The Tennessee Woman’s Missionary Union recently gathered at First Baptist Church Dickson for its annual Missions Get-Together.
The two-day event drew 547 participants, volunteers, program personnel, and exhibitors for a weekend focused on missions engagement and spiritual renewal.
Ministry project yields major response
Attendees rallied around this year’s designated ministry project, Christian Job Corps of Tennessee, donating more than 1,800 items (such as Bibles and binders) along with more than $2,000 in gift cards for CJC sites across the state. The ministry serves individuals and families seeking to overcome poverty at 14 sites in seven counties, pairing weekly Bible study with practical life and employment skills.
Through the event missions offering, $7,516.44 was given for the Tennessee N Touch Endowment and the 2027 MK Re-Entry Retreat. With a promised matching gift, the total offering will exceed $15,000. Additionally, $6,992 was given through the Silent Auction and “Master-Piece” Legacy Booth sponsored by the Tennessee WMU Endowment Promotion Team, which will also go to the endowment.
‘Created for this’
Built around the theme “Created for this…” and Ephesians 2:10, the event offered four general sessions, six breakout sessions, and a missions fair featuring a WorldCraft store and silent auction.
Breakout topics ranged from missional work and mental health to navigating aging and retirement.
For many attendees, the experience was edifying.
“It teaches us how to go out and do missions, especially around our smaller communities, even if you can’t go to another country,” said Julie Higdon of Faith Baptist Church, Hollow Rock. “It shows the needs that are right here in Tennessee.”
Sandra Ray, also from Faith Baptist and attending for the first time, said the event exceeded her expectations. “It’s been a way to lift me up,” she said. “We all need to be there for each other and keep God close. It’s easy to forget sometimes.”
First-timer Hollie Murphy of Immanuel Baptist Church, Lebanon, called the event a revelation.
“I am a big fan. I love it. I’ve had so much fun meeting different women — everyone is so friendly,” she said.
Her standout experience was speaker Heather Johnson, whom she saw twice. “She talked about the discipline of Bible study and then about evangelism. I thought Bible study would be pretty basic, but she really laid it out in a different way and took it a step further.”
For returning attendees, the gathering holds a special place in their spiritual formation.
Samantha Davis of Mossy Grove Baptist in Harriman was in her sixth year.
“My favorite part is just being around a bunch of like-minded Christian ladies. It’s a great event to really grow spiritually in the Lord.”
Hannah Moore, also from Mossy Grove and attending since age 18, said the relationships keep her coming back. “I get to see what’s here for me in the future,” she said. “It’s always such a blessing to get to know other people’s stories.”
New president takes the gavel
The 138th Annual Meeting marked a transition in leadership as Anna Huggins of Calvary Baptist Church in Erwin assumed the presidency, succeeding Ramona Hicks, who completed her fourth term.
“It’s going to be a joy to work with the family of the Woman’s Missionary Union as we share Jesus,” Huggins said.
Randy C. Davis, president and executive director of the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board, offered a tribute to Hicks.
“Ramona Hicks is a wealth of wisdom,” he said. “When she walks into a room, she lights it up with her smile and her spirit.
“On behalf of Tennessee Baptists, thank you for getting outside your comfort zone and leading like you have — you’ve been a blessing to all of us,” Davis said.
New officers
- Recording Secretary Shelly Mowery of Buffalo Trail Baptist Church, Morristown
- Vice presidents: Julia Binford of Leawood East Baptist in Bartlett (West); Cynthia Scott of Hickory Hollow Baptist in Antioch (Middle); Martha Wilson of Omega Baptist Church in White Pine (East)
‘Where are all the churches?’
Justin McKay, who leads a church plant in the Denver area, delivered a report during the Annual Meeting that underscored the urgency of urban missions.
McKay, originally from Birmingham, Ala., recalled the question that shaped his calling. On his honeymoon in Denver a decade ago, he turned to his wife and asked, “Where are all the churches?” It was a stark contrast to the communities of Alabama and Kentucky where they both came from.
Today, Denver has one church for every 32,000 residents.
“There are more breweries and dispensaries than there are churches that preach the Bible,” McKay said. “Statistically, 93% of our city are not followers of Jesus.”
McKay said the challenge is less outright atheism and more about indifference.
“They’re apathetic. They believe it’s just going to work out in the end. It’s a kind of functional universalism,” he said.
Despite the cultural challenges, Valor Church, which McKay and his wife launched four years ago, has grown to around 200 weekly attendees. They’ve recorded 50 salvations, 30 baptisms, and drew 317 people on Easter Sunday.
Tennessee WMU has partnered with Denver church planters for nine years, sending nine prayer teams that have met with more than 35 planters. An eight-person team traveled to Denver last September, praying with nine church planters and their families. Another team is planned for October.
“It was so, so good hearing his story about how God moved,” said Kim Bradshaw of Immanuel Baptist Church, who attended McKay’s breakout session “Wild, Wild West.” Now in her second year at the Get-Together, Bradshaw said events like this serve an important purpose.
“Every year this is a good way to refresh on how missions is important and renew our minds about the Great Commission, telling the world about Jesus and the gospel,” she said.
“Don’t stop having a conviction for cities like Denver — progressive cities that are just kind of out of sight, out of mind,” McKay told attendees.
“We need your prayers, we value them, and we want you to come in October.”
EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written by Zoë Watkins and originally published by the Baptist and Reflector.
