Our Speakers

Musical Guest

Maranda Curtis

Born and raised in Miami, FL to Reverend W.S. Curtis and Mrs. Darlene Curtis, the fourth of seven children, Maranda quickly found singing to be a source of comfort. Maranda has had the opportunity to share the stage with such gospel artists as  Pastor John P. Kee, Kurt Carr, Youthful Praise & more.

Known for her melodic tones and her natural flow in worship, Curtis continues to soar as a leading voice in the gospel music industry. Maranda’s signature sound has been featured on various music projects as a lead vocalist and audiences have taken to her sound very well.

SPeaker

Jan Greenwood

Jan Greenwood is a pastor, teacher, and mentor to many. She began leading over 30 years ago as a wife and mom. At the same time, she was always working outside her home and serving in her local church. She’s held positions in the marketplace, owned her own business, been a fund-raising consultant for several Christian ministries and has even run a non-profit educational organization. 

She started a nonprofit of called More Ministries and wrote a book about healthy female relationships called Women at War.  While battling breast cancer, she learned so much about how to contend for your future and live beyond your circumstances that she founded Brave Strong Girl, an on-line mentoring community for women.  In 2021 she released her newest book, The Grace Giving Leader.  

For more than a decade, Jan has been serving as a part of the pastoral team at Gateway Church, a 30,000-member, multi-campus church in the Dallas Fort Worth Metroplex. For several years she served in the women's ministry helping to direct a beautiful conference for women called Pink Impact. Currently, she serves as an equipping pastor where one of her most important responsibilities is to help identify, engage, and disciple the next generation of leaders. 

Jan and her husband Mark have been married for more than 35 years, and they have six children, two by marriage. They live in a suburb of Dallas. 

SPeaker

Dr. Anita Phillips

As a trauma therapist, life coach and minister, Dr. Anita Phillips is an expert at unraveling the
human experience. Known for her paradigm-shifting insights at the intersection of mental health,
faith and culture, her work is guided by one simple idea: most things that seem complicated are
actually just hard. From overthrowing anxiety to reimagining the path to equity, this dynamic
speaker helps people, groups, and organizations accomplish hard things.

Dr. Anita holds degrees from the University of Maryland and Regent University and completed an NIH-funded postdoctoral fellowship at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. She serves on the Advisory Board for the Boris L. Henson Foundation and the Faith Communities Task Force for the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention. At home in Baltimore, she ministers alongside her husband, Pastor Michael Phillips, at Kingdom Life Church.
Host

Chrystal Evans Hurst

Chrystal Evans Hurst is the author of She’s Still There and co-author of the best-selling book, Kingdom Woman, with her father Dr. Tony Evans. She reaches a wide audience speaking at conferences, sharing on her blog and podcast, writing for Proverbs 31 Ministries, and by teaching and leading women in her home church.

Chrystal is an energetic, life-loving “girl-next-door” who loves encouraging others to fulfill their potential in Christ. With humor and vulnerability, Chrystal tells-it-like-it-is but does so with grace, integrity, and love. She firmly believes in Jeremiah 29:11, “I know the plans that I have for you…” and she desires to help others believe and apply that truth to their lives as well.

In addition to her work in ministry, Chrystal works at home as the COO (Chief Operating Officer), cultivating hearts and commanding chaos. She is a mother of five and homeschools three boys around the kitchen table while hugging two adult girls, a son-in-love and a granddaughter every chance she gets. Chrystal is grateful to share her life with a gentle giant named Jessie who had no idea what he was getting into when he asked her to marry him, bless his heart. The Hurst family lives in a small town just outside of Dallas, Texas.

Host

Priscilla Shirer

Priscilla Shirer is a wife and mom first, but put a Bible in her hand and a message in her heart, and you’ll see why thousands meet God in powerful, personal ways at her conferences and through her books and Bible studies.

She and her husband, Jerry, lead Going Beyond Ministries through which they provide spiritual support and resources to the body of Christ. They count it as their greatest privilege to serve every denomination and culture across the spectrum of the church.

Between writing and studying, you’ll probably find Priscilla at home cleaning up after (and trying to satisfy the appetites of) her three rapidly growing boys.

EXPERIENCE MORE

Prayer Wall

Share your prayer requests and lift up other sisters in prayer.

Resources

Browse resources from the conference speakers and guests.

Kierra
Sheard-Kelly

Musical Artist

Kierra Sheard-Kelly is a multi-talented artist known for her mesmerizing and dynamic voice. As the daughter of renowned gospel artist Karen Clark-Sheard of the legendary group, The Clark Sisters, Kierra has achieved great success as an artist, winning both a GRAMMY® and a Stellar Award. She has continued her family’s legacy as a gospel artist and has recently released her seventh studio album, All Yours.

In addition to her music career, Kierra is also an author and entrepreneur. She has written two devotional books for teens and young adults, Big, Bold and Beautiful: Owning the Woman God Made You to Be and The Vibes You Feel: What I’ve Learned about Life and Relationships through The Holy Spirit. Her upcoming children’s book, Kiki Finds Her Voice, encourages children to embrace their differences.

Kierra is also committed to giving back to the community through mentorship and fellowship.

Kierra alongside her husband, Jordan Kelly, leads the Youth and Young Adult Ministries at the Greater Emmanuel Church under the leadership of her parents. Stay updated with the latest from Kierra at iamKierraSheard.com.

Charlotte Gambill

Speaker

Charlotte Gambill is an accomplished author, mentor and international teaching pastor with over 26 years of experience in church leadership. Her greatest joy is building her family with her husband of over 27 years, Steve, with whom she has two beautiful teenagers, Hope Cherish, and Noah Brave.

