Voices of Hope: Women share life-changing stories

The first Voices of Hope Women’s Conference will be held at the Berlin Grande Hotel on April 27 from 1-8 p.m. and April 28 from 8-4 p.m.

Six speakers — Dena Schrock and Elizabeth Hershberger of Ohio, Joanna Yoder and Esther Schmucker of Pennsylvania, Emma Gingerich of Texas, and Lizzie Hershberger of Minnesota — will share their personal stories of walking away from their respective cultures, leaving behind the only world they’d ever known and stepping into the unfamiliar with faith, hope and a little fear.

The two-day event will be led in worship and “Jesus-praised” music by Holmes County residents and businesswomen Lisa Troyer and Dawn Yoder.

“We have the privilege of leading worship for the event as we prepare hearts of the attendees to press into the healing messages they will encounter throughout the weekend,” Troyer said. “We are fully persuaded that this upcoming women’s conference will be a catalyst for women in the community and beyond to embrace unconditional love of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit.”

Schrock will be the opening speaker on Friday. She is a wife, mother, author and business owner. But according to Schrock, she is most importantly a “believer,” born again and telling her story in a loving way.

She acknowledges that this is “her story,” and though she faced negative situations in the culture she was raised, she doesn’t profess that everyone in her culture created and/or faced those same circumstances.

“I have nothing but love and hope for all people,” Schrock said. “I always ask the Lord to show me his way, and in doing so, I no longer feel the shame inflicted upon me by any man or woman.”

Schrock was raised in a strict lifestyle, one that according to her, did not allow Bible study, a voice or even a hug.

“As a young woman I felt like I was living in a box with no say-so,” she said. “I wanted a close connection with God, but I could only listen to the words of the Bible through another man’s voice.”

At age 23 Schrock’s world would change forever. She had married Joe Schrock, had one child and was still immersed in the culture she was raised. Always dutiful, she obeyed the rules until one day she was asked to turn her back on her brother and his family.

“How could I shun my brother and his wife when I knew they were walking in the light, walking a good life?” she said. “I couldn’t do it. My husband and I both agreed we would not turn our backs on my brother, and in doing so, we were subsequently excommunicated from our church.”

According to Schrock, in a “one-accord” vote the bishop officially informed her and her husband of their excommunication in front of the parishioners.

“I was scared, but I was not mad,” she said. “I was in total peace. In that moment I experienced more love and forgiveness in my heart than I had ever experienced before.”

Though excommunicated, the Schrocks continued to attend their church; however, they found themselves eating their cups of soup alone in the laundry house. They were reminded of the scripture of Galatians 5:9, “A little leaven leavens the whole lump.”

Considered “weird,” rumors circulated that the Schrocks were to be regarded as “people who would deceive others,” and according to Schrock, friends and family turned their backs on the young couple.

“We met a couple who’d heard we had been excommunicated from our church,” she said. “They invited my husband and me to a Christian Bible study. I had never been allowed to actually study the Bible in a language and translation that I understood.”

After six months of isolation, the Schrocks made a decision to leave their church and start a new life while continuing their Bible studies.

“I’ve never had any hard feelings for the people who rejected us,” Schrock said. “It’s not the people; it’s the system. I knew their intentions were not to hurt us. We believe it is not biblical to turn our backs on those we love because another man tells us to do so.”

Each of the speakers in the conference have stories of overcoming a variety of adversities, and for some this includes sexual abuse.

Yoder was raised in a strict, orthodox home. She was the eldest daughter in a family of nine siblings. According to Yoder, she was sexually abused for 18 years of her life.

“I have no memory of not being abused,” Yoder said. “It started when I was a toddler and continued into my adult life.”

Yoder started experiencing severe anxiety attacks that left her body covered in hives. She attempted to run away from home when she was 19 years old, not knowing she could have legally walked out the front door.

According to Yoder, her plan was thwarted by the bishop of her church, who sent her to a private home for mentally unstable woman in Pennsylvania. She was released after six weeks, whereupon she had to return to her home, attend her church and “confess [her] sins.”

At the age of 21 Yoder found the strength and walked out of her family home and moved to another state. She sought counseling to overcome the isolating feeling of shame brought on by sexual abuse.

“For me it’s been a rocky road with God,” she said. “You see, God was woven into my abuse, being that the men who assaulted me were the same men who participated in holy communion at my church. The ‘God story’ of my journey has been the most challenging aspect of my recovery as I believed he was an accomplice to my pain. To love God, I had to strip everything down and rebuild one block at a time. I would not be where I am today if it wasn’t for my faith and God’s love.”

The speakers and organizers of this conference want the public to know this is not a platform to shame individuals and their beliefs. On the contrary this conference is about hope through worship and testimony.

According to event coordinator LaVonne DeBois, this is an accumulation of women who have the courage to break the silence and give strength to others who may be suffering.

“These women deserve a platform to be heard,” DeBois said. “We are all on this journey of life together. We can’t help what we are born in to, but when we make a commitment to do good by ourselves and for others, we then walk out of the dark and into the light. I commend this group of women for their bravery because living in fear never results in freedom.”

Voices of Hope Women’s Conference is at the Berlin Grande Hotel, 4787 Township Road 366, Berlin. Tickets are $75 and include the two-day conference, Friday buffet dinner at the Berlin Farmstead Restaurant and Saturday lunch.

Sign up for the event through Event Bright at Voices of Hope Women’s Conference, call 330-340-7343 or pay by check to DeBois, c/o Dena Schrock, 14902 Navarre Road SW, Wilmot, OH 44689.