Ethnic leaders share ideas at WMU summit

BIRMINGHAM — Hispanic, Navajo, Russian and Chinese were among the 11 cultures represented by leaders who met with the common goal of increasing missions involvement in their churches through Woman’s Missionary Union (WMU). “Living in an increasingly multicultural world, we all benefit from learning about one another from one another,” said Carolyn Porterfield, multicultural consultant for Texas WMU and organizer of the Ethnic Leadership Summit hosted by WMU at its national offices in Birmingham.

More than 50 missions leaders from 13 states participated. Keynote speakers Patty Lane, director of intercultural ministries for the Baptist General Convention of Texas, and Linda Clark, former California WMU executive director, offered insight on cultural differences and ways to nurture relationships with multicultural audiences. During breakout sessions, participants shared their own experiences and ideas to learn from each other and gain a deeper understanding of ways to effectively serve and resource multicultural churches.