By David Dawson
Baptist and Reflector
ddawson@tnbaptist.org

The long, wrap-around porch at the Women at the Well residential house provides a terrific view of the nearby mountains.
— Photo by David Dawson
ATHENS — Tucked away amid the Athens countryside, County Road 655 is the long and winding path that leads the way to the Women at the Well facility.
The road is not especially easy to navigate, and drivers have to maintain their focus in order not to miss any of the numerous turns while making the slow climb to the top of the hill.
In many ways, the challenging trek is a fitting metaphor for the journey that many women will experience during their stay at Women at the Well — a residential, Christ-centered program for women recovering from drug and alcohol addiction and other life-controlling problems.
Graduation from the program, much like the drive to the facility, requires steady progress, sharp focus and a desire to reach the top of the mountain: recovery and restoration.
The ministry was founded in 2001 by Robin Nation, who now oversees a residency that houses roughly 20 “students” — as they are called by Nation and the staff — at any given time. Those who participate in the program stay for 12-15 months, maintaining a structured schedule that allows them to regain normalcy in their lives and gives them the opportunity to form (or, in some cases, re-establish) a personal relationship with Jesus.
“We see so many of our students, who’ve graduated from the program, that are living for the Lord,” said Nation, “and that’s what I consider the biggest success stories.”
Many students are initially reluctant to accept the commitment that is required of the program. But, in most instances, they come to realize the ultimate purpose of Women at the Well — cleansing and redemption.
“The program is giving women a new chance at life, which is what the gospel does for all of us,” said Joe Sorah, compassion ministries specialist at the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board. “The ladies who come through this ministry are shining examples of what God can do through any of us who will submit to Christ.”
The fruits of the ministry are easily recognized on the face of Dale Peters, who is the WATW’s housemother. She is also a graduate of the program, as are virtually all of the full-time and part-time staff members at WATW.
“The first day I walked in here, I could feel the love of God,” Peters recalled. “I resisted for a little while, but then I had that pivotal moment. I called out to God and He just turned my life around.”
Making it happen
Nation, who has written a book about her journey as the founder of the Women at the Well ministry, said she never would have originally envisioned taking on such a big challenge.
She admits that, at first, she found herself asking the same questions that Moses asked at the burning bush. “Really, Lord? You’re choosing me to do this?”
Now, more than 17 years later, Nation clearly sees why God called her to be the founder and director of the ministry.
“I was working with a jail ministry, and I began doing Bible study with the ladies there and I saw how they needed something beyond that,” said Nation. “So, we started praying at home for them, and it just evolved from there.”
And then came the burning-bush moment.
“One day God said to me, ‘you’re the one I’m going to use here to do this,’ ” said Nation. “I wasn’t really looking for something to do. I was working as the Sheriff’s secretary, and I enjoyed that.”
But Nation knew the Lord had something else in mind, and she began to pursue the idea of founding a women’s recovery ministry. She started contacting churches, and soon, as she puts it, “one thing led to another” — and the ministry was born.
Gary King, the pastor of Mount Harmony Baptist in Riceville, told Nation that if she was able to find some land, he knew of several church members who would help build the house that would serve as the home facility for Women at the Well. And that’s exactly how it played out.
“The biggest majority of the work done on this house was done by the (Mount Harmony Baptist) members and others from the association,” said Nation.
Almost two decades after being constructed, the house continues to serve as a place of transformation, rehabilitation and restoration.
Making it work
Located about an hour from Knoxville, the Women at the Well facility is a three-story house that serves as the temporary home for the students and also functions as the WATM offices.
The top floor of the house consists of several bedrooms, with neatly-made bunk beds in each room, and a den. The middle floor features a spacious kitchen, a living-room area (for movie-watching and relaxing), a private prayer room and a large gathering room for dining and meetings. The bottom floor has a classroom, a small library, and one room filled with cubicles, where the women can do their devotionals, write letters and study the books and materials from the Women at the Well curriculum.
Each room of the building plays a significant role in the lives of the students, who have daily responsibilities at the house — including cooking, dishwashing, trash detail, etc. — in addition to completing the WATW syllabus (which are called “contracts”) that is required for graduation.
The women attend classes in the morning and afternoon, along with occasional seminars/training sessions. There is also a daily worship gathering and guest speakers.
“In class, they’re working on their contracts, which begins with some basic things, like ‘what does it mean to be a Christian?’ and things like that,” said Nation. “We use a lot of the Teen Challenge (drug rehab) materials. We’ve been using that since the beginning, and I haven’t found anything, really, to take the place of it.”
Outside the kitchen area is a large bulletin board, which charts each of the student’s responsibilities for the week. The duties are assigned on a rotating basis. The women also do their own laundry and are responsible for cleaning their rooms.
In other words, cleanliness and Godliness truly do go hand-in-hand inside the house, which operates in a self-sustaining style.
