TALLADEGA, Ala. (BP)–WMU’s executive director Wanda S. Lee and national president Janet Hoffman challenged national and state WMU leaders to recapture a vision for the organization’s purpose during the group’s annual January Board meeting at Shocco Springs Baptist Conference Center.
Held Jan. 12-15, the annual gathering drew some 250 people from across the US, Canada and Puerto Rico. In addition to the WMU executive board, other participants included state and national WMU staff and International and North American Mission board staff and missions personnel.
Along with the reports from the WMU executive director and president, the group also heard numerous presentations from the national WMU staff and reports from the presidents and staff from the International and North American Mission boards.
During the opening session on Saturday evening, Lee told the group about a “dream” she had concerning the January Board Meeting in 2010. She described the gathering as joyful and spirit filled.
“We apparently came to the realization at the turn of the century that God was not finished with WMU,” she shared. “His call to rise up and accept the challenge of the new century was a reminder of His call from the day of our birth. We accepted His call and we had been faithfully moving forward.”
Prior to sharing her “dream” with listeners, Lee had called on the group to “reason together” during the days of the board meeting.
Recalling the words of the prophet Isaiah, she said, “Now, let’s come together and as a body of believers, let’s see where the Lord would have us go.
“We began 114 years ago as a result of women reasoning together to follow God’s call to stir up the missionary spirit. His call continues today as we seek His direction for the challenges of a new generation that needs to have the missionary spirit stirred up once again.”
Lee also updated the group on the restructuring of the national office during her report. In subsequent sessions, the group heard more on the new structure as each of the teams and centers described their purpose and goals for the year.
She also updated the group on other projects underway at the national office and introduced the new WMU Foundation president David George and first Operational Services Center director John Jordan.
In her address to the group in the closing session on Tuesday morning, Hoffman declared that WMU had a God-given imperative for staying strong and focused on its mission.
“As long as there are persons on this shrinking globe who have never heard the name of Jesus, much less experienced His love; as long as there are local churches needing resources to educate and lead members to be on mission with God; as along as there are missionaries depending on our prayerful and monetary support; as long as there are children and youth to train to be the next generation of missionaries and missions supporters; and as long as the Great Commission remains an imperative, WMU must continue to ‘challenge Christian believers to understand and be radically involved in the mission of God!'” she said, referring to WMU’s vision statement.
Hoffman of Farmerville, La., said that renewed vision, revitalized faith, re-energized enthusiasm and rejuvenated love for one another are necessary ingredients for WMU’s future. The catalyst for these ingredients, she added, is prayer.
“Our task is impossible through human effort, strategizing or sacrifice; it is possible only in complete dependence on God,” she said. “So, I challenge all of us today to rediscover the intimacy and the fervency and the joy of praying as God’s power is released through prayer.”
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*Name changed for security concerns.
