TALLADEGA, Ala. (BP)–Southern Baptist Woman’s Missionary Union executive board awarded $65,000 in Second Century Fund grants during its annual meeting Jan. 9-13 at Shocco Springs Baptist Assembly in Talladega, Ala.
The grants, assigned to both home and international fields, will fund a variety of projects designed to educate and involve women in missions.
The Second Century Fund is a permanent endowment created by WMU during its centennial year in 1988 as a gift to future generations of women in missions. All contributions are invested permanently, along with 10 percent of each year’s earnings on the principal, which stands at approximately $1.5 million. The remaining interest is given each year in grants. Since 1988, WMU has awarded $696,523 in grants.
Of the 31 grants awarded this year, eight went to international projects and 23 were given to support projects in North America.
The international grants were awarded to, with dollar amounts: the women’s department of the Baptist Union of Southern Africa, $5,000; the Arab Baptist Theological Seminary, $5,000; the Thailand Baptist Women’s Conference, $1,000; WMU of Bolivia, $2,500; the Seminary of Christian Education in Brazil, $1,000; the School of Missions in Uruguay, $1,000; the National Women’s and Sunbeam Camp in Venezuela, $1,000; and the BWA women’s department’s leadership conference in Melbourne, Australia, $2,500.
Twenty-one of the grants will provide training and/or materials for WMU organizations affiliated with WMU, SBC. Several of the grants will benefit leadership from a variety of language/ethnic congregations.
The WMU organizations receiving the grants, by state or province and dollar amounts, are: Arizona, $3,000; California, $1,500; Canada, $2,000; Colorado, $2,500; the Dakotas, $4,000; Hawaii, $4,000; Michigan, $1,500; Minnesota-Wisconsin, $2,500; Montana, $2,000; Nevada, $2,500; New England, $3,000; New Mexico, $2,000; Ohio, $3,000; Pennsylvania-South Jersey, $2,500; Puerto Rico, $1,000; West Virginia, $2,000; and Wyoming, $1,200.
Two special projects in North America also received grants. The Native American LINK, Inc., received a $1,000 grant for a retreat for Native American Baptist women. The Arkansas WMU was awarded a $4,800 grant to help fund the MK Re-entry Retreat. The annual event is for missionary kids who are returning to the United States to enter college and is sponsored by state WMU organizations, WMU, SBC, and the International Mission Board.
For information on the Second Century Fund, write: Second Century Fund, WMU Foundation, P.O. Box 11346, Birmingham, AL 35202-1346; phone (205) 408-5525; e-mail, wmufoundation.wmu.org
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