On Commemorating the WMU 125th Anniversary and 100th Anniversary of the Eliza Broadus Offering

WHEREAS, the year 2013 marks the 125^th anniversary of the work of Woman’s Missionary Union (WMU); and

WHEREAS, Kentucky WMU is a partner in the work of WMU throughout Kentucky, the Southern Baptist Convention, and around the world; and

WHEREAS, Kentucky WMU traces its beginning to 1878 when six women from the Louisville Woman’s Missionary Societies were appointed to form the Kentucky Central Committee, and from the earliest days this organization sought to “engage the women of every Baptist church in Kentucky to labor for the Savior by organizing Missionary Societies whose contributions [were] given to Home, Foreign, and State Missions;” and

WHEREAS, three delegates from Kentucky attended the meeting in Richmond, Virginia in 1888 to organize the “Executive Committee of Woman’s Missionary Societies, Auxiliary to the Southern Baptist Convention,” which later became known as Woman’s Missionary Union; and

WHEREAS, under the leadership of Eliza Broadus and the Central Committee, WMU work was organized throughout Kentucky and on June 16, 1903, seventy-four delegates met at First Baptist Church, Winchester and formed a state organization called Woman’s Missionary Association of Kentucky, later known as Kentucky Woman’s Missionary Union; and

WHEREAS, Kentucky WMU has faithfully supported state, national, and international missions, and under the leadership of Eliza Broadus, began taking an annual state missions offering in 1913; and

WHEREAS, Kentucky WMU voted in 1975 to name the state missions offering for Eliza Broadus starting in 1976; and

WHEREAS, Kentucky WMU is responsible each year for the preparation of materials which not only promote the offering but educate Kentucky Baptists about missions in Kentucky and engage people in prayer for Kentucky missions; and

WHEREAS, WMU has as its vision to challenge Christian believers to understand and be radically involved in the mission of God;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the messengers of the 175^th annual meeting of the Kentucky Baptist Convention being held in Lexington, November 13, 2012, congratulate and express appreciation to the leaders and members of WMU organizations across Kentucky for their service to Christ and to Kentucky Baptists on the occasion of the WMU 125^th anniversary and the 100^th anniversary of the Eliza Broadus Offering for State Missions to be observed in 2013.