This Thursday September 20 thru September 23rd, New Mercies Christian Church, located at 4000 Five Forks Trickum Road, in Lilburn, Georgia under the direction of First Lady, Aleana Curney, along with her husband Pastor, Jesse Curney, III, will host, The Crowned Jewels Women’s Conference - Women: Nurturing & Protecting the Seeds of Restoration.

The Women's Conference, now in its 5th year will feature a host of events and speakers including a First Ladies Banquet Celebration and several workshops. The banquet will have First Ladies from various churches come out and enjoy a night of fellowship. Some of the ladies set to attend and be a part of a panel discussion are, First Ladies; Joy Owens of Bethel Family Church, Beverly Haynes, of Salem Missionary Baptist Church, Vanessa Long of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church and others. There will be music by Darlene McCoy and a final church service to cap off the conference in which Pastor Jesse Curney will deliver the message.

Now if you are a constant reader of my site you know that I normally don't write about these conferences in detail. I usually just list them in my "What's Happening" section and call it a day. However I got the press kit for this event from my good friend Dawnalisa Johnson of DJPR/The Favored Group, and I had to interview First Lady Aleana Curney.

Reading her bio I realized that we had too much in common not to talk to her. First Aleana Curney and I are both members of Delta Sigma Theta. We both were born to young mothers and consequently were raised by our grandmothers until they finished school. We both have been married for quite some time to ministers...she 19 years...me 20 years. We both have sons that are named after their fathers and are 16 years old and daughters that are 13. (Although her daughter will be 14 by the time this article comes out...yes our girls were born in the same month!) I mean the list goes on and on it was almost spooky how much we had in common.

In talking with her I realized that this conference is not just an event for her it's truly a ministry and her calling. "We want to address some issues and different questions that are going on in our community at this time." stated Curney.

The First Ladies Banquet is a first for the conference and one where Curney hopes that women will be ministered to and receive wisdom from the panel guest. "It was in my spirit to have some first ladies to come together and set an atmosphere for fellowship among other churches. To come together on one accord." stated Curney.

We talked about how often the wife of a minister sometimes looses their identity and how the banquet as well as the conference will allow women who are married to ministers to show that there is more to them than being the preacher's wife. "Something just happens when women come together in the presence of the Lord and with so many things going on I want to make sure that we nurture and protect the seeds that God has given us. He has blessed us with visions, dreams and of course our families too. My passion is to see that women know who they are in Christ and make sure that they are walking in the purpose that God has called us to walk in" stated Curney. "We wear so many hats so it's good for us to take the time to come together, let our hair down, refresh our souls and just share with each other." she adds.

In speaking on our similarities especially our childhoods, Curney who grew up in Columbia, MS, states that being raised by her grandmother gave her a spiritual foundation that sustains her to this day. "My grandmother was a praying woman. I saw her pray daily, morning and night on her knees. I use to often say to my friends that my grandmother was preparing me to become a pastor's wife because I use to have to wear stockings and in Mississippi it was very hot. So I was probably the only little girl going to revival in stockings with my grandmother" chuckles Curney.

Curney relocated to Atlanta with her mother, went to high school and went to Spellman College. While a member at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church she met a young youth minister by the name of Jesse Curney and the rest as they say is history. She attributes "prayer, making sure that we don't loose who we are in the process of becoming one and continuing to have date nights" as the secret for their long marriage.

"The one thing I want people to know about me is that I am true to myself. I continue to do the things that I enjoy. Yes I'm a First Lady but I'm still Aleana first. It is really good when we can remain ourselves and allow God to grow us into who He wants us to be."