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WMI to Focus
on Evangelism,
Leaders elected in June are charting a new course for Free Methodist Women's Ministries. According to President Gretchen McLaughlin, the focus will be on preparing women for a broad range of outreach activities. She says, "We want to help women examine their neighborhood and the gifts within the church and initiate a plan to reach the community for Jesus." McLaughlin adds that WMI will need to evaluate where women's groups across the church stand in relationship to the expected outcomes articulated by the denomination. She says, "Many of our churches have women's studies, but no leadership development, outreach to the neighborhood or evangelism plan." In fact, a SonLife Ministries report quoted at the recent WMI General Session revealed that over 80 percent of church-based women's groups function in just one area: nourishing the believer. WMI wants to change that and is committed to providing vision and leadership training to help the women's group in every Free Methodist church become "a vital, aggressive ministry." McLaughlin says she'd like to see women branching out into some "extreme ministries," like abuse-safe homes, gang ministry, teen MOPS (Mothers of Pre-Schoolers), 12-step groups or abortion recovery groups.
An expanded program of mission projects is another major focus. "Every church, a project; every family, a child" is the goal. Project opportunities cover a wide range of needs, from providing support for women evangelists to enabling women to train as nurses and teachers. In India, the women's literacy program uses the Bible to teach English. In Africa, sewing machines and tailoring lessons are given to women in order to help them support their families. New project opportunities for 2004 will be announced soon. The popular FM International Child Care Ministries program is also targeted for emphasis by WMI. Child Care provides an education, meals, a school uniform and medical care for needy children in 23 different countries at a cost to the sponsor of $18 per month. WMI would like to see every family in the Free Methodist Church supporting at least one child. Many families, of course, have "adopted" several children in this program that, McLaughlin says, is "a tremendous means of reaching our community of the world for Christ."
McLaughlin and her fellow officers were elected for four-year terms at the 25th General Session of WMI held in Seattle in June in conjunction with the church's General Conference. Other officers are: Gwendolyn Poteat, Vice President of Programming; Yvonne Goode, Vice President of Global Missions; Helene Kahlstorf, Vice President of Ministries; Lucia Grullon, Secretary; Linda Eccles, Treasurer; and Alice Matthewson, International Promoter. |