Charlotte is deeply passionate about seeing people connect with their God-given purpose. That passion led her to establish the We Are One and the Cherish foundation, where she aims to facilitate and support initiatives that bring the power of kindness into the most broken of places. She founded the Collective Co. Lab mentorship program, co-founded the Dare to Be movement and is the author of 16 books. Charlotte’s life commitment is to teach, train and invest in others, locally and globally. Stay in touch with Charlotte via her website CharlotteGambill.com.

Sarita T. Lyons, JD, PhD

Speaker

Dr. Sarita Lyons is a wife, mother, speaker, women’s bible teacher and psychotherapist. Dr. Lyons and her husband, Pastor Mark Lyons, reside in Philadelphia with their four children, Malachi, Sophia, Olivia and Gabriella. She serves at Epiphany Fellowship Church as the Director of Discipleship and Women’s Ministry. And devotes her time to other churches through consulting services for their ministry and leadership development. Dr. Lyons is a contributing writer for the multi-award winning book: Urban Apologetics: How the Gospel Restores Black Dignity, General Editor Dr. Eric Mason. She also contributed a chapter for Urban Apologetics Vol. 2 release date to be determined. Dr. Lyons is a proud graduate of a Historically Black University, Florida A&M University, with a Bachelor of Science in Broadcast Journalism and a minor in Psychology. She graduated from Villanova University School of Law and earned a Master’s in Clinical Psychology. She received a PhD in Clinical and Forensic Psychology from Drexel University, where she taught for several years as an adjunct professor at Drexel University College of Medicine.

In-Person Registration Full

Virtual Registration Still Available

The DFJ Women’s Conference is just around the corner. You can still register for our VIRTUAL conference using the button below. Registration for our IN-PERSON conference has reached its capacity and is now closed.

We look forward to you joining us online for a spectacular time as we REMEMBER God’s goodness toward us.

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Niya Cotton

Worship Leader

With her dad as an original Richard Smallwood singer and her mom as a professional drummer, Niya Cotton was destined to find music as a way to communicate. She began singing in church at age 2 and has never looked back. Niya has acted and danced in several plays under the direction of Mike Malone and Debbie Allen and singing with artists like Michael Jackson, Michael Buble, Chance the Rapper, Kirk Franklin and many others. In addition to performance art, Niya has written music for tv and film with Warner Brothers in Burbank, CA and tv and film composer Kurt Farquar. Niya and her college sweetheart and husband Roy are the proud parents of three amazingly hilarious children, Rocco, Eric Stone and Nyla Jade. Learn more about Niya at NiyaCotton.com.

Veronica Jones

Teen Conference Host

Veronica is a dynamic speaker and author who empowers girls and women to live boldly through faith. She’s passionate about helping her audience discover their God-given purpose and identity in Jesus. Veronica is the published author of Just the Way God Made Me, with another book underway, Matters of the Heart: Prayers for Every Teen Girl. She uses her writing and speaking engagements to equip her audience with the tools to overcome fear and insecurity and live confidently. When not working, Veronica enjoys spending time with loved ones and seeking out new adventures.

Shanandolan Ward

Youth Musical Artist

Shanandolan Ward, a Worship Leader from Dallas, Texas, finds hope and inspiration in her favorite verse of Scripture, Jeremiah 29:11. She began developing her vocal skills at age three and developed her talent at Booker T. Washington High School and Cedar Valley College. Shanandolan holds a Bachelor’s degree in Worship Arts and Music Ministry from Dallas Christian College. She has performed gospel music ranging from traditional hymns to jazz-infused contemporary pieces, sharing the stage with music legends like Josh Groban and Take 6. Shanandolan was a top 200 finalist on American Idol and a top 20 contestant on BET’s Sunday’s Best. Shanandolan counts her husband, son and daughter as her biggest inspirations, and the fulfillment of the promises of hope and a future.

Vanessa Parra

Youth Speaker

Vanessa Parra is a living testimony of God’s redemption power. She’s a worship leader, prayer warrior and minister of the word of God. Vanessa believes that the Lord has given her a prophetic voice to impact the younger generation. Vanessa has a heart for young girls and women, bringing a word of freedom and power to edify God’s people. She’s an associate Pastor at Church Genesis, an international church in the United States and Mexico. Vanessa resides in Arlington, Texas, with her husband and three beautiful children.

Priscilla Shirer

Host

Priscilla Shirer is a wife and mom first but put a Bible in her hand and a message in her heart, and you’ll see why thousands meet God in powerful, personal ways at her conferences and through her Bible Study resources. Priscilla and her husband of 23 years, Jerry Shirer, are the proud parents of their three young adult sons – Jackson, Jerry Jr. and Jude. Together, they lead Going Beyond Ministries, through which they supply spiritual support and resources to the body of Christ. They count it a privilege to serve every denomination and culture across the spectrum of the church.

Priscilla is a New York Times Best Selling author of more than two dozen books and has had featured roles in movies like War Room (2015), I Can Only Imagine (2018) and Overcomer (2019). Stay updated with the latest from Priscilla at GoingBeyond.com.

Chrystal Hurst

Host

Chrystal Evans Hurst is an encourager who teaches people to love God, to fulfill their potential in Christ, to love others, and to love themselves. Chrystal is a wife, mother of five and grandmother to four. She has known one church home, Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship, and serves the Women’s Ministry in many capacities. She is a speaker, best-selling author of She’s Still There and Kingdom Woman and the newly released, The 28-Day Prayer Journey. 

Chrystal firmly believes God’s promise in Jeremiah 29:11, “I know the plans that I have for you…” and she desires to help other women to believe and apply that truth to their lives. You can find Chrystal passionately sharing encouragement as she poignantly reflects on faith and speaks with frank honesty about the everyday experiences of women via her podcasts and blogs at ChrystalEvansHurst.com.