Lawrenceburg—Joyce Flaugher felt God pulling her toward missions most of her married life, and she said that call only grew stronger after her husband died.

“I first said, ‘No,’ but God had other plans for me,” Flaugher said, as stage lights bounced off her white hair at the Kentucky Woman’s Missionary Union’s annual meeting.

Flaugher and 10 others were commissioned by the Kentucky Baptist Convention to serve with a variety of ministries, many that build relationships by meeting needs through clothing and food.

“This group represents a wide range: young people, senior adults, single people and couples,” said KBC Missions Mobilization team leader Eric Allen, who led the commission service. “God calls all of us, and I am thankful for these people who have stepped up.

“They chose to be obedient,” Allen added, speaking to the more than 700 people who attended the commissioning service at Sand Spring Baptist Church in Lawrenceburg and watched online via the KBC’s Livestream channel.

Greg and Alice Whitetree chose to follow God’s call to the mountains of Appalachia 32 years ago where they still serve as directors of the Freeda Harris Baptist Center in Elkhorn City.

After the couple accepted the award as Kentucky Baptist 2014 Missionaries of the Year, Alice offered a brief word of advice for the new appointees.

“Sometimes we get discouraged because we work and we work and we work,” she said. “Don’t give up.”

Alice talked about ministering to a woman for three decades, faithfully sharing the gospel and inviting her to church. Three weeks ago the woman finally prayed to accept Christ as her Savior.

Kentucky’s newest missionaries and their ministry locations are:

n Frank and Judy Caulder, Kentucky Sacks of Love, Benham

n Lillian Cottingham, Crossroads Community Baptist Church, Whitley City

n Holly Decker, Cedaridge Ministries, Williamsburg

n Joyce Flaugher, Kentucky Baptist Convention, Louisville

n David and Susan Hampton, Kentucky Baptist Convention, Louisville

n Katheryn Pope, Rockcastle Association of Kentucky Baptists, Mount Vernon

n Paul and Mary Jo Radosevich, Calvary Campus, Blackey

n Madison Sawyers, Kentucky Baptist Convention, Louisville.

n Lorie Wells, Cedaridge Ministries, Williamsburg

KBC President Tom James said that without Kentucky WMU’s focus on missions through education and faithful giving, many people would not hear the name of Jesus.

“Last year, we were up in baptisms with 14,223 across the state—and a lot of that has to do with you,” James said. “You are letting Kentucky Baptists know what it means to be on mission.”

At the two-day annual meeting, Kentucky WMU received more than $7,400 for the Ministries to Missionaries offering. Last fall, the statewide Eliza Broadus Offering exceeded $1.2 million, of which a large portion is channeled through the KBC for state missionaries, church planting and collegiate ministries. (KBC)