Vanessa Bell Armstrong and Melvin Williams to Perform at ISLAND Conference Dec. 8

Oct. 28, 2012 - PRLog -- VALDOSTA - Bestselling author Kendra Norman-Bellamy will host her second ISLAND (I Shall Live And Not Die) Conference at Greater Pleasant Temple Church Saturday, Dec. 8. The all-day event’s theme is “Empowered to Live on Purpose” and will bring hundreds together for a host of worship and empowerment activities.

Highlights of the conference include a keynote address from Evangelist Stacy Lattisaw-Jackson and a concert hosted by Pastor Bernard Robinson with headliners Vanessa Bell Armstrong and Melvin Williams of The Williams Brothers. The event also features a worship experience with Bishop Q.S. Caldwell and an empowerment panel discussion moderated by Bellamy.

“The conference will inspire, encourage and empower people spiritually and emphasize overcoming trying circumstances,” said Bellamy. “The first conference was well received by the public and we expect to have a wonderful time once again.”

Bellamy held the first ISLAND Conference in 2010 to celebrate the release of her book, I Shall Not Die, which was inspired by actual events from her life. It tells the story of her late husband, Jimmy Holmes, who was diagnosed with AIDS in 1992.

"At the time of his diagnosis he had just been installed as a senior pastor and I had just given birth to our second daughter," said Bellamy. "During his last years, he never acted like he was on borrowed time. He committed his time to bringing people to Christ."

Holmes was 26 at the time of his death in 1995.

"I had been married to him for four and a half years and we never had protected sex," said Bellamy. "It was suggested that he'd had HIV for seven to 10 years before his death. I was unknowingly exposed to the virus, but God covered me. Neither I, nor our daughters, caught the virus."

Bellamy wrote the book to encourage people to "live beyond their current circumstances and know that they don't have to throw in the towel when things get rough."

Bellamy is a writer of fiction and non-fiction Christian literature. She self-published her first book, For Love and Grace, in 2002. The book was re-released by BET Books two years later. Bellamy’s 2005 book Crossing Jhordan’s River reached the no. 1 position on Essence Magazine’s bestseller list. Bellamy is the recipient of various literary awards including the Best BET Romance of the Year and Best Christian Author Award.

Registration information and a complete itinerary of events for the ISLAND Conference are available at http://theislandconference2valdosta.eventbrite.com/ .