By Laura Bramlett

Executive Director, Arkansas WMU

Saturday, September 26, we hosted our WMU missions celebration and annual meeting. Several years ago, Debbie Moore led us to move our annual meetings from being a separate event to being a part of the Arkansas Baptist Women's Conference. I'm so thankful for the partnership she and Andrea Lennon began that Morgan Fulcher and I can now continue. It has worked so well for us, and the Women's Conference team has been amazing to work with! 

So how does this work? All Arkansas Baptist women are invited to attend the Women's Conference, and then after the morning session, we split up into Connection Groups. Arkansas WMU is one of the options, as is Minister's Wives, Women's Ministry leaders, Students, and then a general connection group. There is a two-hour time block for the connection groups and lunch/visiting vendor booths.  

A couple of weeks before Conference, I received a text from a fellow state leader asking if some women who "don't participate regularly" in a WMU group could come to our connection group. My answer? "YES!!! We welcome any and all women who want to celebrate missions with us!" This is not the first time I've had a similar question or heard someone say they aren't a 'member' of WMU. I want to debunk some myths about WMU. 

First of all, what does WMU stand for, and where did it come from? Woman's Missionary Union (yes, it's Woman's, not Women's, because it's for every woman) began on the national level in 1888 when 10 states joined together to form a union of women who advocated for giving to and praying for missions. Arkansas' central committee formed in 1883, and we were part of the original 10 who would come to be known as Woman's Missionary Union, auxiliary to the SBC. 

Do I need to be a 'member' of WMU? Earlier this year, I received a phone call from a friend who wanted to start a couple of age-level missions discipleship programs at her church using WMU resources, and she asked, "What do I need to do to become a member of WMU?" As I told her, no membership required! As the national WMU website (wmu.com) says, "WMU exists to help your church make disciples of Jesus who live on mission." We are not a club, we are not a society, and although we are called Woman's Missionary Union, we exist to assist the entire church – from the youngest to the oldest, male and female. 

How can WMU help my church? National WMU, located in Birmingham, AL, creates incredible resources every quarter that will encourage your church members to learn about missions, pray for missions, support missions, and do missions and tell others about Jesus. We are the missions discipleship arm of the Southern Baptist Convention. I heard a friend who serves with the International Mission Board (IMB) once say that the IMB used to create their own resources to teach churches about our missionaries, but they realized WMU is doing an excellent job of that, so they handed over the task to WMU. Through our resources, your church members will learn about North American missionaries, international missionaries, the Cooperative Program, and more information about what it means to be 'Better Together' as Southern Baptists.  

What else does WMU provide besides missions discipleship resources? We also offer opportunities for your church members to serve through compassion ministries, such as: Pure Water, Pure Love; WorldCrafts; Christian Job Corps; and Baptist Nursing Fellowship. Finally, we provide online leadership development courses that your church members can take to strengthen their leadership skills. 

Does WMU exist just for women? No! WMU has developed into a missions organization, not just a women's organization. Pastors, I am here to help you. The resources we offer are designed to raise up the next generation of men and women who will be on mission. As we all know, missions-centered adults accomplish the goal of the Great Commission. 

This is a quick and generalized view of WMU, but I pray it will begin many conversations about how Arkansas WMU can assist your church in fulfilling the Great Commission. We are here to walk alongside youand help you educate, equip and encourage your local body to make disciples of Jesus who live on mission. If you aren't familiar with the national WMU website, please go to wmu.com to learn more. As always, I am here to help you in any way I can, so don't hesitate to contact me at lbramlett@absc.org.