WMU marks Mission Friends birthday, urged to ‘live the call’

Woman’s Missionary Union executive director Wanda Lee ended WMU’s annual Missions Celebration by urging women to go forth with a heart of joy and “live the call” of God.

“When I have followed God’s call, I’ve discovered he works through me despite all of my imperfections,” Lee told the WMU audience. “His call is a call to stand fast for our purpose — missions. We (WMU) will stand fast because missions is why we exist.”

The June 11-12 event attracted more than 950 participants who helped launch the WMU’s new two-year emphasis — “Live the Call” — while at the same celebrating the 110-year birthday of Mission Friends and honoring a Kentucky woman with the Dellanna O’Brien Award for Women’s Leadership Development, named for the WMU executive director who preceded Lee.

Living the call was something that Eileen Mullins never imagined she would do. But after a family crisis when one of her sons killed his wife and went to prison, God cast a vision for Haven of Rest, a hospitality house in Inez, Ky., for those who have loved ones in a nearby federal prison.

Mullins’ vision was recognized by the WMU Foundation with the O’Brien award. The award recognizes Baptist women who foster Christian leadership in other women, display the potential to be leaders in their communities and the world, and excel in missions education. Along with the recognition, the WMU Foundation awarded a $2,000 grant to go toward ministry efforts for Haven of Rest. Mullins founded the ministry in 2004, supplying food and lodging to visitors of those incarcerated while they visit the prison.

Celebrating 110 years of Mission Friends, Joye Smith, national WMU preschool consultant, recounted the history of the organization from the days of Sunbeams — the original name in 1896 — to the present, and recognized leaders who taught in both eras.

Norma Melton, a North American Mission Board missionary to North Carolina, encouraged everyone to embrace God’s call to all Christians by considering partnerships with missionaries and their ministries.

Marvina Hooper, a former International Mission Board missionary to Panama, emphasized that the call of God is not for a special few, but for everyone.

Harriet Bowman, IMB missionary to West Africa, passed on greetings from Nigeria’s WMU.

Living the call is not just for missionaries, Lee reminded participants. God calls all of his children into service, she said, no matter where they live. She told the women there are tough decisions to make along the way, but in the end, it is well worth it.