Former national WMU executive director dies

BIRMINGHAM — Carolyn Weatherford Crumpler, who served as executive director of national Woman’s Missionary Union (WMU) from 1974 to 1989, died Jan. 2.

Crumpler earned a master’s degree in religious education from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and began her career with WMU in 1958, working with Girls in Action through Florida WMU and in Alabama as WMU promotion director before becoming chief executive of national WMU.

Starting in 1980 she served on the Baptist World Alliance’s (BWA) General Council and became chairman of the BWA Committee in 1985.

When she became president of the New Orleans Seminary National Alumni Association (1984–85) she became the first woman to chair a Southern Baptist seminary’s alumni association (other than the WMU Training School).

Crumpler is survived by her husband, Joe, and a host of family members.