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SBC DIGEST: SWBTS launches Women’s Leadership Institute; WMU Foundation grants national WMU


Southwestern Seminary launches Women’s Leadership Institute

By Katie Coleman

FORT WORTH, Texas (BP) — Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary has launched a new Women’s Leadership Institute, which offers a variety of certificate programs for women serving in any ministry, leadership, or life context. Illinois Baptists are already partnering with the program.

The certificate programs will equip women in the work to which they are each individually called, according to Terri Stovall, dean of women and professor of women’s ministries. She says the programs are designed to equip any woman in any context to be “biblically grounded, theologically strengthened, and practically equipped.”

“All believers, including women, should be lifelong learners and lifelong teachers,” Stovall says. “For women, especially, we must be intentional about seeking out those opportunities that work within the various life seasons we find ourselves.”

For the student wife or minister’s wife, three certificate programs are available, including one that will meet spouse requirements for service with the International Mission Board. These courses are offered to students in a six-week format and are available in both a residential and asynchronous online setting. Courses are offered at a reduced rate but are not eligible for transfer into a degree program.

Certificate options include the Seminary Study for Student Wives Certificate (12 hours), the Seminary Studies for Student Wives in Missions (16 hours), and the Advanced Seminary Studies for Student Wives Certificate (8 additional hours).

Read the full story here.

Visit the Women’s Leadership Institute here.


WMU Foundation grants national WMU $45,000

By Maegan Dockery

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (BP) — The WMU Foundation gifted national WMU a $45,000 grant in an effort to help offset the loss incurred in 2020 through the coronavirus pandemic. Throughout 2020, national Woman’s Missionary Union (WMU) experienced the ramifications of the pandemic.

National WMU offers biblically sound church-wide learning experiences and missions opportunities for all ages. However, with many churches unable to hold in-person meetings for extended periods of time, fewer churches purchased WMU resources.

National WMU is not a part of the Cooperative Program allocation budget and receives no funds from the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering or Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. National WMU is supported through the sale of magazines and products and from investments and charitable contributions through the WMU Foundation.

“While the WMU Foundation exists to support all WMUs around the world, we always want to look for ways to help the organization that created us,” said WMU Foundation President David George. “That is why we are thrilled to be able to dip into our current year operating revenue to make this gift to national WMU a reality.”

Read the full story here.

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