Woman s Missionary Union, SBC Executive Board in General Session Shocco Springs Baptist Conference Center Talladega, Alabama Sunday, January 8, 2017 Sunday, January 8, 2017 The Executive Board of Woman s Missionary Union, Auxiliary to Southern Baptist Convention, met in General Session at 2:30 p.m. Sunday, January 8, 2017, in Room 300 at Shocco Springs Baptist Conference Center. The meeting was rescheduled from an earlier time due to inclement weather. Teresa Harmening opened the session by leading in a time of worship. Linda Cooper, national WMU president, welcomed everyone to the WMU Family Reunion. She introduced Teresa Harmening from Texas, who is leading our worship times during these meetings. She called to order the General Session of the Executive Board of Woman s Missionary Union. President Cooper introduced guests, including former state executive directors, language leaders, and missionaries who have joined us for these meetings. Linda recognized interim recording secretary, Jackie Hardy, for the roll call. Due to time constraints, each name was not called individually. Vice presidents were asked to stand, followed by state executive directors. Other state staff were also asked to stand and then the national WMU staff were acknowledged by standing. A sign-in sheet was placed at the door for attendance. At best count, in addition to president, Linda Cooper, and executive director/treasurer, Sandy Wisdom-Martin, there were 33 vice presidents and 22 executive directors present, as well as numerous state staff and national WMU staff. The minutes from the June 2016 meeting were presented. Motion was made by Shirley McDonald, Texas, for approval. Seconded by Jill McNicol, Illinois. Minutes were unanimously approved. Donna Fort, IMB missionary to Zimbabwe, presented the devotion. She shared from her heart regarding the importance of the ministry of discipleship. She referred to Judges 2:7 11. In the days of Joshua, the generation was following the Lord, and the generation that followed did; but then other generations began to fall away. Donna said it is not in teaching everything but in teaching them to obey everything. She read from 2 Timothy 2:2, where Paul reminded Timothy he was to teach what he had been taught. Donna feels discipleship is successful when the disciples of her disciples are making disciples. Carol Causey, Ministry Resource Center director, presented the MRC report. She introduced several new WMU staff: Laura Harper, ministry consultant for adult awareness/cultures; Claudia Johnson, leadership consultant; Zachariah Seanor, ministry consultant for RAs/Challengers ; David Long, senior marketing strategist; and Jennifer Richburg, who had been repositioned as a team leader and graphic designer.
Carol introduced Missions in a Box. The first one to roll out features Thailand and includes a craft, a missionary focus, and other activities for learning about work in that area. It s designed for a single child and sells for $19.99. Upcoming releases of Missions in a Box include Peru, London, and Ivory Coast. Carol and her staff also put together a packet of resources for affinity groups, as well as other areas of ministry. Each state president and state executive director received one of those packets. Carol asked Claudia to come share what s happening at the Christian Women s Leadership Center. Claudia stated the goal of CWLC is to equip women to discover and use their talents and to see them serve their communities and lead their communities to the Lord. Claudia told about the three types of courses available through the CWLC. 1. Develop Courses Currently there are 19 courses for leadership training for WMU. One course is being tested for group training. 2. Timed Courses a couple of new ones scheduled for release in February 3. Enrichment Courses can provide CEU for those in medical fields Following a worship time led by Teresa Harmening, Mark Bethea, digital and acquisitions editor, presented the New Hope report. He showed the trailer for the New Hope book Bronner, which deals with the difficulties of losing a child. He read a letter of testimony of a reader of the book who was ministered to following the death of her child. New Hope partners with those on the front line of ministry and are able to write to share gospel truths for others in ministry. Author Katie Orr, who was introduced at last January Board Meeting, continues to encourage and discipleship women through her FOCUS15 ministry of helping readers spend 15 minutes a day focused on God s Word and its application for their lives. The series Gifts of Hope continues to expand, offering 30-day experiences for those in difficult life situations. Additional books and products are available from newhopepublishing.com. New Hope continues to provide Gospel Centered-Mission Driven content. Emily Swader, team leader/marketing strategist, presented the WorldCrafts SM report. She stated we now partner with 64 artisan groups in 27 countries. Each artisan group is uniquely different. She chose White Rainbow Project to highlight for this report. They are an artisan group of widows from India. Our partnership allows them to provide shelter, food, and vocational training for themselves. WorldCrafts is their largest partner for distribution of their products. A new WorldCrafts catalog will be available March 1, 2017. One of the new collections will be a Global Perspective Collection that will include products put together in a box for learning about specific areas or topics. The first four are Africa, The Amazon Basin, Christmas Around the World, and Support Freedom. Each box contains facts and information, games/crafts, and recipes, as well as products from that area of focus. They are designed for an individual, family, or small group. There are hashtags for sharing and webpages available for each area for more information. Emily expressed her excitement for the new WorldCrafts website that was released last summer and has led to growth of online sales. She invited those in attendance to stop by her display area to see these new products and ask questions. Linda spoke about an upcoming book release, Sacred Love a journey of singleness, belonging, and finding true love. She has previewed the book and found it to be helpful for audiences beyond those who are single.
