘’ How great thou art ‘’
Lunch was another highlight. The cuisine was mouth-wateringly presented with a plethora of choices, catering for all dietary requirements. A very firm favourite was Ricky Williams’s fried dumplings. After lunch the ladies dispersed to their chosen workshops of which there was a total of four. Within the workshops they allowed the women to be interactive and concentrate on sharing and praying which was so special and releasing.
Afternoon tea followed with Jamaican rum cake and further networking. The worship team led the women into a time of worshipping God. The presence of the Lord was palpable as voices sang out in unison in praise and adoration. The prayer team were invited to come alongside those that needed prayer.
The closing speaker was Nkechi Aniegboka-Okoh a formidable woman of God. She communicated the Word in her unique direct style.
Nkechi reminded us that as women we have the power of influence. We are influential and not to allow ourselves to be put down.
The conference closed with the words of thanks by the moderator and Paulette. Recognition was given to all the men that had made the day a very special one for the ladies to have had a transforming experience.”