POPLAR BLUFF – On Oct. 15, 1923, Missouri Baptist women met at First Baptist Church, Poplar Bluff, and officially began Missouri Woman’s Missionary Union (MWMU).
On April 14-15, 2023, over 300 men, women, students and children gathered at First Baptist Church, Poplar Bluff, once again to celebrate the past 100 years of Missouri WMU.
Sandy Wisdom-Martin, national WMU executive director, was the keynote speaker during the three worship celebrations as we experienced and heard about our Hope in Christ, the weekend’s theme.
“When hope in Christ is all you have, then hope in Christ is all you need,” Wisdom-Martin said. “We are overflowing with hope, and we should be generous with our time and resources.”
During the closing celebration time she reminded participants that “God’s best lies beyond our comfort zone. We must keep moving forward into the future even if it’s uncomfortable.”
Thirty different breakout conferences were offered during the two-day event, including age-level organization training, ministry project ideas, a Montana Southern Baptist Women panel, missionary speakers, evangelism, mental health, student conference, and a session about mission work in Lesotho.
Released just in time for the mission celebration was Missouri Woman’s Missionary Union’s Centennial Journey 1923-2023, written by Jan Turner, current MWMU president. She compiled 100 years’ worth of God’s amazing moving through missionaries, leaders, and presidents. These are the true stories of dedicated leaders, whose stories she told with the desire to keep missions alive in Missouri Baptist churches. According to the archives department of the International Mission Board (IMB), in the last 100 years, nearly 1,200 Missourians have been called to be IMB missionaries.
Turner’s book is available in print or digital form from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BW36MHLB.
Each worship celebration began with a flag processional of countries representing Southern Baptist missionaries. Other highlights of the worship celebrations included fashion, music and mission monologues through the decades from The New Beginnings Players; prayer times led by former MWMU executive directors Laura Wells and Kathy Scott; and worship music led by Jordan Cox, Missouri Baptist University director of choral activities. Video greetings were brought by Kevin Ezell, North American Mission Board president; Paul Chitwood, International Mission Board president and David George, WMU Foundation president.
Highlights of the 100th Annual Meeting business session included the following:
• Election of officers were Jan Turner, president; Janet York, vice-president; Juliana Rhea, secretary; Paula Hupe, treasurer; Jackie Bursmeyer, missionary advocate; Carol Bowers, prayer advocate; Beverly Hilton, Northwest Region Consultant; Dawn Rost, East Central Region Consultant; Sherol Bell, Nominating Committee Chair; Donna Ford, Nominating Member-at-large; Julie Norris, Nominating Member-at-large.
• The Silent Basket Auction totaled $4,187.50 and is used for the Alberta Gilpin Fund which helps with scholarships for new WMU organization starts, leadership development, WMU special projects, bookstore and administration. Gifts can be given throughout the year online at tithe.ly/pledge/#/campaign/3819378.
• Three Acteens panelist/council members were introduced: Celia Shortell from Independence Baptist Church, Richland; Hannah Stahlman, Lighthouse Baptist Church, Union; and Cefronia Shortell, Independence Baptist Church, Richland who will help Sarah Schmitt, MWMU Student/myMission Consultant, plan future events for student conferences and serve as pages during mission celebrations.
• The Madge Truex offering collected was $3,396.00. This “encouragement” fund is used for missionaries, missionary kids, emeritus missionaries and loan/scholarship for seminary students called to be missionaries. Gifts are accepted throughout the year online tithe.ly/pledge/#/campaign/3819382.
• Attendees brought items for hands-on mission projects to be used to help Aspire Women’s Center, Recycling Grace, Bright Futures, and Sleep in Heavenly Peace—all ministries in the Poplar Bluff area.
• Let’s Grow Consultant Sharon Paris announced 35 new mission organization starts this year. Each was presented with a certificate and discount coupon for the bookstore. Current mission groups are encouraged to register their groups at https://form.jotform.com/61084666384968.
• Randy and Nancy Sprinkle were recognized as the 2023-24 emeritus missionaries and were presented with a wall hanging of Matthew 7:7. The Sprinkles are native Missourians who served as missionaries in Ethiopia, Botswana and Lesotho. Lesotho was the 109th field of Southern Baptist mission work. “Lift Up Lesotho” was the first-ever state/nation prayer partnership established by the then Foreign Mission Board, and it was between Missouri and Lesotho. Sprinkle thanked MWMU for their continued prayers. “In 1989, in this very auditorium Alberta Gilpin called and asked if we had a word. The word was, there is no further word, carry on. You (MWMU) never turned loose, and never ceased to get on your knees.”
• Rosalie Hunt, a Baptist historian and writer of several missionary biographies led us in a call to prayer and reflection. Missionaries count on our prayers. They plan their activities/special events on their birthdays because they know people are praying for them using the prayer calendar. Hunt’s father went to the doctor, and the doctor asked why there was a callous on one knee but not the other. “He replied, ‘that’s my praying knee.’ God, give us calloused knees, praying hearts and practice the presence of Jesus.”
• Missouri Baptist Convention Executive Director John Yeats presented a check for $25,073.97 to Cheryl Stahlman, MWMU Executive Director and Jan Turner, MWMU president, thanking MWMU for their continued efforts in promoting the offerings. Since 2012, Missouri has exceeded their goals for all three offerings.
• Participants were challenged by testimonies from North American Mission Board and International Mission Board missionaries who shared prayer requests and testimonies of God’s work in their lives and the lives of those they interact with on a daily basis. Speakers included Ednor Sebag, a church planter/pastor in the Sikeston; Krag Runzi, a church planter in Poplar Bluff; and Valeria Roy, who serves in southern Brazil with people of Italian descent.
• Six members of Montana Southern Baptist Women, partners with MWMU, led conferences, participate in mission projects around the Poplar Bluff area, and prepared a meal during the celebration.
For more information about Missouri WMU, please visit https://mobaptist.org/wmu/.