Womans Missionary Union Auxiliary to SC Baptist Convention

State Missions Offering: Janie Chapman Offering For State Missions, Missions Education, And Great Commission Living.In 1884 members of Baptist Woman's Missionary Societies of South Carolina gave $70.34 to the State Mission Board and marked their beginning of state missions support. Four years later, at the request of the Executive Board of the state convention, they agreed for $300 a year to fund the Cannon Street Mission in Charleston. In 1891 the salary for a missionary was added. (continued on Schedule O)Thirty-five years before the Cooperative Program (the unified system for funding Baptist missions causes) was begun, the societies' Central Committee voted to give one tenth of all undesignated money received to state missions but that was not enough. On Wednesday, November 30, 1899 at the annual meeting of Woman's Missions Societies of the Baptist Denomination in South Carolina, the members voted to establish the first state missions offering. The first offering, in the amount of $235, was received in September 1900. State missions referred to the total scope of the work of the Convention at the turn of the century. Eight years later, in 1908, a Season of Prayer was begun. The eight day observance for the Season of Prayer began in 1987.In 1902, the women's organization changed her name to Woman's Missionary Union, Auxiliary to South Carolina Baptist Convention. The first president was Janie Weston Chapman, wife of a prominent upstate pastor, J.D. Chapman. In 1937, WMU's state missions offering was named "The Mrs. J.D. Chapman Offering for State Interests" to honor Mrs. Chapman's strong missions leadership. In 1985, the name was changed to the "Janie Chapman Offering." In 1995 the subtitle "for State Missions, Missions Education, and Empowering Kingdom Growth" was added. Now the offering subtitle changes to reflect the current SCBC emphasis. The state missions portion of the offering ($5,000 of $20,000) was first dispensed through the office of the General Board in 1946. Twelve years later, Missions Department allocations were administered by the General Board of the Baptist Convention. In 1969, the South Carolina Baptist Convention began serving as the receiving agent of WMU for all money given to the Mrs. J. D. Chapman Offering for State Interests. Monies received for the offering are transferred to WMU monthly. In 2009 the offering totaled $1,814.913.39. An additional $3,368.96 was received from interest. The monies collected in 2009 were distributed in 2010 in accordance with the budget allocations recommended by the WMU Finance Committee and approved by the WMU Executive Board. Allocation and distribution information is available each year in the state missions materials and at other times upon request.The permanent logo of South Carolina Woman's Missionary Union's Janie Chapman Offering for State Missions, Missions Education and Great Commission Living appropriately combines symbols of WMU and South Carolina.The torch, which gives the logo its defining focus, was taken from the permanent insignia of Woman's Missionary Union. It symbolizes the taking of Christ, the light of the world, to the world. Placed within the outline of South Carolina, it symbolizes the task of all South Carolina Baptists to take that same light to South Carolina. The double fish head, which provides a shield upon which the torch and the state are placed, also comes from the WMU insignia. Early Christians used this sign to assure fellow believers that they were followers of Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior (the first letters of which in Greek form the word fish). Here it reminds us that, like those early Christians, we are to be imitators of Christ and take to our state God's message of salvation and hope.From January 1 - December 31, 2018, $1,761,912.93 was given to the Janie Chapman Offering. This represents a increase of 7.04% or $115,810.68 more than the 2017 receipts. A check for $1,110,000.00 was sent to the South Carolina Baptist Convention to support the Convention initiatives of Serve, Share, Send, Start, and Strengthen, as well as associational ministries. WMU received $640,000.00 for Camp La Vida and WMU ministries/work. When the WMU Executive Board meets in March 2019, the interest earned will be allocated.

Leadership Training & Missions Growth: In January 2016, SC WMU began a more hands-on, intentional approach to leadership development. Each field service staff was assigned a region, and is responsible for on-going contact with the associational WMU directors in their region. This approach was continued in 2018 and continued to include 4 regional training events and a total of 207 leaders attended. WMU field staff met with WMU directors in their regions monthly or quarterly and attended WMU events in their regions. Twenty-one WMU Specialists were trained. A specialist is a person with experience in the office, age level, or specialty in which they are serving. In addition, they have completed extensive training in the work of WMU. Specialists are available to speak in churches/associations, lead conferences, and teach North American/international mission studies, state missions emphasis, and other studies. State WMU staff assisted associational WMU leadership with WMU Spring Meetings which were held during the spring. The purpose of these meetings is to provide missions inspiration and information and to conduct WMU business, which includes electing associational WMU leadership for the new church year. The majority of the associations included a presentation from a retired or active international or North American missionary as a part of their program. Meetings were held in 40 of the 42 associations. Leadership development continues to be one of the greatest needs that we have in WMU in South Carolina, and the WMU staff continues to seek new ways to reach the most leaders to ensure we have quality, trained leaders. We continue to see churches start or restart WMU organizations each year. National WMU and SC WMU work together to put the needed resources in the hands of churches as they begin these new organizations. Everything we do in WMU includes and gives support to growth. This includes specialists, conferences, consultations, coaching, website information, mail-outs, newsletters, and responding to requests for assistance which come from churches and associations.

Camp La Vida: This year at Camp La Vida we had decisions made that reflect lifelong commitments of children, youth and adults that will influence them and the world. We will not know the impact that these lives will have upon the world in sharing God's love until eternity but consider it one of the major impacts of our work. The 2018 summer camping season theme at Camp La Vida (CLV) was "Unshakeable." There were 1,262 campers, 34 program guests, and 42 staff for the camping season. A total of 120 decisions were recorded: 67 campers made professions of faith in Jesus Christ; 26 rededicated their lives to Christ; 37 committed to full-time mission service; 12 to full-time Christian service; and 38 other decisions were made. Campers contributed gifts to the Cooperative Program. Camp La Vida's social media following has grown to 1,471 followers on Facebook, 487 followers on Instagram, and 62 followers on Pinterest. During non-camping season, we had two work days held in April. There were 70 people representing several churches who came to work. Their work helped prepare camp for the coming season.

WMU Missions Celebration & Annual Meeting: The 115th WMU Missions Encounter & Annual Meeting was held at First Baptist Church, North Augusta, SC, March 23-24, 2018. At least 393 persons registered, representing 42 associations. The theme for the meeting was embrace. This meeting provided access to missions opportunities that are taking place in South Carolina communities, in North America and around the world. Leaders and members of our organization are encouraged, inspired and educated to be involved in missions. The results are seen throughout the year as they implement these projects in their own neighborhoods and share their support through prayers and gifts with missions around the world.

Missions Discipleship Experiences: In 2018, there were several unique experiences for SC WMU. One event GAs and their leaders participated in GA Day, one held in the fall another in the spring. A total of 382 engaged in the events. At Super Saturday, GAs and their leaders hear missionaries as well as participated in GA Journey and other missions learning experiences. They were challenged to continue to make a difference in their communities through GAs. Last year, SC WMU encouraged churches to gather backpacks for the Appalachian ministry and sent over 2,976 backpacks to Kentucky. The needs are great in this area of our country, and churches could take part by personally delivering them to share with a church in the Appalachian area or sent them through SC WMU. They were presented at an evangelist event for the children as they learned about Christ's love for them.