National Woman’s Missionary Union (WMU) elected Linda Cooper, of Forest Park Baptist Church, Bowling Green, Kentucky, to serve as national WMU president during its Missions Celebration and Annual Meeting on June 14–15, at First Baptist Church, Grove City, Ohio.
Cooper replaces Debby Akerman, who has served as president for five years. In her final presidential address, Akerman thanked those present at the meeting for the opportunity to serve WMU.
“Contrary to what some might think, you are not sitting in circles with your hair of blue simply reading missions articles,” she said. “You are praying for our missionaries as the day begins; going out in active community missions to the many places where the hurting are found. You are going out through relationship building and steady witnessing to the up-and-out as well as the down-and-out. And you are leading missions teams to go across North America and to the nations of the world.”
Wanda Lee, executive director of national WMU, said the missionaries “are the primary reason we are here. We are here to know more about their work and how we may partner with our missionaries around the world as they share the gospel.”
During the two-day meeting, some 500 people participated to hear how missionaries and ministry workers live out the year’s theme, “All for You,” through wholehearted surrender, sacrifice and service.
Pray for those hurting
Capt. Michael Coleman, a U.S. Army chaplain who also serves with the North American Mission Board (NAMB), challenged the audience to educate themselves about post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), pray for those who are hurting and be a friend to those who come to their churches.
Coleman served on WMU’s initial task force to begin the organization’s Project HELP: PTSD. He said it was important for churches to be prepared for those who are returning to the U.S. from battlefields, but he warned it was not a strategy for building church membership.
Terry Dorsett, executive director of the Baptist Convention of New England, also shared stories about wholehearted surrender. Previously Dorsett and his wife, Kay, served as NAMB church planters in Vermont.
Christian workers David and Alicia shared about their ministry work in Southeast Asia where their family of four has served for three years in a city of 3 million people, finding ways to share the gospel with unreached people groups.
Marion G. “Bud” Fray, a retired International Mission Board missionary who served in Zimbabwe and South Africa, also shared during the meeting. He, along with former missionary Kim Davis, are the authors of the 2015 WMU emphasis book, “Both Feet In: A Journey to Surrender, Sacrifice and Service.”
During an afternoon of interactive options, Fray signed copies of his book. Outside the church, The Good News Llamas ministry of southern Ohio had two llamas available to visit. The ministry shares the gospel through their llama farm and taking the animals to events.
Other news
- Tana Hartsell, of Charlotte, North Carolina, was elected recording secretary.
- Arlene Miller, of Crofton, Kentucky, received the 2015 Dellanna West O’Brien Leadership Award.
(BP)
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