19,000 Expected at Women of Faith Event

Organizers of the fourth annual Women of Faith gathering expect 19,000 this weekend in Anaheim. The event is billed as a female counterpoint to the Promise Keepers, although there’s no formal connection between the organizations.

“Our conferences are both gender-specific, biblically based and focus on putting your faith in the person of Jesus Christ,” said Mary Graham, vice president of conference development for Women of Faith.

This year, the Women of Faith tour includes 30 cities, including Denver, Pittsburgh, Minneapolis and Richmond, Va. The conference started in 1996 in Pasadena.

The response was overwhelming, Graham said. Five other conferences were held that year. By 1997, the event ran in sports arenas around the country. This year’s event at the Arrowhead Pond sold out in March.

“It has taken us all by surprise,” said Graham, who helped coordinate the speakers at the event, including Patsy Clairmont, Barbara Johnson, Marilyn Meberg, Thelma Wells and Sheila Walsh.

The event runs from 5 to 9 p.m. Friday and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. Speakers offer inspirational speeches based on biblical themes, organizers said.

Speaker Luci Swindoll, a retired Mobil Oil executive, said the event’s popularity comes from the built-in support system: It’s a pep rally for women who are trying to fit spirituality into their busy schedules, she said.

“Women value faith and the spiritual dimension of life, but it’s difficult to see how it plays out in daily life,” Graham agreed. “Women are stirring so many pots, they don’t give enough attention to their own souls.”

Although the event is targeted to women, the organizers don’t turn men away. Said Swindoll: “Men can come, but they should probably wear a skirt.”