WFBC Ladies’ Retreat Speakers
Hosted at Green Lake Conference Center
Group Session Speaker
Amy Herbster traveled with her husband Mark in the ministry of itinerant evangelism for seventeen years, participating in music and children’s ministries and speaking for various ladies’ events. Their summers were filled with ministry at The Wilds Camp, where Mark assisted at junior camp and Amy was a nurse. In 2018, God called their family to Watertown, Wisconsin, for Mark to be Dean of the Bible Department and Seminary at Maranatha Baptist University. Amy continues to homeschool their girls while enjoying ministry opportunities with university students.
Workshop Speakers
Angela Morris
Angela Morris is married to Dwayne who serves as the associate pastor of youth and family ministries at Calvary Baptist in Watertown. Angela also ministers in the ESL program at her church and enjoys singing in the choir.
They have 3 adult children – Alysha (Todd) Howard, Judson (Megan) Morris, and Victoria Morris. Angela has been privileged to teach Speech Communications and TESOL at Maranatha Baptist University for 33 years. In her spare time she enjoys kayaking and Skyping her children who reside in New York, Texas, and Guam.
Charis Holloway
Charis Holloway has been in full-time church ministry for 30 years. She has invested many faithful years in children’s ministry, youth group mentoring, adult ladies Bible study and discipleship, and music opportunities in and through the local church. Charis and her husband, Gary, have been married 31 years and have raised 5 children who love and follow the Lord.
Charis enjoys art, teaching piano, and spending time with her children, their spouses, and her granddoggy.
Jennifer Markle
Jennifer (Jenny) Markle is blessed to be the wife of Christian Markle and the mother of six amazing young people, ages 9 to 20 years old. Seventeen of their twenty-two years of marriage have been spent in Phillips, Wisconsin, where Christian is the pastor.
Jenny loves serving the Lord–especially by educating her children, counseling and supporting women, and teaching little people in Kid’s Club on Wednesday evenings. Her marriage to Christian is full of blessings, hardships, conviction, grace, and surprises. Through it all, God is good!
Ruth Shore
Ruth Shore is a wife and mother of four daughters. Ruth was raised in a Christian home and accepted the Lord as her Savior when she was five. At the age of twelve, while a camper at Camp Chetek, she dedicated her life to the Lord to serve in whatever way He wanted.
She is a member of Holmen Baptist Church, where she serves in the music ministry, decorating and event planning. Ruth is a full-time volunteer teacher at her daughters’ Christian school, where she decorates bulletin boards, guides girls as they work on sewing projects, teaches elementary music, and directs the tone chime choir and ladies small ensemble. Ruth loves to stay busy doing just about any kind of craft (sewing, crochet and knitting, jewelry making, painting, etc.).
Carol Mackey
The Lord graciously gave Carol Mackey the privilege of being in the ministry with my husband, George, for a total of 45 years–25 of them in Michigan and 20 in Pennsylvania. After stepping down from the pastorate, we moved south to Greenville, South Carolina; and in 2021, we left the sunny South to live with our daughter and her family here in Wisconsin.
I loved serving with my husband in several different capacities, learning to love and serve the Lord better each day, and mine His wonderful Word together. I also enjoyed serving along with the other women in our churches,
Donna and Erica
Co-presenters, Donna Summerfield and Erica Wahlquist are both passionate gardeners. They have worked for a plant nursery for 10+ years and have received training from a Master Gardener. Donna attends Bible Baptist Church in Hudson, WI, and Erica goes to Faith Baptist Church in Baldwin, WI. They are excited to share their passion for gardening with you.
Joy Mielke
Joy Mielke has been a pastor’s wife for forty years, of which the past twenty-four years have been spent at First Baptist Church of Milltown, Wisconsin. What she enjoys most is studying the Word of God and then passing that wisdom on to others through teaching.
Joy’s emphasis in ministry and in raising five sons has been a focus on living for what matters in eternity. Her favorite saying is – “Life is not all about me. Life is about knowing and loving God and about serving others.”
Suellen Stroup
Suellen S. Stroup has a degree in Music Education from Bob Jones University. She has enjoyed teaching in Christian Schools and private studios for more than 25 years. She has directed children’s and ladies choirs and has directed many Christmas Programs. Currently she is teaching private piano and voice lessons. Suellen and her family live in Lake Mills, WI where her husband Rob is the Pastor of Rock Lake Baptist Church. The Stroups have 4 children.
In her spare time Suellen enjoys reading, crocheting and most of all spending
time with her family. Suellen grew up in a Pastor’s home where she learned to love
serving and working in her local church. She loves teaching music and helping students
communicate the message and text of a song to honor and glorify her Savior.
Carole Vawter
Born in Casper, Wyoming, Carole Vawter was blessed to have heard and believed the Gospel in her early childhood. Through the years, her pastors faithfully taught the Scriptures, godly women mentored her, and her parents encouraged her to give her life completely to serve the Lord. It was her desire to be a pastor’s wife!
God gave Carole the desire of her heart when he brought Wayne Vawter into her life when she was still in high school. Wayne was studying to become a pastor, and through the years of their dating, they knew that God was leading them to serve Him as a couple. Following their wedding in 1972, the Vawters served in pastoral ministry in Minnesota, Illinois and Wisconsin. Carole happily used her ability as a musician, secretary, teacher and hostess to support her husband’s pastoral ministry. Carole and Wayne have been blessed with 5 children and their mates, as well as 12 grandchildren, ranging in age from 5 to 23.
The last 20 years of the Vawters’ ministry were spent traveling across the state of Wisconsin, serving the Wisconsin Fellowship of Baptist Churches. Following their resignation from that position, the Vawters have been serving part-time on the staff of Calvary Baptist Church in Watertown. Carole continues to mentor women and speak to women’s groups. It is her sincere desire to serve the Lord all the days of her life!
Donna Mueller
Donna Mueller spent 15 years with Baptist World Mission, ministering with her husband, Randy, and her family in Germany for 12 1/2 years. Watertown, WI became her home almost 20 years ago. Currently, Donna works full-time and leads the local GriefShare outreach.
Karin Dillman
Karin Dillman grew up in LaCrosse, WI, in a Christian home and trusted Christ as Savior when she was 14 at Bible Camp.
After graduating from Maranatha Baptist University where she met her loving husband Daniel, she taught music for four years at Calvary Baptist School in Menomonee Falls, WI. She now is happily a stay-at-home mom to their sweet son, Haddon. Karin continues her music ministry at Calvary Baptist Church in Menomonee Falls by directing choir, directing chimes, singing special music, and playing piano.
Whether you love ringing chimes or have zero experience, please come ring with us! We would love to have you.