WMU speakers challenge women to be followers of Christ_80904

Posted: 8/06/04

WMU speakers challenge women to be followers of Christ

By Ferrell Foster

Texas Baptist Communications

WACO–The parade of speakers at the Texas Leadership Conference spanned several generations. They included missionaries, the children of missionaries and just regular Texas Baptists. But all spoke of following Christ in missions.

The theme of this year's conference, sponsored by Woman's Missionary Union of Texas, was “Christ Followers,” and the program illustrated the varied ways people follow Jesus.

Christ followers are servants, said Wanda Lee, executive director of national WMU. They are ordinary people who heard and listened closely when Jesus said: “Take up your cross and follow me.”

“He issued an invitation to follow him all the way, all the time,” Lee said.

Jesus is asking for a “sold-out commitment,” she added. “I suspect there are those days when it would be easier to just pack it up and go home.”

Amanda Perez (left) of Lubbock receives the Sybil Bentley Dove Award from Wanda Lee, executive director of national Woman's Missionary Union. Perez, whose three sons joined her on stage, received the award and scholarship because of her involvement in Christian Women's Job Corps, first as a participant and now as a volunteer. She is the second participant from her Lubbock CWJC group to recieve the national honor.

But Jesus set a different example, she noted. “He never gave up, no matter what the difficulty.”

Elaine Tate, a member of Park Cities Baptist Church in Dallas, said the involvement in missions by her 7-year-old daughter, Kathryn, shows there is “no age limit or requirement for Christian service.” Kathryn has taken dinner to children at Buckner Baptist Benevolences homes.

Diana Lewis, a missionary in Arkansas, told of her work with people living in poverty. “I believe low-income people are our most unreached people group.” She encouraged participants to “study and learn about the poor where you live.”

Carolyn Woods, a member of the Texas WMU African-American advisory council, spoke about efforts to revive mission work in African-American churches, particularly through the Sisters Who Care women's program.

“There are opportunities out there for all of us,” she said. “We must go beyond the walls of our churches, get out in the community and do kingdom work.”

William and Orpha Ortega, missionaries in Mexico City, said Mexican Baptists have set a goal to plant 10,000 churches by 2010.

“It is a window of opportunity for the Baptist General Convention of Texas to work side by side (with Baptists in Mexico) … to reach Mexico for Jesus Christ,” Ortega said.

He challenged Texas Baptists to seize the opportunity to share in gospel with people in a neighboring nation who live in spiritual darkness.

Kay Parks, a former missionary to an unreached people group in southeast Asia, said she “began to realize it would take a mighty act of God” for the people to understand the gospel. Prayers eventually led to physical and emotional healing.

Cindy Gaskins, a pastor's wife serving with an international church in Hong Kong, told of a young woman who helped the ministry there.

“People of the nations smell the fragrance of Christ in her life,” Gaskins said.

Linda Gibson, missionary to Thailand, told how Jesus used simple objects to communicate truth and how that principle helped Thailand. She used things like balloons and stamped envelopes to share Christ with a people group who are gifted at crafting silver jewelry.

Nancy and Bruce Muskrat, missionaries to Argentina, are professors of church music in Buenos Aires. They perform classical music concerts that serve as tools for evangelism. In many cases, they noted, concerts have led to the creation of small group Bible studies.

Their adult daughter, Amy, said she wouldn't trade her experience as a missionary kid “for anything in the world.”

Being involved in her parents' ministry provided a rich cultural experience and the chance to travel to churches and lead in worship, she noted.

Baptists from at least nine nations and people groups, including two national women's leaders from Korea, attended Texas Leadership Conference this year.

“We are a glimpsing a bit of heaven,” said Carolyn Porterfield, executive director of Texas WMU. “God really does love the whole world.”