Missions leaders from across the nation “proclaimed” the freedom and Good News of Jesus Christ during the 2011 national Woman’s Missionary Union missions celebration and annual meeting in Phoenix.
“Proclaim!” was the theme for this year’s June 12-13 celebration based on Luke 4:18-19: “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor” (NIV).
AkermanDebby Akerman of Myrtle Beach was re-elected national WMU president.
In her first presidential address, Akerman interpreted this year’s theme, “Proclaim!” noting that “from Genesis to Revelation, one hears the distinct sounds of holy proclamation emanating from God’s Word.”
She noted, “From beginning to end, God’s eternal purpose runs through the Scriptures … proclaiming the name of our Lord and his eternal gospel to all peoples of the earth.
“God has purposed WMU,” she continued, “to equip our churches to be on mission, to educate … and to be intentional supporters for our more than 10,000 missionaries.
“Our missions purpose has not changed in our 125 years,” Akerman said, adding, “We need to lessen entertainment venues and increase involvement in God’s Great Commission! And WMU does this so well!”
Tom Elliff, the International Mission Board’s new president, and Kevin Ezell, president of the North American Mission Elliff used nine words to express his sentiments to WMU: “Thank you,” “We need you” and “Can I help you?”
He urged the 350 WMU attendees to encourage their church leaders to join the IMB in launching an initiative at the SBC annual meeting to reach the 3,800 currently unengaged people groups in the world.
Ezell presented Wanda Lee, WMU executive director-treasurer, with an oversized Royal Ambassador race car to commemorate the transfer of responsibility for RAs back to WMU.
“We are excited,” Lee said. “We are in a new arena of partnership for missions education. We love RAs. They were born from our hearts, and we gave them willingly to the Brotherhood Commission in 1954. We now gladly receive them back. Thank you.”
Royal Ambassadors, begun by WMU in 1908, is the Southern Baptist missions organization for boys in grades 1-6. Challengers engages young men in grades 7-12 in missions education.
Ezell said he believes this is the right move at the right time.
“We have the assignment for missions education from the Southern Baptist Convention, but we have always worked in partnership with the WMU. You are experts in missions education and this makes great sense to me. Who does it better than WMU?”
Unveiling a large RA race car cutout to laughter and applause, Ezell presented Lee with the “small gift,” along with a framed logo with each of the missions education organizations, symbolic of the transfer of the organizations’ copyrights to WMU. The frame came in a box marked one of 1,908.
“We have a lot of files to transfer to you; the semi will be rolling into Birmingham soon,” Ezell joked. “We may not have exactly 1,908 boxes, but we wanted to recognize your commitment to the organization you founded in 1908.”
Acteen panelist Taylor Townsend, a member of First Church in Jackson, Miss., and Challengers SBC page David Ray, a member of Bethel Church in Greenville, S.C., assisted M. Steve Heartsill in unveiling the car on the platform.
Heartsill, a 10-year veteran at WMU and former pastor, will assume the managing editor’s role for RA and Challengers resources July 1. – BP