Missions stories from Africa, Asia and the Americas highlighted the 125th anniversary celebration of national Woman’s Missionary Union (WMU) during its 2013 Missions Celebration and Annual Meeting, June 9–10 at the Hilton Americas in Houston.
In addition, 2013–14 marks the 100th anniversary of missions education for girls (Girls’ Auxiliary, Girls in Action and Acteens) as well as the 25th anniversary of WMU’s Second Century Fund, which was birthed at WMU’s centennial to fund leadership training for women worldwide.
With the theme “The story lives on,” the meeting featured testimonies of missionaries from both the International Mission Board (IMB) and the North American Mission Board (NAMB), birthday gifts from other denominational leaders and WMU friends and video greetings from WMU partners around the world.
Gregg Fort, an IMB representative in Zimbabwe, told WMU women, “With over 200 years of missionary experience in our immediate family, [the Forts] owe a tremendous amount to WMU.”
Fort’s parents are Wana Ann Fort and the late Milton Giles Fort Jr., who served as medical representatives in Zimbabwe for nearly 36 years.
Gregg Fort and his wife, Donna, recounted stories of God’s work in a spiritually dark area of Zimbabwe where until recently no evangelical churches existed. There are now 14 churches in the region.
WMU executive director/treasurer Wanda Lee presented Wana Ann Fort and writer Kim Davis with an author’s copy of their new book “A Thousand Times Yes,” which tells about the faithfulness of three generations of the Fort family.
Randy and Debbie M., IMB representatives in South Asia, told how they distribute audio devices with recordings of the Bible in the country’s native languages and follow up with discipleship training. As a result, they have seen “over 600 people come into the Kingdom and 60 people become pastors,” Randy said.
IMB representative Jackie Bursmeyer, who has served in Chile for 35 years, attended the 50th anniversary of GAs (Girls in Action) when she was 13. Now celebrating the 100th anniversary of the group, she said, “I don’t think I’d be on the field today if not for your prayers and missions education.”
Patrick Coats, a NAMB church planter in Homestead, Fla., said, “God tackled [him] into the ministry.” He started a community Bible study at a local theater that eventually turned into a church as more and more people began attending.
Each representative, as well as others, expressed thanks for the ways WMU touched their lives through GAs, RAs (Royal Ambassadors program for boys) and Acteens and through the prayers and encouragement of WMU members.
In other business:
- Sook Jae Lee, co-executive director of Korea Baptist Woman’s Missionary Union, received this year’s Dellanna West O’Brien Award for Women’s Leadership, named in honor of the past WMU executive director.
- WMU representatives re-elected Debby Akerman of South Carolina as WMU president and Rosalie Hunt of Alabama as WMU recording secretary for 2013–14.
Next year’s WMU annual meeting is set for June 8–9 in Baltimore.
(BP)
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