Candace McIntosh, executive director of Alabama Woman’s Missionary Union (WMU), stressed the importance of missions education to messengers of the Alabama State Baptist Convention, testifying to its personal impact on her own life.
“I know firsthand,” she said. “My cabin leader taught this young girl what it means to have a quiet time.
“The impact of Alabama WMU and its missions camping and its missions education is felt literally all around the world,” according to McIntosh, who reeled off a list of cities across the globe where Alabama Baptists with a relationship to Alabama WMU serve.
“For more than 40 years Alabama WMU has been intentionally investing in the lives of young girls, and now boys, through missions camps.” McIntosh said 67,000 children had been impacted. Five thousand of those had made professions of faith with 7,000 rededications. Those committed to full-time Christian service numbered 4,500, according to McIntosh, including those with a distinct call to missions.
McIntosh presented a video featuring WorldSong Ministries as part of her report to the convention. More than 10,000 campers visited WorldSong in 2003, and 1,233 participated in Girls in Action, Children in Action and Acteens summer camps. Adults also visited the camp as more than 2,300 attended Christmas Around the World.
Alabama WMU continued to lead in the number of Acteens Activators teams commissioned, according to the Book of Reports. Eight teams worked in eight states this summer. Children’s Missions Explosions were held at six sites across Alabama with more than 3,400 children and leaders attending.
Alabama WMU also provided missionary support by promoting missions offerings and providing emphasis materials to churches. Alabama Baptists exceeded the state Lottie Moon Christmas Offering goal by more than $200,000.
More than 475 women participated in WMU Leadership training at Shocco Springs Baptist Conference Center and another 190 attended regional training. Specialized tracks were offered for Hispanic women leaders, ministers’ wives and young women in grades 9–12 who participated in an emerging leader forum.
Globally, 17 Baptist Nurses Fellowship members traveled to Malawi, Africa, for medical missions, door-to-door evangelism and to show the “Jesus” film. Seven women also participated in the Women’s Evangelistic Crusade in Barquisimeto, Venezuela, that resulted in 1,500 professions of faith.
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