Hello, Ladies of the American Baptist Churches of Wisconsin!
Many years ago, when I was new to the American Baptist church family, the ladies of my home church, First Baptist-West Allis, took me in and “showed me the ropes” on what it meant to be both American Baptist and an American Baptist woman. I remember that one of the very first ABWM mission themes I participated in was based on Isaiah 43:19 – “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up, do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”
When we meet at our next retreat, “Mission, Music and Merriment,” to be (hopefully) held at Camp Tamarack Friday, August 21, 2020 through Sunday, August 23, 2020, we will need to discuss what “new thing” ABWM-WI wants to be going forward. Among the things the next ABWM leadership team needs to look at are:
- What is our purpose? ABWM-WI started as a group of American Baptist women who were interested in finding ways to support our overseas missionaries. What “new thing” can we do to do that?
- Our national mission societies have changed how they “do mission,” which means that ABWM-WI receives White Cross and Overland have changed their delivery of material from physical copies to email information. That means we need to find a “new thing” for communicating those needs to the appropriate ABWM people within our churches.
- The Region has eliminated geographical associations. Our bylaws still have associational references. That means we need a “new thing” for how we relate to each other. We need “new things” in our bylaws.
- The president’s term officially ends May 31, 2020. I cannot be reelected (nor do I want to be). We need a “new thing” in leadership, someone who sees what we can be and who wants to take us there.
This pandemic is an opportunity for American Baptist Women to lead churches into the “new things” the Lord would have them do and be. Do you perceive it? Will you take part in it?
Until they all know,
Rev. Kim Drost
A note from Peggy Wolf, Coordinator of Mission and Service/White Cross:
Changes in disseminating MCC Quotas by Coordinator of Missions /Services:
The Executive Board of AB Women’s Ministries has decided to change the way we disseminate Mission information. As you already know, the Region and National/International organizations as we have known them have gone through a myriad of changes and we feel that this is the time to make some changes in our order of mission distribution. Since we no longer have Associations, we are eliminating that chain of distribution.
- Milwaukee Christian Center Quota will be sent directly to the 21 churches representatives who participate in White Cross by Coordinator of Missions and Service.
- No reporting information will be requested.