Alabama’s Hunt to speak at WMU annual meeting

Alabama Baptist Rosalie Hunt will be a featured speaker at the national Woman’s Missionary Union (WMU) Missions Celebration and annual meeting. The event — with the theme Go Forward — will take place June 8–9 in Baltimore, Md., prior to the Southern Baptist Convention’s (SBC) annual meeting.

Debby Akerman, president of national WMU, said, “What better place to wrap up a yearlong celebration of the 125th anniversary of WMU than the home of Annie Armstrong?

“As we gather in June, we will embrace Annie’s challenge to ‘go forward’ with missions as we celebrate how God is working around the world and through WMU, and renew our commitment to advancing missions education and involvement,” she said.

Commissioning service

The celebration will feature an opportunity June 8 to experience a joint commissioning service of nearly 100 field personnel representing the International Mission Board (IMB) and North American Mission Board (NAMB), along with messages from Frank Page, SBC president and CEO; Kevin Ezell, NAMB president; Tom Elliff, IMB president; and national WMU leaders. The commissioning service will be in the Baltimore Convention Center Ballroom at 4 p.m.

Wanda S. Lee, executive director of national WMU, said, “Commissioning missionaries for special service is a great privilege. It is a time to celebrate their calling, voice our affirmation and prayers as we hear their testimonies and commit ourselves to ‘hold the ropes’ prayerfully and financially as they go. We invite everyone to join us and be a part of the commitment, prayer and excitement as these follow the Lord’s call to their place of service.”

On June 9 from 10:30 a.m. to noon at the Sheraton Baltimore City Center Hotel, participants will hear from a variety of IMB and NAMB personnel, including Taylor Field, a NAMB LoveLoud missionary who serves at Graffiti Center in New York City. 

That same day participants will have the opportunity to take an afternoon bus tour of places Annie Armstrong lived and served in Baltimore.

The last session of the WMU Missions Celebration will be June 9 at 7 p.m. and will include messages from IMB personnel and Hunt, a board member of The Alabama Baptist and recording secretary for national WMU, as well as the election of new officers.

(WMU)