Women's Ministry Networks

Arkansas Baptist Women’s Ministry Networks offer an opportunity for leaders to gather in regional groups to share ideas, discuss strategy, and get to know one another. The goal is to help grow a strong network of leaders who offer friendship and serve as a resource and encouragement to one another.

Our desire is to cultivate relationships among women who lead in the local church as we connect, equip, support, and encourage women's ministry leaders in each region of the state. If you would like to get connected to your region, contact Arkansas Baptist Women's Network Coordinator, Shari Edwards!

We are excited about opportunities to connect in 2025! Register for Leadership Collective here.

Worship: Drawing our hearts near to God.
Grow: Drawing our minds to the Word.
Connect: Drawing us near to each other in community.
Serve: Drawing us together in service and outreach.
Share: Drawing others in our world to Jesus.

Download your copy of The Five Keys For Effective Growth to learn more about the ministry model by clicking here! You can also access the free training module videos by clicking here.

Network Coordinator: Shari Edwards

Shari has been involved in Women's Ministry leadership across Arkansas for several years. In the fall of 2022, Shari joined the Arkansas Baptists Women’s leadership team in a new role created to serve you! Shari is serving as our Network Coordinator.

Shari has been active in Women’s Ministry leadership for over 20 years and currently serves as Adjunct Instructor of Ministry to Women at Ouachita Baptist University. She also serves as a Lifeway Women Trainer. Shari is a wife of 35 years to her college sweetheart, mother of 3 sons and a beautiful daughter-in-law, and “Sibby” to 2 precious granddaughters. She resides in North Little Rock and is an active member of Park Hill Baptist Church.

Shari is leading our networking effort and is here to help leaders across Arkansas get connected with resources and one another. Email Shari at sedwards@absc.org with networking questions and needs! Stay tuned to this page for posts and resources about our Networking process! Thank you, Shari, for loving and serving Arkansas Baptist Women!

Network Leaders

We are excited to introduce you to our amazing Network Team, who each serve in various regions of our state. These are women who are in the trenches with you, who live in your communities, and who have a heart to see women thrive in their relationship with God and each other.

If you are a Women’s Ministry leader, make sure to connect with the network leader in your area. Our Network Leaders are ready and eager to serve you!

Kali Brown

Kali is married to Nathan, and they live in Clinton, Arkansas where he serves as the Senior Pastor of First Baptist. Originally from Poinsett County, Kali is delighted to call Arkansas “home” again after living in North Carolina for 12 years while Nathan attended seminary and served in various pastoral roles. She loves her 2 big fur babies - Mina & Rosie, ASU Red Wolves, football, coffee, and all things Christmas.

Kali has spent over 20 years in higher education serving students on community college and university campuses. Before returning to Arkansas, she served as a college dean and loved assisting students through the enrollment process alongside her team. According to Kali, the only thing better than being on a college campus is the local church and seeing Jesus transform lives!

Over the years, Kali has served in several ministry areas including students, singles, and guest services. She currently leads the Women’s Ministry Team and co-teaches the high school girls’ life group at Clinton First Baptist. Kali says, “It is both humbling and amazing to be part of what God is doing especially in the lives of women. He always does ‘immeasurably more’ (Eph. 3:20), and I am excited to connect with and support women’s ministry leaders in our region.”

If you are a women’s ministry leader in the North Central & Little Red River Associations (Clinton/Heber Springs areas), Kali would love to connect with you! You can connect with her at kali.j.brown@gmail.com.

Shelly Chandler

Shelly is married to Michael Chandler, and lives in Conway, Arkansas, with her three boys and her two boy dogs. She is a graduate of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary where she received a master's degree in theological studies. Shelly has served at the local level within her church as the Women's Ministry Director.

Shelly has a passion for women to know God through His Word: “God has gifted me with a burden for everyone who comes under my teaching to walk away with a passion for His Word.”

Shelly loves serving the women in the Conway region and would love to connect with you! Register for this Network Gathering in February and connect with her at shellmchand@gmail.com!

Cheryl Dail

Cheryl and her husband Ted have been married for over 39 years and they recently moved to Gentry from Northeast Arkansas, along with their 1 year-old Golden Retriever, Malachi. They have two adult children: a daughter and son-in-law who live in Conroe, TX and a son and daughter-in-law and their three precious grandchildren who live nearby in Gentry.

