The woman’s bloodcurdling scream is forever etched in Candace McIntosh’s mind. As the sounds of the South Asian city quieted down during her recent missions experience there, McIntosh remembers vividly the scream that shattered the silence.
“The scream to me represents the cry of the nation that desperately needs to know the love of our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ,” McIntosh, executive director of Alabama Woman’s Missionary Union (WMU), told convention messengers during the WMU report Nov. 14. “Alabama Baptists, we carry within us the answer to the hurting and helpless who live in our neighborhood, our state, our nation and our world. We have the answer to their desperate cries.
“God is calling us to a new level of obedience. He expects us to be His mouthpiece. He expects us to go,” she said.
Alabama WMU has helped train and motivate Baptists of all ages to “live a life of missions and ministry for the purpose of expanding His Kingdom,” McIntosh said.
“Will you accept the challenge of a deeper obedience to the Great Commission?” she asked convention messengers. “Do you hear the voice crying out in the night?”
McIntosh also pointed to WMU’s full report in the Book of Reports, which highlighted the 20th birthday of WorldSong Missions Place, the summer camp owned and operated by Alabama WMU. The celebration year in 2011 concluded with “Christmas Around the World,” which more than 1,200 people attended and saw examples of Christmas in Guatemala, Haiti and Ukraine.
In 2012, WorldSong officials hosted 270 children and their leaders at Fall Missions Festival during two weekends in October and more than 740 campers in five weeks of summer camp. During summer camp 12 campers accepted Christ and five people sensed God leading them to full-time missions service, according to the Book of Reports.
In addition 17 nurses were trained through the Parish Nursing program of Alabama WMU; 50 volunteers were trained in Disaster Relief Temporary Child Care (DRTCC) and 20 site coordinators were trained for Christian Women’s Job Corps.
“Celebrate Kids,” a new ministry of Alabama WMU, allowed more than 80 children and DRTCC workers to minister to children of Hackleburg in April, one year after they were affected by tornadoes.
More than 2,200 children and their leaders participated in Children’s Missions Explosions held at six different locations: Hartselle, Trussville, Selma, Bessemer, Dothan and Montgomery.
Alabama WMU also trained more than 539 leaders through “Equip … for Missions, for Ministry, for Life,” a statewide event held at Shocco Springs Baptist Conference Center in Talladega July 20–21 and two regional trainings at First Baptist Church, Albertville, and Eastmont Baptist Church, Montgomery.
Alabama WMU officers are Becky Luther, president; Laurelle Stoudenmire, vice president; Sonja Adams, recording secretary; and Kristy Carr, chair of the board of trustees.
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