“We work together as a team,” said Peters.
The house also features a long, wrap-around porch on the second floor that provides a terrific view of the nearby mountains. At any given time, several students can be found on the porch, studying their materials and reconnecting with the beauty of God’s handiwork.
“I love coming out here,” said Peters. “I think we have the best view of the mountains that you’ll find anywhere.”
Currently under construction is a playground area that will entertain the children who come to visit their mothers or sisters at the WATW facility. The playground, which includes a swing set that was installed within the past two weeks, has been partially funded by giving through the Golden Offering for Tennessee Missions.
“Tennessee Baptists are honored to work with ministries like Women at the Well,” said Sorah. “They are living out the example of Jesus, who said He had come to proclaim release to the captives. The ladies who come through this program give wonderful testimonies of the grace of God.”
Making a difference
The day that a new student arrives at the WATW house is always a day of great excitement and anticipation. Each arrival represents an opportunity for life-changing decisions to be made and lifelong friendships to be formed.
“Actually, it’s deeper than friendships,” said Nation, with a smile. “These ladies become sisters.”
The ministry — which has grown in recent years to include a store where many of the students and former students work — has made a major impact on a countless number of lives through the years; not only for the students, but, most certainly, for their families.
Restoration is happening on an almost-daily basis at WATW, and relationships are being transformed.
“Women at the Well is meeting a very real need in Tennessee,” said Sorah. “Addiction has touched almost every family in our state — alcoholism is increasing, and Tennessee’s Opioid problem has been well documented. We must have ministries like Women at the Well to help combat these epidemics.
“It’s truly amazing what this ministry has been able to accomplish,” said Sorah.
Women at the Well
Her Story: Dale Peters
ATHENS — Dale Peters believes in the transforming power of the Women at the Well program.
She believes in it because she sees the impact on a daily basis. More importantly, she believes in it because the program worked for her.
Peters serves as the “housemother” at the WATW facility in Athens. She is also a graduate of the residential program, which helps women recover from alcohol and drug addictions, along with other life-controlling problems.
“I can relate to these ladies in a very real way,” said Peters. “I can say to them, ‘Hey, I’ve sat right where you are sitting, and I know what you’re thinking.’ ”
Peters was the mother of two grown children when her addiction problems started.
In 2001, her husband suffered a brain aneurism, which left him in a coma. For seven years, Peters served as the primary caregiver for her husband, who could do little more than open his eyes. One day, a friend told Peters that she was “stressed out” and should have a glass of wine.
Peters was a non-drinker at the time, but said she accepted the offer. Gradually, she began to drink more and more. When her husband died, she said she went “into a dark place” and things spiraled out of control in her life. Soon, her relationships with her daughters and her friends were essentially destroyed.
“When my husband died, I just nosedived,” Peters said. “It was just a hard story. I lost everything, ruined every relationship. I was a mess. I needed support.”
Her family intervened, and — in a true demonstration of “tough love” — demanded that she seek treatment. Refusing to do so, they said, would mean losing them forever.
“My daughters told me, you can either get help, or we never want to see you again,” said Peters. “That’s how bad it was.”
Peters’ daughters found Women at the Well online, but Peters had no intention of staying at the facility. She wasn’t interested in meeting the other ladies or taking a tour of the grounds. She didn’t want to listen to anything about it.
“I remember thinking, I’m not doing this. Y’all are crazy if you think I am going,” said Peters. “I am a grown woman and I have raised my children and I have grandchildren. You are not going to tell me what to do.”
But Peters said everything changed the day she arrived at WATW.
“The first day I walked in here, I could feel the love of God,” Peters recalled. “I resisted for a little while, but then I had that pivotal moment. I called out to God and He just turned my life around.”
Peters stuck with the program, and completed all the requirements. When she graduated, her family members attended the ceremony. And things have never been the same, she said.
Her relationships with her daughters — and her grandchildren — are now stronger than ever, and she says she can see how God was working in her life throughout the difficult process.
“I went through all of that to get to this,” she said with a smile on her face and tears in her eyes. “It’s the most beautiful life.”
Peters now spends almost every day helping other ladies deal with some of the same issues that she was facing. She talks with them, prays with them, grieves with them. And yes, most certainly, she celebrates with them when the restoration process begins to develop.
“I get to see these girls come in, thinking they have just no hope,” said Peters. “Every day I can say, ‘You can do it. He will give you your life back, He will restore you. In fact, take it from me: He won’t just restore. He’s going to give you a joy that you don’t even know about.”
Peters said she looks forward to doing her job every day, and serving as a mentor and a friend to the ladies who are currently in the program.
“I can’t ever get enough,” she said. “God is birthing new things in my life. And each day, I get to be the cheerleader for these ladies and encourage them. It’s beautiful.”


