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25/03/2020
By Clint Thomas Metro staff Mar 25, 2020
Due to the temporary closure of the Charleston Coliseum and Convention Center for large public events because of COVID-19 virus outbreak concerns, the Dunbar First Church of God-hosted “Beauty for Ashes,” a women’s ministry encounter, scheduled for this weekend has been rescheduled for the fall.
The conference, which was to be held on Saturday, March 28, has been rescheduled to Saturday, Oct. 10, according to Dunbar First Church of God spokesperson Cheryl Walker.
Dawn Smith Jordan is still scheduled to be the featured speaker for the women’s conference. On May 31, 1985, Jordan’s sister, Shari, was kidnapped and murdered two days before her high school graduation in South Carolina. The manhunt and capture of her assailant, Larry Gene Bell, drew national media attention.
A year later, Jordan became Miss South Carolina and then second runner-up in the Miss America Pageant.
Jordan has appeared at a Billy Graham Crusade, on “The 700 Club” and “In Touch with Dr. Charles Stanley,” opened concerts for artists such as Phillips, Craig and Dean and shared the platform with many well-known Christian speakers such as Beth Moore, Kay Arthur and Anne Graham Lotz. She appeared on TLC’s “What Not To Wear Miss Pageant Rewind” with Stacie Lundon and has been featured in numerous magazines, including Reader’s Digest and Just Between Us, a magazine for pastors’ wives and other women in Christian leadership.
Jordan shares her faith testimony and music in concert settings as well as women’s ministry retreats all over the United States and internationally. She received a Bachelor of Music degree in Vocal Performance from Columbia College in Columbia, South Carolina, in 1986.
“This is not my first visit to West Virginia,” Jordan said, “but it is my first visit to [the Charleston] area. I am entering my 33rd year of ministry and have been very blessed to be a guest in about 75 churches and organizations annually. I always love traveling to new places, making new friends and seeing different parts of our country and world.
“I’m especially looking forward to meeting the ‘Beauty for Ashes’ Women’s Ministry Team, as they have been working so hard to prepare for this event, and I’m excited to come alongside them in this endeavor to reach the women there. I especially love meeting the women in attendance, hearing their own stories as we visit together before, during and after the event.
Along with sharing details about the murder of her sister at the conference, Jordan will also sing. The singer/songwriter said she has recorded 17 albums with Urgent Records.
“I always incorporate my music within my spoken messages,” Jordan explained. “Forgiveness is a big part of the message I believe God has given me to share, as I came face to face with my sister’s murderer, who also threatened to take my life, as well.
“Forgiveness is what sets us free from our past and enables us to live our lives to the fullest, as we take hold of the forgiveness God gave us through His Son Jesus and then extend that to even the ones who have hurt us the most.
“And I’m a Southern girl who loves to laugh, so we will have fun, too,” Jordan added.
She said her message maintains ongoing relevance to other women — and society as a whole.
“I believe we live in a culture that is constantly striving to pull our focus and attention away from the things that really matter,” Jordan said. “They are simple, really: faith, family, friends. We are all people of influence, and each of us has our own platforms from which we can speak and make a difference in our everyday lives.
“I long to see women become the strong, empowered women we were created to be, making choices daily as to how we live out the years we have been given on this Earth. I hope to encourage women to take hold of that calling and live each day to the fullest.
“My sister wrote a Last Will and Testament letter to my family before her life was taken, and in it she said, ‘Please do not let this ruin your lives. Just keep living one day at a time. Some good will come out of this.’ I have seen that to be true in my own life, and know that God longs for each of us to fulfill our purposes on this Earth that will make lasting, Kingdom differences.
“Sadly, there are many of us that have allowed the painful, difficult, even tragic circumstances of our lives ruin them. While we may not choose the circumstances, we can always choose how we respond to them. My sister set an example of choosing faith, and I want to make that same choice daily, encouraging women to do the same,” Jordan said.
More information about her life and ministry is available online at www.dawnsmithjordan.com
Jennie Lawrence and Kristie Newman are also slated to speak at the women’s gathering. Lee Mullins Davis will serve as the worship leader.
The admission/registration price is $35.
For additional information and updates, call Leanna Lacy Roe at 304-561-5592 or send email correspondence to dfcg@suddenlinkmail.come. Information is posted, as well, at dunbarfirstchurchofgod.org
Online registration forms for “Beauty for Ashes” can be accessed at www.dunbarfirstchurchofgod.org/beauty-for-ashes.html.
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