I cannot think of a good way to begin this post so I’ll just jump right in. Last weekend one of the conference attendees in Shreveport disappeared during the last session. Beth was contacted within a few hours and, as you can imagine, was devastated. She has been in touch with those who are close to the situation every day. I have heard from many of you who are concerned that we might not know about the disappearance of this sister because we have not mentioned it publicly. Since it appeared early on that there was most likely no foul play involved, we desired to protect the dignity of this family as much as possible. I know many of you have already been in prayer for this sister. Please continue to ask God for the complete restoration of this family. This post is for information and intercession rather than discussion, so I am going to keep comments closed. Here is a link to the most recent Shreveport Times article I could find.
Here is Beth’s response to a respectful request from one of the news networks for a press release:
“I am tremendously concerned about Mary Byrne Smith and her family. We have never had anything like this happen before at an event but, even if we had, I can’t imagine we’d be any less moved. I care deeply about the women who attend the conferences, about their families and the challenges they may be facing. Mary and her family have been on my mind constantly since I learned about her disappearance. I have spoken to and prayed with her husband by phone and have been in touch daily with others close to the situation in order to be of any possible help. I would ask all who have learned of Mary’s disappearance to join us in earnest prayer that God will restore her to her family and community.”
