Women’s Conference
June 6-8, 2025
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Thanks to all those involved and all their hard work, I feel this was one of the best conferences.”
A conference for women to come together, build relationships, worship and do fun activities
2025 Theme & Scripture: Crowded Table – Hebrews 10:24
Women’s Conference 2025
As people of faith, we have opportunities to mark these liminal spaces by recognizing that God is with us on the journey, giving us grace. We will spend the weekend reflecting on God’s presence in all the times of our lives – and in the midst of singing, prayer, worship, keynotes, workshops, and rest, we will mark those times and places of grace in our lives.
Each year, hundreds of women from across the region gather together for the Mo-Ranch Women’s Conference. Take a break from the busyness of life to recharge physically, mentally and spiritually. Conference activities include keynote presentations, worship, fellowship, recreation, free time and workshops.
- Create an inviting and safe environment for growth and renewal
- Hear God’s word through inclusive and intentional worship
- Reach a diverse cross-section of women by culture, age and background
- Celebrate and be good stewards of God’s creation
- Practice inclusiveness, radical hospitality and joyful fellowship
- Allow a place to reconnect with ourselves, God and each other
Mothers, daughters and granddaughters come together for a time of reunion and growth. Friendships that last a lifetime are made by women who would not have otherwise met.
Register today, space is limited! Lodging is first come, first served.
Keynote Speaker: The Rev. Betsy Lyles Swetenburg
Betsy serves as the Senior Pastor of Northridge Presbyterian Church in Dallas, TX since July 2020. She graduated from Davidson College with a degree in English and upon graduation received a Church in Vocation Fellowship for a year of explorational seminary studies. She enrolled at Columbia Seminary in Decatur, GA and ultimately graduated with an M.Div. She served as Columbia’s Director of Admissions and Financial Aid and then went on to serve as an Associate Pastor at Atlanta’s Trinity Presbyterian Church.
Betsy serves as chair of the board for the White Rock Center of Hope, an East Dallas non-profit that provides basic needs and financial empowerment. She serves on the board of the Mountain Retreat Association (Montreat), a PC(USA) conference and retreat center. She also serves as an associate editor of the Journal for Preachers.
Betsy is married to Owen and they have a son, Harris.
Worship Leader: The Rev. Ann Marie Quigley-Swanson
Ann Marie serves as the Pastor of St. Mark Presbyterian Church in Boerne, TX. She is a graduate of Texas A&M University and Union Presbyterian Seminary and has served churches in Clearwater, Tampa, and Houston. Ann Marie believes it is truly a gift to be in ministry, to share the journey of faith, and to help us see the presence of God in our midst. Ann Marie is married to Pete, and they have two young adult children, Brandt and Emma. She loves exploring the Texas Hill Country and can’t wait for more time at Mo.
Chaplain: The Rev. Sherry Holloman
Rev. Sherry Holloman has served as the Interim Pastor for Grace Presbyterian Church in Arlington since January 8, 2023. Sherry was the solo pastor at Eastminster Presbyterian Church in east Dallas beginning in 2009 before serving at Grace. She enjoyed a varied career in Presbyterian churches in Texas before becoming the pastor at Eastminster. Before attending Austin Theological Seminary and feeling the call to ministry, Sherry worked as a high school, middile school, and elementary school teacher, a paralegal, alumni director at two universities and even worked on the staff of a congressman in Oklahoma.
Sherry is on the worship staff for Synod Youth Workshop. She is excited to be using her gifts of organization, compassion, listening, Sherry is married to Gary Holloman. They have three children and five grandchildren.
Music Leader: Grace Roberson
Grace is a native Texan who was born and raised on the beach in Corpus Christi. After studying acting and directing in college, she moved to Austin and is currently the Associate Director of Youth Ministry at Covenant Presbyterian Church. She has been coming to Mo Ranch since she was born and considers it to be one of the most spiritual places she knows. She has been serving as a music leader for various youth conferences for the last 8 years and can think of no place or role that feels more like home. In her free time, Grace loves hiking, being outdoors, reading, and discovering good music, movies, and food.
Accompanist: Holly Whiting
Holly is delighted to be joining the team this summer and looks forward to sharing music with everyone. She has been playing the piano for many years….as a high school and college choir accompanist; a rehearsal pianist for musicals; an accompanist for private singers and a church pianist for several years. In her retirement, she continues to study piano and music theory. Holly sings with the choir at First United Methodist Church in Coppell, Texas and is also a member of the Coppell Community Chorale. She is very excited to be at Mo Ranch and to be part of the retreat.
2025 Conference Leadership:
President: Alex Pappas
Alex has served as the pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Georgetown, TX since October 2024. She was born in Texas and grew up at Eastminster Presbyterian Church in Dallas. She graduated from Rhodes in 2013, after which Alex joined the Young Adult Volunteer Program through the Presbyterian church and served in the city of New Orleans for a year. Once she completed the program, she realized that one year wasn’t enough, so she continued to live and work in New Orleans for two more years. Alex went on to attend Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary where she graduated with a master’s in divinity in May of 2019. She has previously served as the associate pastor at First Presbyterian Church, Shreveport, LA.
