https://www.blackenterprise.com/henderson-shaunie-oneal-cry-out-con/

Pastor Keion Henderson and First Lady Shaunie Henderson are hosting Cry Out Con for the third consecutive year in Houston from May 1-3. The four-day event will feature nontraditional guests, women’s workshops, and sermons from notable speakers.

Pastor Keion and Shaunie took a moment away from organizing the conference to sit down with BLACK ENTERPRISE to discuss their hopes for spiritual restoration, their inclusive lineup of guests, and navigating marriage and business.

BLACK ENTERPRISE: Can we talk about how Cry Out Con began? What spiritual need led to the idea?

Pastor Keion: I was in a bad space. Pastor Mathew Stevenson stood in the pulpit and spoke about the children of Israel. He said God didn’t bring them out of the wilderness until they cried out. It was like electricity hit my body. I stood right where I was and started to cry out.

I had three staff members with me. I called them over and said, “That’s what we’re going to do.”

The conference includes family therapists and relationship experts. What need are you addressing with that?

Pastor Keion: We recognize a deficit in our community when it comes to emotional and relational health. And that’s not an accident — it’s part of a wider system.

Is there a message at Cry Out Con that people can take into their personal relationships to begin healing?

First Lady Shaunie: Yes, and that’s why we include breakout sessions focused on women’s healing.

Why is it important to center sessions for women?

First Lady Shaunie: More than half the room will be women. That’s just church, right? It was only right to create moments where we speak directly to them.

There’s so much healing we need. Our women’s panel is focused on healing everything from parenting to relationships, finances, self-care, and faith.

This year, you’ve chosen men who aren’t necessarily clergy, like D.C. Young Fly and Deion Sanders. What about their spiritual journeys led you to include them?

Pastor Keion: We can’t win the world if the only people speaking to them come from the church.

I think both Deion and D.C. would disagree that they’re not “of the cloth.” Deion will tell you he is a man of God who coaches football, not a football coach who speaks about God. It’s important to recognize that the cloth is represented not just in pulpits but on football fields, in comedy clubs —wherever people are.

You’ve both been public figures for a long time. You’re married, and you’re in a business partnership. How do you navigate that and stay grounded?

First Lady Shaunie: If you had asked me when we first got married, I’d have said, “Oh, it’s easy.” But it gets complicated — until you acknowledge that it’s complicated. Once you acknowledge it and figure out a system that works, then it flows.

Pastor Keion: I’d add that she’s the boss of her, I’m the boss of me, and together we run the family.

When I married my wife, she was an individual with a functioning business, a skill set, and a family mantra. At no point did I believe marriage to me meant the release of her history. I had to embrace it, and she did the same for me.

As a facilitator of Cry Out Con, do you also feel spiritually fed?

Pastor Keion: My destiny is to help you find yours. I am absolutely fed by the fact that people come to this conference and leave empowered, engaged, and informed.

I’m excited about the transformation I anticipate, because I’ve seen it before. I know I’ll see it again.

First Lady Shaunie: Sometimes being fed is simply knowing you helped someone. If the experience resonates with just one person and makes them one percent better, then I’m fed.

Both Hendersons will lead multiple workshops and sermons. Joining this year’s lineup are some of the foremost voices in ministry, including Evangelist LaTrice Ryan, Lacy Tezino, Steven Speaks, Jordan Welch, Kirk Franklin, Pastor Jerry Flowers Jr., and Minister Vincent A. Casey Sr.

To register for the event, visit the official Cry Out Con website.

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