Cheryl is a member of FBC Siloam Springs and currently serves on the Women’s Ministry Team and Fellowship Team. She also teaches in the Children’s Ministry. Cheryl has worked in women’s ministry leadership teaching bible studies and organizing women’s events for 25 years. She served for many years with the Black River Baptist Association, and coordinated a yearly women’s event for the churches in that area.

Cheryl loves serving others and God. “It makes my life complete and I love seeing other women come together to study, worship and to serve our Jesus.”

We are excited to have Cheryl join our Network Team as she serves the women of Northwest Arkansas! You can connect with Cheryl at grammybp@yahoo.com.

Janna Maxwell - Jonesboro

Janna has been married to her husband, Jim, for almost 29 years. They moved to Jonesboro from Evans, GA with their 2 children in 2010. They have a son, Gresham who is 15 and a daughter, Kendall, who is 24, and added a sweet son-in-law, Will, in May of 2023.

After attending Ouachita Baptist University, Janna graduated from UAMS College of Nursing in 1995. Since then, she has been an OB-GYN nurse, a nail-technician, a pre-school teacher, a music teacher, a school secretary, homeschool teacher, and just an all-around, random, “jack of all trades”, but her favorite jobs have been wife and mom!

Janna is a member of Highland Drive Baptist Church in Jonesboro, where she and her husband teach a College and Young Adult small group. She is also involved in Choir and sings on the praise team. Janna has been the Co-Leader of Women’s Ministry, since 2011. She loves ministering to women of all ages and also learning from women of all ages! God has blessed her over the years by placing Godly women in her life who have influenced her, loved on her, and spoken Truth over her and she finds it a joy to get to do that in return for whomever God places in her path.

If you are a women’s ministry leader in the Jonesboro, Northeast Arkansas area, Janna would love to connect with you! You can contact her at j2kmax@yahoo.com.

Nancy Lambert

Nancy is born and raised in NW Ohio, but has called Texarkana, AR her home since she married Kevin Lambert, (the boy next door) 37 years ago. They are wonderfully blessed with 2 adult children and their daughter in-law. Nancy is currently employed in administration at Texarkana

College. In recent years, Nancy served as a volunteer women’s ministry leader and employed as the assistant the lead pastor at Beech Street FBC in Texarkana. She was also employed as an assistant to the Adult Discipleship pastor at First Baptist Rogers during their 3-year time there.

Nancy has served in women’s ministries leadership in local Arkansas Baptist churches for over 25 years including WMU. She currently serves as a volunteer on the Women’s Ministry Team at Foundation Baptist Church, Texarkana.

Nancy’s passion to serve in women’s ministries began within the first decade of her walk with Jesus Christ. Nancy says: “God impressed upon my heart the desire to encourage women of all ages that we are a complex but beautifully woven tapestry of God’s creation. Every woman is unique and possesses a special gift that only Jesus can give regardless of our past or present circumstances. My desire is to equip women’s ministry leaders with the tools needed to share the love of Christ, love God, and love others. My goal is to be supportive in revitalizing existing women’s ministries and helping to build new ones in the SW Arkansas region.

Fun Fact: Nancy started a podcast called “Best Faith Forward” in 2021, and hopes to continue soon in presenting stories of faith and giving God our best even when we are faced with daily challenges and temptations living in a troubled world.

If you are women’s ministry leader in the Southwest Arkansas region, Nancy would love to connect with you! You can contact her at nancy.lambert921@gmail.com

Karyn Jones - Monticello

Karyn has spent the last 35 years seeking to follow God’s call to ministry by serving the church and leading women to know God through His word. She has a Master’s Degree in Christian Education from Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary. She has filled various roles in women’s ministry, including leading small groups, speaking at retreats and conferences, leading breakout sessions focused on discipleship, and hosting community Bible studies. Karyn and her husband, Jay, raised four children - two sets of twins, just two years apart- and recently added a daughter and son-in-law to the mix. They are now empty nesters living in Monticello, AR.

At First Baptist Church Monticello, Karyn leads a women’s Bible study, has welcomed discipleship groups into her home, started a mom’s prayer group, and has served as the chairperson of the Women’s Conference team. With the gospel always as the focus, Karyn’s desire is to help women grow in Christ and empower them to use their God-given gifts to minister to others and make disciples.

