Annual Voices of Hope Conference returns April 5-6
Voices of Hope leaders and attendees hold hands and pray before the opening of last year’s event. This year’s spring conference will be April 5-6 at United Dayspring Mennonite Church in Berlin with a men’s conference on April 6 at Berlin Grande Hotel. The cost is $50 for the women’s and $25 for the men’s.
The eighth annual Voices of Hope Spring Conference will take place Friday and Saturday, April 5 and 6 at United Dayspring Mennonite Church in Berlin.
Designed to offer hope and healing to those familiar with abuse, the two-day conference will run Friday from noon to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The cost is $50 with Saturday lunch provided.
Voices of Hope is an organization designed to liberate women who have experienced abuse and their families by giving them a platform to connect and share their stories. The goal of the conference is to break the silence surrounding secrets and abuse in one’s personal life, as well as their church and community.
Founder Dena Schrock, who grew up in the Swartzentruber Amish community in Tennessee and Kentucky, felt burdened by the rules and seclusion governed by her close-knit community. After leaving and starting fresh in her 20s, she felt prompted to help others like her find new life outside the confines of abuse and secrecy. In 2018 she founded the organization with her co-founder Lizzie Hershberger, who came from a similar Amish background in Minnesota and experienced her own hidden abuse.
“I think the inspiration (to start Voices of Hope) came from where I grew up and not knowing the truth (found in my faith). The abuse that went on in different households is what prompted me to do something about it,” Schrock said.
Abuse can be found in all walks of life, so the conference is open to all who have dealt with abuse in all forms. The main goal of the conference is to give women a voice to share their stories with the understanding they’re not alone, Schrock said.
This year’s conference will feature six speakers: Lizzie Hershberger, Kim Griffiths, Anna Hershberger, Tryphena Beachy, Veronica Kay Mann and Schrock, along with guest speaker Jeanette Lopez. There will be a breakout session on Friday and two on Saturday with a trained small group leader, as well as licensed counselors onsite for one-on-one help. Saturday also will include a panel of six women who will share their stories and how they overcame abuse.
An accompanying men’s conference will take place Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Berlin Grande Hotel. The all-day session is led by Pastor Dale Ingraham and Elmer Schwartzat, an abuse survivor from an Amish background. There will be three sessions followed by a Q-and-A session. The cost is $25 and will include a lunch for those who preregister.
The men’s conference will take a twofold approach, offering resources for those who have been abused and those seeking resources to help family members.
“Most people are there at these conferences because they’ve been impacted by abuse in some way,” Ingraham said. “So we tried to address the different dynamics and how to go about healing from abuse.”
Ingraham and his wife Faith started their nonprofit, Speaking Truth in Love Ministries, in 2008 after finding a lack of resources on abuse within the church. The ministry offers help to those and their families who have experienced sexual abuse and domestic violence. Ingraham will share his story and expertise during the men’s conference while his wife, an abuse survivor, will minister during the women’s conference.
Within faith-based communities, spiritual abuse can be another aspect that goes along with other forms of abuse, Ingraham said. Many abusers will manipulate their victims through blame and silence by quoting Bible verses. Conference leaders’ goal is to shed light on the abusers’ lies by using scripture correctly and sharing passages that advocate for survivors.
“We try to reassure (survivors) that God does love them, and he’s not OK with the fact that they’ve been abused,” Ingraham said.
Outside the annual conference, Voices of Hope helps young women who have left the Amish start a new life by providing them with resources to make a living. Women receive guidance on getting a Social Security card, birth certificate and driver’s license, along with places to stay, how to find work and clothing donations.
“I just really enjoy seeing women excel and figure out what they want in life because growing up you were so secluded you didn’t know what you wanted. So it brings a lot of joy to me,” Schrock said.
Seeing healing and growth through the years because of these conferences is what motivates Schrock to continue.
“What inspires me to keep going is seeing others overcome and grow because they no longer feel that they’re alone. They have a group of women who went through similar (experiences),” Schrock said.
While the healing journey can be painful to start, Dale and Faith Ingraham encourage those hesitant to give either conference a try.
“I think it’s just encouraging to know that you’re not alone,” Faith Ingraham said, “that other people have gone through difficult situations and come out on the other side.”
United Dayspring Mennonite Church is located at 5641 Township Road 362 and Berlin Grande Hotel at 4787 Township Road 366.
The registration deadline for both events is March 30. For more information or to register, visit www.VoicesOfHopeGivers.com. Noninternet users may call Ella Byler at 570-337-9302 to register and pay later at the door.
Berlin Grande Hotel has reserved 20 hotel rooms under the Voices of Hope room block for out-of-town guests. Call 330-403-3050 for reservations and mention the conference.