Today we’d like to introduce you to Ebony King.
Hi Ebony, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Hello, my name is Ebony King. I am Dallas, Texas native with a personal mission to light, love, and lead. I am a woman of many talents but mostly known to ingeniously transform the way people approach faith and business. I am the wife of Pastor Chris King of NorthBridge 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 five annual women’s conferences. Tabitha’s Tea Party is not just a women’s ministry but we are a faith-based non-profit organization.
On August 7th, we will launch our GA chapter of Tabitha’s TEA Party, known as Tabitha’s Peach TEA! We are so excited to expand our mission and sisterhood in Atlanta, Georgia. For additional information, please visit TabithasTeaParty.org.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
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 and destination.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Tabitha’s TEA Party?
Since 2016, Tabitha’s TEA Party has grown by leaps and bounds. Our monthly TEA parties and annual conferences now have women from all over the world joining the movement. Our Girl, Get Up documentary was nominated for a Lonestar Emmy, we’ve raised over 1K in toys for Make-A-Wish foundation and published a women’s devotional. As you can see, have reached thousands of women through our initiatives but our hope is that the thousands will become millions.
Our mission has evolved to empowering women to get up, stay up, and lead by Faith. We quickly learned that life is not just about getting up but it’s also about being a steward of your “get up.” God is glorified in what we do with our testimony. As we continue to grow in Faith, it is also our responsibility to lead others.
Contact Info:
- Email: ebonyking@tabithasteaparty.org
- Website: Tabithasteaparty.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tabithasteaparty/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCr-KCuExfMrUM8yk6K40viA
Image Credits:
Brandon Lester with LX Studios