Karyn has participated in the Southeast Arkansas Network gatherings for the past few years and is thrilled to serve as the network leader for the women of Southeast Arkansas. You can contact her at karynljones85@gmail.com.

Shannon Calhoun

We invite you to get to know Shannon Calhoun. Shannon is a wife, a mom of two daughters, and a Hunny to her precious granddaughter! She loves her church, the Church at Rock Creek in Little Rock where she serves on staff as Women’s Ministry Director. Game nights with family and friends are her favorite. She loves slow mornings with coffee, early mornings near the ocean, Christmas movies, and outdoors in the fall!

You can catch Shannon’s personal testimony on a past episode of Inspire on the Go podcast-it's a powerful example of how God moves in the lives of everyday women. Shannon says she has a desire “to cultivate real community and strong friendship in our network group so we can unite together in wisdom and truth to encourage our women inside our local churches. I want it to be a safe group to ask questions and share ideas so we can then go into our local churches refreshed and strengthened to better equip our women.”

If you are a women’s ministry leader in the Greater Little Rock/Central Arkansas Metro region, Shannon would love to connect with you! You can contact her at scalhoun@churchatrockcreek.com

Janet Porter

Janet Porter and her husband Jack have been married for 53 years and live in Hot Springs. They have 3 children and 10 grandchildren. Janet is a member of First Baptist Church in Hot Springs and she serves as the co-leader of Women’s Ministry, as well as the Rising Prayer Ministry.

Janet is also a past Teaching Leader of Bible Study Fellowship Evening Women’s Class. She loves attending exercise classes at FBC Fitness and spending time with her grandchildren.

Her passion for ministering to women is to equip them in their knowledge & love for God

& His Word that leads to serving Him wherever He may call them. If you are a women’s ministry leader in the Hot Springs area, Janet would love to connect with you! You can contact her at janetporter8@gmail.com.

Desiree Smith - Harrison

Desiree and her husband Shawn have been married for 23 years and live in Marble Falls. They have four children, a daughter-in-law and two grandchildren.

Desiree serves her church, Hopewell Baptist, as well as the Church Development Team for the North Arkansas Baptist Association. She enjoys entertaining family and friends, hiking, and traveling. Desiree is active in Women’s Ministry in her association and is on the leadership team for the women’s conference they host every two years.

Desiree’s passion is to walk alongside of and encourage women as they discover, develop, and utilize their spiritual gifts and talents that the Lord has blessed them with. It is her hope to facilitate opportunities that make connections to build strong relationships with God and one another.

“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others.” 1 Peter 4:10
If you are a women’s ministry leader in the Harrison area, Desiree would love to connect with you. You can contact her at rae2387@gmail.com

Cheryl Toon

Cheryl is the Network Leader in the Batesville, North Central area. She is the wife of Ronnie Toon, Independence Baptist Associational Missions Director. She is the mother of three children and grandmother (Pippa) of 5 grandchildren. She is currently a high school English teacher and serves as the IBA Women’s Ministry Team Leader. She is also a member First Baptist Church, Batesville, AR, but travels to the other churches in the association with her husband.

Cheryl has been a conference leader and speaker for 30 years and has a passion for leading and encouraging others to grow into a deeper walk with God. If you are a women’s ministry leader in the Batesville, North Central AR area, Cheryl would love to connect with you! You can contact her at ctoon@aol.com.

Emily Watson

Emily serves as Director of Connections & Ministry to Women at her local church, East Side, in Fort Smith, which also happens to be her home church since 1996. She provides oversight to ministry to women, guest services, new member assimilation, and next steps. She has served in various capacities for the past ten years and was on staff at a local crisis pregnancy center prior to that.

She and her husband, Travis, have been married almost five years and serve as a current open home through Connected Foster Care, having served a total of 10 children as a couple and as a single before marriage.

A young leader herself, Emily is a firm believer in the generations, eliminating obstacles, and figuring out how we can serve and disciple better together. All of this being molded from life experience and the examples of women who have discipled her.

If you are a women’s ministry leader in the Fort Smith region, Emily would love to connect with you! You can contact her at emily@myeastside.tv.