JEFFERSON CITY (MWMU) – The next 100 years of the Missouri Woman’s Missionary Union (MWMU) will begin at First Baptist Church, Poplar Bluff, on April 14-15. “Hope in Christ” will be the theme as people from across Missouri celebrate the past, present, and future of Missouri missions.
Registration is open online at www.mobaptist.org/wmu/mwmu/. Early-bird registration is $35 (by March 15th). After that date registration will be $45. A one-day registration is $25. The cost for the student conference is $15. Childcare is available at no cost but registration MUST be done by March 15th. There will be no walk-in childcare available. A Saturday box lunch is also available for $8 but must be ordered by March 15 also.
Missouri Woman’s Missionary Union’s Centennial Journey 1923-2023, the 100-year history, compiled and written by MWMU president Jan Turner, will be given to all registered attendees. Additional copies may be purchased at the MWMU bookstore, during the Mission Celebration meeting, for a discounted price of $10.00. The book may also be purchased online at https://www.amazon.com/dp/BOBW36MHLB. The history includes the stories of thirteen MWMU Executive Directors and twenty-three Presidents from 1923-2023. These women are dedicated leaders of the past and present who have been instrumental in making missions important in the lives of people in the past 100 years. This history is about committed women who have had a mission vision and saw the importance of keeping missions alive in Missouri Baptist Churches.
Laura Wells, former Missouri WMU Executive Director, 2010-2019 wrote in the foreword, “So many wonderful, godly women have served in Missouri WMU over the past 100 years. Jan Turner has captured their hearts of giving, going, and spreading the gospel in Missouri and around the world. Don’t miss learning about their legacy!”
Keynote speakers for the missions celebration include Sandy Wisdom-Martin, National WMU Executive Director, International Mission Board and North American Mission Board missionaries, Rosalie Hunt, Frank Drinkard of WMU Foundation, and Randy and Nancy Sprinkle. During each worship session, there will be mini historical vignettes featuring Laura Armstrong, Madge Truex, Alberta Gilpin, Marilyn Coble, and Vivian McCaughan. Breakout sessions include age-level training for mission organizations, ministry wives, mission project ideas, The Causes and Effects of Abuse: Caring for Our Women and Children, and Mental Health: The Church’s Response, to name a few. There will also be a special event for students (grades 7-college) on Friday night.
Other highlights include a bookstore and Silent Auction with proceeds benefitting the Alberta Gilpin Fund. Attendees are asked to bring items for mission projects to meet various needs in the Poplar Bluff area. Some needed items include: newborn items, bottles, lotions, laundry soap pods, deodorant, toilet tissue, shampoo, and feminine hygiene products. A complete list can be found at https://mobaptist.org/wmu/mwmu/.
Make plans now to join us in Poplar Bluff, April 14-15, 2023 as we celebrate our history and explore our “Hope in Christ”. For more information on hotels, schedules, or questions, contact Cheryl Stahlman, MWMU Executive Director at 573-206-9804 or visit the website, www.mobaptist.org/wmu/mwmu/.