She and her husband Ellis welcomed their daughter to their family in June of 2023. She makes pottery, reads novels, and swims laps at the local community pool as a way of filling her cup. She has been attending conferences and retreats at Mo Ranch since 2002, and it was sitting down by the river at Mo that she first felt called to ministry.
Vice President: Amy Sutherlun
Amy grew up in Texas and New Mexico, the middle child of a 6th-generation pastor. A graduate of Austin College and Princeton Theological Seminary, she has been a missionary in Malawi, Africa, a teacher in inner-city Dallas, and a pastor of churches in West Virginia and Texas. Amy currently serves (with her husband, Joshua) as co-pastor of First Presbyterian Church in San Marcos, Texas. She is also thrilled (frazzled/daunted/amused) to be the mother of one daughter and three sons. Amy’s life is filled with laughter, liturgy, and laundry, and though she doesn’t have much time for hobbies, she loves rivers, writing, travelling, and good tortillas.
Secretary: Shelley Smith
Shelley has an infectious passion for all things related to Presbyterian Women is inspiring. As Co-Moderator of Communications for the Presbyterian Women’s Coordinating Team within the Presbytery of New Covent, she connects women across the region with zeal, and as the Northeast Cluster Coordinator, she supports seven churches with unwavering enthusiasm.
Council Members for 2025 include: Amy Fair, Marissa Glasschroeder, Brenda Greer, Karen Jensen, Jessie Kuehner, Elizabeth McLean, Kim Mitchell, Mary Neff, Stacy Schroeder, and Audrey Burnett Harris.
Cost & Housing
Hotel/Premium: $425/person
Wynee-Flato, Pheasant Run, Nicklos Place, Nicklos Barn, Westminster, Casita, Gate House, Chicken Roost, River Dorm Apt.
Group: $375/person
Guest Lodge, Milk Barn, Triplex
Dorm: $355/person
Lod Lodge, River Dorm, Bunkhouse I & II
Commuter: $250/person (includes dinners and lunch)
Under the age of 40 or non-Texas resident: $300/person
Rates include tuition, meals and housing. After receiving your registration, a member of our team will contact you within seven business days to confirm additional details such as housing requests (roommates), dietary needs, t-shirt sizes, etc.
Hotel & Premium group housing*
*space is limited
Pheasant Run | Wynne/Flato Lodge | Casitas | Chicken Roost | Gatehouse | Triplex Apartments | Wynne Apartments | Nicklos Place
Group housing:
Guest Lodge | Milk Barn | River Dorm Apartment | Log Lodge
New Beginning in 2024! Childcare for Women’s Conference:
Thanks to generous funding from St. Philip Presbyterian Church, Houston, Mo-Ranch is thrilled to offer childcare during Women’s Conference. Infants through 8th grade will be welcome, with structured programming offered to those Kinder-8th grade. Childcare is available at $25/child and pre-registration is required by June 1st.
Reservations
Conference participants will be housed on a first-come, first-served basis.
If you wish to secure exclusive use of a standard group housing option, your church or group must pay housing costs for the minimum number of guests. Housing costs are approximately $140 per person. If not, you agree to be housed with other conference participants.
For example, if you wish to be housed in Log Lodge with a minimum of eighteen people, but only have fifteen committed, you must be willing to share the space with three other people or pay $140 each for the unused spots. Please give us a call to learn more about housing minimums, if you are interested in securing exclusive use, or have any other questions about housing options. Our phone number is 800.460.4401 ext. 242.
Scholarships are available! Click here to learn more.
If you would like to spend an extra day at Mo, register for Extended Stay! There will be no scheduled programming so you are free to enjoy the ranch at your own pace. Cost includes your lodging (preference will be given to staying in the same room you occupied during the conference but is not guaranteed) for Sunday night and meals Sunday lunch through Monday breakfast (Monday lunch tickets can be purchased at Guest Services or in advance through the Program Office at x246). Extended Stay reservations can be made at the time of conference registration on our website or by contacting the Program Office at ext. 246.
Cancellation
Full refund minus administrative fee up to $75 per person will be made if cancellation is received more than 30 days prior to the conference. There are generally no refunds for cancellations received on or after 30 days prior to the start of the event nor any applying of the amount paid toward other charges or future conferences.
What to Bring
Bring a Bible, notebook, flashlight, hair dryer, rain gear, and other seasonally appropriate clothing. Linens are provided. Bring shoes suitable for Mo-Ranch’s rocky, uneven terrain.
Transportation
Mo-Ranch is 90 miles one-way, or a 2-hour drive from the nearest airport (San Antonio/SAT), allow 3 hours travel/check-in time for departures. We recommend generally scheduling arriving flights before 3 p.m. and departing flights after 3 p.m. to be sure you do not miss any of your event. If you are in need of shuttle service to Mo-Ranch, call Kars for Hire in Kerrville at (830) 890-8200 at least 15 days in advance to arrange transportation from San Antonio International Airport. Directions to Mo-Ranch
Ropes Course
This conference will include a selection of our ropes course elements. To read a description of each element, click here.
Bookstore
Make sure to stop by the Presbyterian Mo-Ranch Assembly bookstore during your conference to pick out a souvenir, including a specialty Women’s Conference tumbler!
Questions
We’re happy to help! Contact us at 1.800.460.4401 ext. 246 or registrar@moranch.org.
