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Woman's Missionary Union

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  • 4 chapters

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Through Christian mission

The WMU sees its work as ‘’making disciples of Jesus who live in mission’’; this is done by providing resources, engaging with ministries and offering leadership development.

History

Origins

During the meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention in Richmond, Virginia, in May 1888, a group of women delegates from 12 states gathered at the Broad Street United Methodist Church and organized the Executive Committee of the Woman's Mission Societies, Auxiliary to Southern Baptist Convention.

In previous years, women had been meeting during the convention to discuss the possibilities of creating a missions organization. During the 1888 meeting, a constitution was adopted and the first officers were elected. Baltimore, Maryland, was chosen as headquarters.

Fannie E.S. Heck led the Woman's Missionary Union after 1892 for about 15 years.

The dominant personality was Lottie Moon (1840–1912) who spent nearly 40 years (1873–1912) living and working in China. She was an early feminist pioneer for women's equality, but her reputation in Baptist memory is one of a Southern belle who followed traditional gender roles. Her memory is used in the Union's main annual fundraising drive, the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering which was set up in 1918. By 2023, the fund had raised over $5 billion.

Baltimore years

Annie Armstrong, elected as the first corresponding secretary during the organizational meeting, lived in Baltimore. WMU was originally established and remains an auxiliary to the Southern Baptist Convention, which means that it acts as a "helper" to the SBC. The auxiliary status also means that WMU is self-governing and self-supporting.

Prior to this meeting, women had been gathering to pray for missions under the leadership of women such as Ann Baker Graves. In 1871, Baptist women in Baltimore founded Woman's Mission to Woman for the purpose of prayer and dissemination of information about missionaries. Maryland Baptist women began publishing and distributing missions literature in 1887. Although many southern states had a missions organization for women, there was no central body to provide unity or coordinate efforts. The time had come for the women to organize and the founding mothers of WMU established an organization that has been supporting Baptist missions for over a century. WMU has had the leadership of seven corresponding secretaries/executive directors (Sandy Wisdom Martin serves currently) and seventeen presidents (Connie Dixon serves currently).

In 1934, the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering was set up in her memory. By 2023, the fund had raised over $2 billion for work in the USA.

Name change

In 1890 the women adopted the name Woman's Missionary Union, Auxiliary to Southern Baptist Convention. The headquarters of WMU was originally stationed in the Maryland Baptist Missions Reading Room where Annie Armstrong had an already established office.

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