Graceful. Empowered. Masterpiece. Conference.

Dr. TaNikka Marie Sheppard is a mentor, minister and spiritual leader who helps churches, organizations and institutions positively engage and lead the next generations. She has had the opportunity to speak, serve and study in venues around the United States and in a variety of countries, including Canada, Jamaica, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Germany and India.

TaNikka is the newly elected President of Baptist Women of North America (BWNA), formerly known as the North American Baptist Women’s Union. This organization represents and supports four million+ Baptist women in the United States and Canada by providing networking, resourcing and leadership development opportunities and experiences that help them live out Kingdom life, especially in areas that serve the vulnerable. TaNikka is also a Vice-President in the Baptist World Alliance Women’s Department, which is globally devoted to help women grow to their full potential, unite in Christ, and work towards justice and reconciliation

Leading Lady, Kendra White is the wife of Eric D. White Sr., Senior Pastor of New Zion Community Church. Lady White enjoys serving as a help meet to her husband's vision of ministry and strives to join him in his efforts to please God. 

The Lord has gifted her with a passion for children, coaching and health; she currently serves as a mentor and volunteer volleyball coach for several youth organizations across the city. She has a heart for people and is a committed prayer warrior. Her life scripture is James 5:16, “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much”. 

As she continuously learns to walk in alignment with the Master's assignment, her favorite scripture is Romans 8:38-39: For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

Ruthie Carter is the seventh of nine children born to the late Rev. Jeffery D. Green and the late Ruthie L. Green. She is a native of Waco, Texas where she attended school and met the love of her life, her friend,and husband of  forty-seven  years, Richard Carter. With this has come the blessed privilege of raising four beautiful young ladies , and even more so the honor of being called mom, Nana and God mama by these children she adores.    For the past nineteen years she and her family have resided in Austin, Texas where she is a member of the Mt. Olive Baptist Church where her husband,  Richard, serves as Senior Pastor.       Ruthie has been a Pastor’s wife, for many years now. She accepted Christ as Lord and Savior of her life as a young adult, at the Macedonia Baptist Church in San Antonio, Texas under the leadership of the late Rev. Roland Franklin.          At any given time you will find her wearing one of the many hats- wife, Pastor’s wife, mother, grandmother,  Godmother, , aunt, sister, and more importantly God’s servant.    Some years ago she began a very specific ministry for Pastor’s wives in the Austin and surrounding areas. A Hat’s-Off kind of celebration for the unnoticed but profound work these women bring to their individual churches and communities. For an entire two days these women are lavished with gifts, laughter, and a place to be appreciated and motivated to keep moving in ministry. Out of this ministry was also birth a mentoring group for newly serving Pastor’s and Minister’s wives, in her effort to render encouragement and support to wives in ministry in  their pursuit of holiness, to love the Lord God with all their  hearts, and to love their neighbors as themselves.       She has also severed for  many years as  the Jr. Women Spiritual Advisor and teacher at  her own church and for  two years for the  Jr. Women in St. John Association in Austin, Texas, where  the Moderator is the Rev.G .W. Clark, pastor of the Mt. Zion Baptist Church.   Most recently she founded a group called Mom’s Praying (MP’s) where Christian mom’s join in a weekly prayer group to pray for their children’s and their children’s children’s wellbeing both spiritually and physically.   Ruthie’s passions drives her to souls that are hurting and hungry for something they cannot even articulate, Christ Jesus. And because her Christian experience is extensive and her devotion to Christ  unquestionable, she has been a vehicle for Christ to affect many lives for the Kingdom.     Her commitment in this one time earthly life is  first ,to the things of God , to the loving support of her husband, family, and her church. This is what keeps her pressing  toward the mark  of the high calling in Christ Jesus.  Ruthie is thankful that God would choose to use her in any capacity. Yet she is certain that it is through His grace, and mercy, and not because of her works of righteousness, that she serves.

Missionary Baptist General Convention of Texas South Central Regional President

Church of God in Christ

Littls Zion Missionary Baptist Church

Mt Sinai Missionary Baptist Church