In praise of Woman's Missionary Union and 
Baptist women in ministry
Sandra Magee Womack,
member ,South Main Baptist Church in Pasadena.
 
Reprinted by permission from The Baptist Standard 

I was literally born a Baptist, you might say. My dear grandmother, who has since passed on, joined a Baptist church in the early 1940s, where she worked teaching Sunday School, served faithfully in Woman's Missionary Union, and later went on to work in the church nursery for 39 years. 

My mother was born a Baptist girl, as well. I've been told that as she stood at the kitchen window washing dishes at night, she practiced her hymns for choir with the hymnal propped up in the window seal.

And I, too, was raised a Baptist girl, which I still profess to be--an active, mainstream Baptist, though there was a time that was left unsaid. Now, it is a must in order to be heard, not like the time of my grandmother. When she said, "Get up; we're going to the Lord's house," she meant it. She gave the orders in that household. And as you might have guessed, I'm raising my two teenagers in a single-parent household and in the Baptist church. Mainstream that is to say.

But I have to tell you, of all that I've learned about being Baptist and, more importantly, about being a Christian and how to be effective with what God has so freely given me, I've learned in the mission's organizations and from "women in ministry" of the traditional Baptist church.

I remember vividly the Holy Spirit moving me as a young girl one night during vesper services at a GA summer camp. I felt God was calling me to missions. Of course, I thought at the time that meant serving in some remote part of Africa with native tribes, living in a tent, and eating berries in the wild.

The Lord had not given me a clear understanding of what missions was all about at that young time in life. I just knew I needed to be part of it. And with the direction and leadership of women who had dedicated their time to mission's organizations, I was a part of it!

No, God did not call me to serve in India as he did Ann and Adoniram Judson, or in China as he did Lottie Moon. He called me to serve him right here, as he has so many women in ministry today. God needs a listening ear, an open heart and a willing spirit to work with. He needs someone who is willing to take a risk and to answer as Isaiah did. "Here am I Lord; send me."

Time changes everything, so they say. There has been a time of awakening in women in Baptist life as well. It has come full circle. It is a time that women in ministry today have to be willing to take risks, to speak our hearts and to take our place. We must be willing to risk the journey that God sends us on--whether it be serving Him abroad or in our own church community. Ladies, we have a vast mission field every time we step out of the door.

For over 100 years, Baptist women have been "risk-takers." We have been stepping forward and risking the condemnation of not only an unchurched and lost people, but also of our Baptist brothers in our own denomination. The Lord did not stop with gender when it comes to confessing your faith.

Women in ministry don't take no for an answer. We are a group that must say, "Look at our history, the foundation we have laid, and look to our future women in educating them."  

Still not convinced it's not only your right, but your place? Let the following be your basis for taking your place in ministry: 

First, the first money given to the first nationwide Baptist convention was given by women.

Second, although tithing is taught in God's word, it was not a concept that was widely known or accepted until Woman's Missionary Union educated Baptists about the idea.

Third, until an organized group of women began "weeks of prayer" and special mission offerings, churches had no organized method of praying and giving to missions.

Fourth, WMU has been the lifeline for Baptist missionaries for over 100 years.

Still need a "scriptural" reference for your place in women's ministry? What better example of this than the woman who wept at Jesus' feet when they nailed Him to the cross, Mary Magdalene. Mary possibly spent more time with Jesus than any other woman during His ministry. Jesus used Mary as a willing disciple and role model for all women.

At a time when the followers of Jesus were scorned, ridiculed and even threatened by death, Mary remained faithful. She was with Him through the hours of crucifixion and death, and she boldly returned to be near Him in the garden. Even in the midst of fear and grief, she risked her life and remained committed to Jesus. It's no wonder that Mary was first to witness the resurrection and that Jesus issued his first commission to a woman, "Go and tell."

If we are to grow as Christian women in our understanding of God, we have to expect tough circumstances and be willing to "risk" the disappointment that is bound to confront us. Baptist women have met with confrontation since Baptists' inception, and that confrontation has made us strong and even more useful to Christ.

We live in turbulent and fractured times. To stand in opposition to the majority always involves risk. Baptist women must not sit idle, but we must continue to be risk-takers. Women in ministry have discipled, educated and trained both men and women to "go and tell."

Women in ministry, from teaching to preaching, is a campaign. It is a campaign of eternal significance, not a campaign for women's rights. Women in Baptist work today are leaders and already know their rights. They are knowledgeable, understanding, educated, well-groomed and fun to be with. They also are accountable to Jesus Christ and His guidance, not one of any "man-made creed."

Let no man tell a woman what to believe or not believe, when to speak or not speak. That is a right that remains only with Jesus Christ. It is to Him we pledge our allegiance. It is to Him we shall be accountable. It is with Him that we shall serve, and it is Him that we shall reign with in eternity.