The quiet desegregation of Glorieta Baptist Assembly
SANTA FE, N.M. (BP) -- Many Southern Baptists are familiar with Annie Armstrong, founder of the Woman's Missionary Union and the namesake of the North American Mission Board's annual Easter offering. Fewer know of Annie Filmore, a 20th century pioneer of Baptist missions, who was initially denied fellowship with Armstrong's WMU because of the color of her skin. Between 1920 and 1960, WMU held varying and sometimes conflicting positions on race relations in the United States. As early as 1927, WMU leaders took a public stand against lynching. In 1940, WMU trained Black women for ministry within their respective churches. However, in a 1946 issue of WMU's Royal Service magazine, the organization rejected desegregation as "unreasonable."
