AUGUST 29, 2018
Today we’d like to introduce you to Ebony King.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Ebony. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there. I am the wife of Pastor Chris King of North Bridge Church. Upon marrying Chris, he shared with me that he wanted to launch a church. I was 26 or 27 at the time and had no idea what that meant for me. I remember the fear that came upon me. I was afraid of what people will say. I was afraid that it would take away from my freedom of life because I would now have to be in religious bondage. I was afraid that I wouldn’t fit the image of a “First Lady”. So, out of my fears, I launched a women’s ministry. The name of it was Kingdom Women in Action (I hated that name). I did it so that I could assume the role of most First Ladies I had met along the way. The ministry was inside of our church and was really not moving in the direction of my heart because it truly was not a reflection of me. One day, I stopped hosting the Kingdom Women in Action Bible studies and decided to have bible studies at my house on Friday nights over a cup of tea. The bible studies felt more like me. We were just a group of women wanting to grow closer to God through biblical application. It felt like a girls’ night in. We were transparent, comfortable, and FREE. The in-home bible studies begin to grow. Ladies began to bring their friends, and their friends’ friends would come too! Finally, I was ready to relaunch a women’s ministry, but this time it would not be what people were accustomed to, It was going to be different.
One night, while I was studying, I was led to read the book of Acts chapter 9. I came across the story of a female disciple named Tabitha who was known for doing good and helping the poor. One day, she grew sick and died. Later, she was resurrected and many began to call on the name of the Lord through her rising. That’s when I knew the name of the ministry would be Tabitha’s Tea Party. A group of women known for doing good, helping the poor, and empowering women to rise from dead places so that many will begin to call on the name of the Lord. Since the launch of Tabitha’s Tea Party, we’ve been hosting Bible studies, private tea parties, and professional tea parties throughout DFW. We have also hosted 5 annual women’s conferences. Tabitha’s Tea Party is not just a women’s ministry but we are a faith-based non-profit organization.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you? It has not been a smooth road but it does get easier the more I accept that this is my calling. I think the hardest part for me was the struggle between whether or not I really wanted to give this my all. I was afraid of what I would lose never really focusing on what I would gain. My advice for other women or younger ladies who may be starting their journey is to give it your all and stay committed to the ride. If you invest in you others are more likely to invest in you. Never expect anyone to give more to your purpose than you are willing to give for yourself. The thing that we are running from the most is usual thing connected to what we want the most. When I stopped running from my purpose, I started to see other opportunities unfold in the things that I love doing most, helping people. Now, I do that through ministry and business. It all worked out in the end. I still have my challenges but accepting that you will have challenges is half the battle. The journey does not come with smooth roads. It’s bumpy, at times, it requires a few U-turns and detours, sometimes, you have to relinquish some passengers while also picking up new ones. That’s ok, as long as you are committed to the ride.
We’d love to hear more about Tabitha’s Tea Party. At Tabitha’s TEA Party, the TEA stands for Teach, Empower, and Apply. In our Bible studies, we start with a biblical teaching, and then we empower the women with a guest speaker, and we close with application exercises. We are known for our monthly TEA parties (women’s bible study) and our annual women’s conference. Our TEA parties consist of women from all different backgrounds, experiences, colors, and ages. I believe what sets us apart from others is that we stay true to teaching, empowerment, and practical application. We create a fun and interactive environment that encourages the opportunity for transparency so that women may begin to see immediate personal improvement. Additionally, we are platform builders. We believe in creating platforms for women to be heard and for their stories to be shared. Which is why we recently released our first documentary: Girl, Get Up! The documentary featured women who got up from dead places such as infertility, mental instability, drug addiction, and incarceration. We are most proud of our newest initiative- Tabitha’s TEAnagers. Tabitha’s TEAnagers is the next generation of Tabitha. Through Tabitha’s TEAnagers we equip our teenagers for life after high school through social and emotional workshops. We launched over the summer with three workshops entitled focused, faithful, and fearless. The girls absolutely loved having a seat at the table to talk about things that teens deal with on a regular.
So much of the media coverage is focused on the challenges facing women today, but what about the opportunities? Do you feel there are any opportunities that women are particularly well positioned for? I feel this is a great time to be a woman! I believe that women are well positioned to be game changers. I believe we are generational curse breakers and have the opportunity to pour into the girls that come behind us. We have the opportunity to empower them to walk in purpose, relinquish their fears, and pursue their goals. I meet so many women who on the inside are just young girls who were never properly poured into. We have the opportunity to change the narrative of our future.
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