Each Monday, the Kentucky WMU staff has a Monday morning staff meeting. We always begin with prayer for our missionaries on the Prayer Calendar in Missions Mosaic. The Prayer Calendar devotional readings this month are the stories of missions heroes, people who gave their all to follow Christ and fulfill the Great Commission. This week we’ve been reading about William Carey and the perseverance that it took for the gospel to take root in Burma. I am thankful for the missions leaders who have gone before us and the legacy of their lives. Since it is my month to lead our prayer time, I shared some Kentucky WMU missions history this past Monday.
Kentucky WMU has been an integral part of the development of Woman’s Missionary Union from the earliest days. In sharing some things of note with the staff I went back to an early national WMU history called Following In His Train by Ethlene Boone Cox. Her account is copyright 1938. No doubt from her account the importance of Kentucky WMU leaders and the legacy they left, including Eliza Broadus.
Since responsibility for Royal Ambassadors has returned to WMU, I was very interested in the account of the start of Royal Ambassadors and what Mrs. Cox had to say about the importance of teaching boys. To appreciate the following quote, it is helpful to know that in missions history, William Carey’s son, Felix, was appointed as an ambassador to the governor-general of Calcutta by the King of Burma.
When William Carey’s son was made an ambassador, Carey wrote “Felis is shriveled from a missionary into an ambassador.” It is the desire of WMU in its missionary educational program to make the young Royal Ambassadors into missionaries at home and in every land. They do not shrivel into these royalties, but begin with their royalties and grow to be missionaries of the kingdom of God. Neglect of specific missionary instruction and vision does not suddenly develop missionary church leaders, missionary deacons, finance committees, workers, nor tithers. Missions interest is most often the result of consistent, systematic education, heroic ideals obtained through mission history and biographies, and through inspiration of personal leadership. Through these means each generation may pass on to the next the truths that have served the present age, and every age. The purpose of the plans for young people is to challenge the wealth of youth for Christ and for his redemptive work. The wealth of youth is life, time, talents, influence, possessions, personality.
This may have been written many years ago, but still rings true. Jonathan Auten, the new Kentucky WMU consultant for Royal Ambassadors shares this passion for passing on the missions challenge to the boys of this generation. Jon will share his some of story and vision during the WMU report at the Kentucky Baptist Convention on Tuesday, November 15. The meeting starts at 8:30 a.m. at Florence Baptist Church. The WMU report will be at 2:05 p.m. Information about the meeting and driving directions may be found at http://www.kybaptist.org/annualmeeting
We cannot neglect teaching missions to our children and expect them to grow up caring about a lost world. What is your church doing to develop missionary church leaders? Stop by the WMU booth at the Kentucky Baptist Convention. We would like to show you some great resources for teaching preschoolers, youth and adults. Come meet Jon and learn how the Royal Ambassadors ministry can help you mentor boys in your community.
In this month of giving thanks for the missions legacy of Southern Baptists, the history lesson we must capture is that when missions education is strong in a church, that church develops misssions minded leaders, deacons, workers, and tithers. Do you want more of these in your church? Start or strengthen missions groups now!