President Cooper asked us to pray for an IMB missionary in Russia in his work with a man named Argen. The missionary asked that we pray for salvation for Argen and others who are facing difficult situations in Russia. Linda closed this session in prayer. Following a short break and a time of worship, president Cooper called the meeting back to order. Due to the inclement weather, Kevin Ezell, North American Mission Board president, was not able to make the trip to Shocco, so he presented his report via Skype. He thanked WMU for their continued support. He was pleased to announce the 2016 Annie Armstrong Easter Offering receipts were $58.86 million, which is the second largest in the history of that offering. NAMB receives 50% of its budget from the AAEO SM. NAMB has a focus goal to get our 45,000 Southern Baptist churches on mission. At the present time, 15% of SBC churches give $0 and baptize 0. The first step is through prayer. The 2017 goal is to have 10,000 SBC churches praying for missionaries. That s only one-fourth of our churches. One of the tools that can be used for that is the prayer calendars that are available free from nambstore.com. NAMB now has two primary areas of focus: SEND Relief and SEND Network. SEND Network has a goal of 1,200 new churches per year... that s 100 per month. Recent statistics show 50% of all baptisms in Canada came from churches started since 2010. One third of Cooperative Program dollars from the New England areas are from churches planted since 2010. On the SEND Relief side of the NAMB are the compassion ministries, such as Taylor Field s work in New York. NAMB is working on SEND Relief hubs in strategic areas where missionaries will be on-site to coordinate ministries in that area. Bill Barker is an example of one of those missionaries, serving the Appalachian Regional Ministries and Mississippi River Ministries. Kevin asked that we pray for collegiate ministries. NAMB has a goal of planting churches on 405 significant college campuses in North America (those campuses where students live on campus). He gave several examples of where God is already working to make that happen, including the University of Iowa with over 500 in attendance already, and the University of Minnesota with over 400 committed to attend. Other churches are being planted in Kansas and Wisconsin and colleges on the West Coast. The floor was opened for questions for Kevin. There were none. Bill Barker, NAMB missionary for Appalachian Regional Ministries (which covers a 12-state region) and Mississippi River Ministries (which covers an 8-state region), brought a time of devotion. Bill thanked WMU for continued support of the ministries of ARM and MRM. Bill referred to the church at Philippi and their continued support of Paul with prayers and financial support (Acts 16; Philippians). MRM was launched 25 years ago as state conventions and NAMB (then the Home Mission Board) worked
together to address the poverty, unchurched, and lostness of that area. ARM was launched in a similar way 17 years ago. He shared that over 1 million volunteers have been involved, over 100,000 people have come to faith in Christ, and countless churches have been revived. He told of the beginnings of the Backpacks for Appalachia and how those backpacks have ministered to children and families. Churches that have WMU have been the ones to respond to this effort. Over 6,000 have come to faith as a result of the backpack ministry. He closed in prayer, thanking God for WMU and the eternal difference that has been made because of their involvement. President Cooper prayed a blessing for dinner as we dismissed. The evening session began with worship and with president Cooper calling the session back into order. Anna Guy, vice president from Florida, and Cindy Bradley, Florida WMU executive director, led a creative prayer experience for North American Mission Board missionaries, with an emphasis on those who had birthdays today. Linda recognized Debby Akerman and Kaye Miller, national presidents emerita, who have joined us for the weekend meetings. She thanked them for their continued involvement in WMU. She also updated us on Terri Willis from IMB and passed around a card for all to sign to encourage her following her recent surgery. Gordon Fort brought the report from the International Mission Board. David Platt, IMB president, could not be here as he is in a meeting in Central Asia. Fort thanked WMU on behalf of the 3,900 IMB personnel for their continued support of missions around the world. He also thanked WMU for their emphasis on the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions. The 2015 offering receipts were over $165 million, which was the highest in the history of that offering. He gave some personal stories of how God is working in and through the IMB. He said there are currently about 30,000 Chinese coming to faith daily. The first deaf church in China has now become a sending church and the first deaf church in Bangladesh has over 350 members. Gordon reported there will be a Global Cities focus for five major cities of the world where lostness is the greatest. Over 50% of the world s population live in urban centers. Another area of focus will be the 3,021 unengaged, unreached people groups. He reminded us that all of us have a place in God s plan for reaching the lost and encouraged us to be faithful in serving, so that everyone has an opportunity to hear the Gospel and respond. Gordon presented a DVD of the movie, The Insanity of God, to each Board member. Beth Ann Williams, executive director from Georgia, and Jackie Hardy, vice president from Georgia, brought a creative prayer experience for international missionaries, focusing on those with birthdays today. Following a short break and a time of worship, president Cooper called the session back into order. She introduced Kim Carr, NAMB missionary to Jacksonville, Florida, who shared about the work of the International Learning Center there and others around the nation. They provide ministry to individuals and families in those areas which includes teaching, crafts, tutoring, and discipleship. Kim stated there are 269 million lost in the United States and Canada and the Unengaged Unreached
People Groups aren t just there ; they are here. David George brought the report from the WMU Foundation. This year is the 20th anniversary of the Christian Women s Job Corp. He encouraged those who were not going to make it to the morning walk Monday morning (in sub-freezing temperatures) to support the Foundation with a gift of $20. Touch Tomorrow Today checks will be available following this session, by the fireplace on the second floor. Photos of the presentation by David are optional. Sandy Wisdom-Martin introduced president Linda Cooper for her report. Linda expressed again her thankfulness for the prayer support for her. She talked about the proposed laws in Russia that will prevent Christians from sharing their faith in person and even in electronic avenues like email. Linda was able to travel to Russia this year with Terri Willis in preparation for the 2017 International Mission Study. They visited with missions personnel there who are making contacts there and building relationships to share the gospel. They are seeing about 100 people come to faith every month. However, with 12 million in Moscow alone, it will take a long time for all to be reached. She experienced firsthand the risks our personnel face when sharing the gospel. She shared the overwhelming experience of hearing church members tell personal testimonies of sharing Christ during the week. There were many who told how God had worked in and through them during the week. She wondered what would happen if the microphone was passed in any of our American churches... would there be anyone to testify of their sharing of the gospel in the prior week. She challenged us as missions leaders to examine ourselves as to whether we are sharing our faith in our own area. She read Luke 12:48... where much is given, much is required. She asked for prayers for all of our missionaries, as many of them serve in difficult places and encouraged us to share Christ until the whole world hears. She prayed that we might pierce the darkness with the love of Christ. Linda recognized the following outgoing Board members: Marie Davidson, vice president from West Virginia (unable to make it due to the weather); Anna Guy, vice president from Florida; Jackie Hardy, vice president from Georgia; Nadine Peterson, vice president from Arizona; and Sandy Wisdom-Martin, executive director from Texas. Jill McNicol presented Sandy a gift from the President s Fellowship of a jacket with the camp logo on it, where she began her missions journey. Sandy gave some highlights of the Missions Celebration and Annual Meeting that will be held June 11 12, in Phoenix, Arizona. The theme will be Defining Moments and will include missionary speakers, speed conferences, testimonies from living legacies, and a WMU/ WorldCrafts store. The leadership team from Arizona gave a presentation inviting us to Arizona, which included facts about Arizona. They gave each person a bag of Arizona-themed items as they left the room. Lena Plunk shared a video highlighting the 20th anniversary of Christian Women s Job Corp. Linda made announcements and dismissed the meeting.
