Conference Schedule

Thursday, Pre-Conference, September 24th, 2026

Gather at the Conference Hotel, Hyatt Place Hotel, Legacy Village, Lyndhurst, Ohio: 12:30 p.m.

24665 Cedar Road

Lyndhurst, Ohio 44124

Leave via Coach for Akron, 1:00 p.m.

Travel together (via coach) to the Sojourner Truth Plaza in Akron, Ohio, 37 North High Street, Akron, Ohio 44308 (Transportation via Company Car & Limousine)

2:00 – 4:30 p.m.

Tour the plaza and the adjoining facility
Special ceremony honoring Sojourner Truth, highlighting the “Sojourner Truth Traveling Stole,” led by Rev. Dr. LaVerne C. Hall, President of the Board of Directors of the Dr. James and Janie Washington Cultural Center, Seattle, WA

*4:30 p.m. Travel to Sheraton Suites Banquets

Sheraton Suites Akron Cuyahoga Falls

1989 Front Street

Cuyahoga Falls, OH 44221

Marriott.com/CAKSI

Dinner together at Sheraton (participants pay for their own dinner/ $45 per person)

7:30 p.m., Return to Hyatt Place Hotel, Lyndhurst, Ohio (participants go back to their place of lodging)

Conference DAY 1 held at Restoration Ministries of Greater Cleveland, Euclid, Ohio

21000 Lakeshore Boulevard, Euclid, Ohio 44123

Friday, September 25th, 2026, Day 1

Check-in: 4:00 p.m. – 4:45 p.m.
Dinner: 5:00 – 6:15 p.m.

Opening Workshop: 6:30-7:40 p.m. “Enlarging Our Territory: Best practices for Identifying and Obtaining Financial Resources for Ministry” for presented by Rev. Brian Upton, Executive Director of Building Hope in the City

Opening Worship: 7:50 – 9:15 p.m., Guest Preacher, Pastor Michele Humphrey, Senior Pastor Imani United Church of Christ

DAY 2 Conference held at

Hyatt Place Cleveland/Lyndhurst/Legacy Village

24665 Cedar Road

Lyndhurst, Ohio

United States 44124

Saturday, September 26th, 2026, Day 2

Check-in: 9:00 – 9:30 a.m. Continental Breakfast
Opening Plenary: 9:45 – 11:00 a.m., “Women Leaders and Trauma” Part I, Rev. Dr. Lisa Goods
Day 2 Worship: 11:15 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., Guest Preacher, Minister Joy Andrews

Conference Luncheon: 12:40 – 1:40 p.m.

Afternoon Workshops (1:40 p.m. – 4:15 p.m.)

“Women Leaders and Trauma” Part II, Rev. Dr. Alicia Malone 1:40 p.m. – 2:50 p.m.
“Financial Stewardship for Leaders: Identifying, Establishing, and Growing Resources for Kingdom Business” 3:00 p.m. – 4:15 p.m.) Ms. Gina Haas, Director of Investments, American Baptist Home Mission Societies

Teen Workshops (concurrent with Women’s workshops: 1:30 p.m. – 2:45 p.m., 3:00 p.m. – 4:15 p.m.)

“Self-Awareness, Self-Care, and Self-Esteem:” Ms. Dawn Doerr-Johnson, 1:30 p.m. – 2:45 p.m., Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Mental Health Counselor
“Positioned for Godly Success:” Rev. Dr. TaNikka Sheppard, Executive Minister, the Cleveland Baptist Association, General Secretary, North American Baptist Fellowship, 3:00 p.m. – 4:15 p.m.

Closing Commissioning and Holy Communion

Commissioning Service and Holy Communion, 4:30 p.m. – 5:15 p.m.
Closing remarks and Benediction – 5:15 p.m. – 5:30 p.m., Rev. Dr. Chris Smith, Executive Director, Rudd Empowerment Center at ABWM, Conference Host,
Senior Pastor, Restoration Ministries of Greater Cleveland

Church Location:

Restoration Ministries of Greater Cleveland (On the campus of the Church of the Epiphany)

21000 Lakeshore Boulevard

Euclid, Ohio 44143

Hotel Options:

HOTEL DISCOUNTED RESERVATION LINK:

Hotel Room per night, per room, $159.00 (for two queen beds)

dedicated link with your guests to directly book their hotel reservations:

https://www.hyatt.com/events/en-US/group-booking/CLEZL/G-ABW2

Sojourner Truth Women's Ministry Conference 2026

Empowered by God’s Light, Leading with God’s Love