Monday, January 9, 2017 Teresa Harmening began the morning by leading in a time of worship. President Linda Cooper expressed appreciation for Teresa and her leading us in such great times of worship. She called the General Session back into order. She gave the following announcements: Resource packets are available for participants at the door. Annual Reports are available for states to take with them or to have them shipped. There is information on the table at the door regarding this year s Acteens Panelists. The Extranet Scavenger Hunt will begin next week to familiarize users with the new format. The prize winners for the childhood photo recognition contest were: third place to Laurie Register, second place to Anna Guy, and first place to Jill McNicol. We need four volunteers for child care Children in Action SM and Youth for the Southern Baptist Convention to be held in Phoenix, June 13 14, 2017. If interested, contact Heather Keller. Nadine Peterson, vice president from Arizona, led a time of prayer for the missionaries with birthdays today. Kristy Carr, team leader/ministry consultant/bnf executive director, gave the Baptist Nursing Fellowship SM report using a new format... 400 seconds. She had 20 slides to cover in 20 seconds each. She successfully gave the following highlights from BNF: Marilyn Graves, BNF president, led a missions trip to Croatia, where she was able to speak to over 1,000 health-care workers regarding palliative care. As part of SEND Relief, NAMB launched the mobile health-care unit in St. Louis. President Linda Cooper; Carmen Halsey, executive director from Illinois; and Marilyn Graves also participated in that launch by serving with others during that time. Debby Akerman, WMU president emerita, led the Waccamaw BNF as they participated in Missionsfest SM last July. The BNF Annual Meeting was held at Ridgecrest in September, with the theme With These Hands I... A BNF team went to the Domincan Republic in October, where they worked alongside Orphan s Heart. They saw 600 patients in the four days they were there. BNF voted in 2016 to implement joint membership for national and state BNF. BNF will partner with Missionsfest and Familyfest SM in 2017 and will hold their annual meeting in Mississippi. To conclude the BNF report, Kaye Miller, BNF president-elect, recognized BNF members in the room and presented Sandy Wisdom-Martin with a BNF pin.
Julie Walters, team leader/communications specialist, gave an update on the new Extranet format. Carol Causey, Missions Resource Center director, recognized the committee members and gave the Missionscast 2018 2020 Report. The suggested theme will be Unshakable Pursuit, based on Acts 17. The recommended watchword is 1 Corinthians 15:58 and the Critical Issue is Refugees. The Missionscast Committee recommendation was approved unanimously. President Linda Cooper introduced executive director/treasurer, Sandy Wisdom-Martin, for her report. She was welcomed to the platform with a standing ovation. Sandy thanked everyone for such a special time during the installation service on Saturday at the WMU building. She gave the report of action of the Executive Session held on Saturday morning (see Executive Session Minutes). Sandy recognized Bob Cardinal, Operations Services Center director. He will be retiring during 2017, so she wanted to acknowledge him and offer her appreciation in front of this group. Sandy spoke of people she knew and had worked with who were examples of people who not only lived with brokenness but strived in their brokenness. She stated restoration comes through hope found in Jesus Christ. We intend to share that hope By All Means. She encouraged those present to thrive as courageous leaders. Courageous leaders accept their brokenness. Courageous leaders don t let their brokenness define them. Courageous leaders don t let their brokenness control them. Courageous leaders see the beauty in brokenness (stained glass is an excellent example). The future demands that we are courageous leaders. God will redeem our brokenness. We don t do less because of brokenness God will do more! President Cooper gave five verses she wanted us to remember as we began 2017. 2 Corinthians 5:17 You don t need a New Year s resolution to change. Isaiah 43:18 Old ways won t open new doors. Psalm 90:12 Time is more precious than money... invest well. Lamentations 3:22 Every day is a new day to embrace God s mercies. Ephesians 4:32 Before holding a grudge, consider how much forgiveness God has shown us. June Tate, vice president from Colorado, made a motion to adjourn. Valerie Carter, executive director from Virginia, gave the second to the motion. Motion passed and meeting was adjourned. Linda Cooper, President Jackie Hardy, Interim Recording Secretary