GUIDE BOOK

It is a Baptist Church organization for Women, Girls and Preschool children devoted to teaching, promoting and supporting missions.

History
The Women's Missionary Union of the Ghana Baptist Convention is a result of a historical movement.

In a small village in England, lived a young Baptist man named William Carey, a cobbler who had a great vision of what God wanted him to do, but did not know how to go about it. There were no Baptist missionaries and societies in the world then. He made a map of the world on a mat put it on the wall behind his cobbler's bench and prayed about it every day. One day as he looked at the map he said Here I stand, Lord I must go I can do no other so help me God That year the Baptist believers met prayed and formed the Baptist Society for propagating the Gospel among the Heathen. Mr. Carey was sent to India. Members of the society started offering prayers and gifts for missions abroad. It is interesting to note that this society was formed in the parlour of a Baptist Widow

The same love and impulse sent Mr. Carey to India a few years later found three young Americans who were not Baptists leaving their country to join Mr. Carey. These young people, Adoniram, Ann Judson and Luther Rice knew they would have to work with a Baptist so in preparation they studied their Bibles and presented themselves for baptism when they met Mr. Carey and became Baptists in India. These three Baptist missionaries then had no support. The Judsons remained in India and Luther Rice returned home fired with missionary zeal and vision and went up and down the land trying to bring among the Baptists a unity of purpose with regard to missionary service. In 1814 the General Convention of the Baptist Denomination in the United States of America for Foreign Missions was formed. Missionary groups grew. In 1835, the decision was made that the people of the North and South should separate. This was done and the first missionaries were sent to China from the Southern part of the States.

Because of their interest and concern for the world, female missionary prayer meetings were started in many places and the women prayed for missionaries and for people of other countries. As missionaries went to foreign countries, women at home started missionary organizations in which they prayed for missions, studied about other countries and gave money voluntarily to send more missionaries. In 1888 the women from many states met and organized their Women Missionary Union.

Women's Work in Africa
In 1849 Rev. T. J Bowen was appointed a missionary to Africa. He visited Sierra Leone, Liberia, Gold Coast and finally settled in Nigeria. In Abeokuta, he found the Yoruba's at war. He could not enter many towns and had to wait two years for an invitation from the king of Ijaiye to stay with his people. it was there that Bowen first built his home and the Baptist Mission was started in Nigeria.
In 1919 the women of Nigeria organized their Women's Union into a Convention and patterned it after the one started in America. That year there were 19 Societies listed. During those early years, they brought their money and learned to tithe. Through the leadership of these noble women the standard of women was lifted. How grateful we are to the women who brought to Africa this challenge of missions for women through the Women Missionary Union and its program.

Women's Work in Ghana
As Baptist in Nigeria began to travel with their trades, they came to Gold Coast. They like the early Christians established places of worship wherever they went. There were neither pastors nor missionaries for these Baptist people. In 1940 the Gold Coast Baptist wrote to the Nigeria Missions asking that mission help them secure a missionary couple. It was not until 1946 after repeated request from Gold Coast that a committee composed of Dr. W. Carson, Rev. I. A. Adjumobi and Rev. H. R. Littleton came to make a five-week survey of Baptist congregations. They made their report to the 1946 Nigeria Baptist Convention and the Mission then recommended that at least one African couple and one missionary couple be sent to Gold Coast. Knowing the need, Rev. and Mrs. Littleton volunteered to go with Rev. and Mrs. John Idowu the first part of 1947. The Baptist people had already come together in the Gold Coast to form the Gold Coast Baptist Association. Up until 1947, there were no WMU organizations. Mrs. Idowu and Mrs. H. R. Littleton travelled throughout the country organizing women in their Women's Missionary Unions. On July 16th 1947 some women from several Gold Coast congregations met in Sekondi and the next day the Gold Coast Women's Missionary Union held its first meeting.

In 1949 Miss N. C. Young and Mrs. J. M. Ayorinde came from Nigeria to visit all Baptist churches in the Gold Coast. During that time, the first WMU school was held in Dunkwa. With it was the first baby show. Twelve members of the Girls Auxiliary were presented the armands for completion of the Maiden step in their Forward Steps. Fifteen members of the Sunbeam Band from Kumasi and Atebubu received certificates for memorizing their bible verses

In 1954 the first Girls Auxiliary / Royal Ambassadors camp was held at Sekondi. A camp was held in 1955, 1956 and 1957 with the boys and girls. In 1958 the first WMS camp was held in Kumasi and Girls Auxiliary Camp was held.

In 1956 Miss Majorie Jones was transferred from the Nigeria Missions to Gold Coast to serve as the WMU Director. Mrs. Lydia Adewole had begun to serve as the General Supervisor.

At the beginning all of the missionary organizations were found amongst the Yoruba people only but work began to grow among the Ashantis in the Central Gold Coast when Mr. John Adewole a teacher and his wife came to live at Boamang. They learnt Twi and began to work amongst the Ashantis. A church was started there and as a result of the faithfulness of these two Christians a WMS, GA and Sunbeam Band were organized. Later they started preaching stations at Achiase, Tikrom and other villages near Kumasi. In each of these stations Mrs. Adewole started work among the women and children through the WMU. She attended the Pastor's school and became the first field worker among the Ashanti women.

In 1961 the WMU headquarters was moved to Ejura where the WMU camp is located today. Through gifts to the treasury box, the Ghana women completely furnished the buildings of their camp office. In late 1972, the office of the WMU was moved back to Kumasi to the Baptist Building but the facilities in Ejura continued to be used for camp purposes.

In 1962 Miss Mary Danny Stampley worked with the youth organizations within the WMU as a Youth Director. In 1964 Mrs. H. R. Littleton was named Director of Ghana Baptist WMU. She was the only woman missionary who had worked with the Gold Coast women in various capacities from 1947 to 1957.

It was about the same time Rev. Mrs. Joshua Boadi returned to Ghana following completion of seminary studies in Nigeria. Mrs. Felicia Boadi became actively involved in the women's work and served as a President of the women's conventions from1966 to 1972. Miss Maxine Mosley came to join the women in the mid - 1970s. the following year Miss Rosina Agadia and African youth was to the youth workers. She was then sent to the Baptist Seminary in Nigeria for further training in Christian leadership.

After many years of service among the churches in Ghana, Mrs. H. R. Littleton returned in 1972. She was greatly missed throughout the country. Miss Moseley succeeded her as the WMU Director in Ghana

Mrs. Felicia Boadi continued to be the National President after a brief break for studies till she handed over to Mrs. Christiana Abankwa in the early eighties which ended in 1986. From 1986 - 1991 differences within the members of the Ghana Baptist Convention caused a split in the Convention. The factions worked separately and formed the WMU in almost all churches they planted. This automatically split all auxiliaries including the WMU into two with two separate presidents. In 1992 the two factions reunited and brought all the churches under the convention. This move saw a tremendous growth in membership from few hundred's before the split to thousands after the reunion. Mrs. Juliana Adu-Gyamfi became the National President after the reunion. Mad. Adelaide Owusu has been the Coordinator for the Union from 1986 to date.

Our heritage has been great. Women of the distant and immediate past have given us this sacred heritage of conviction, dedication and cooperation. We cherish this heritage and pledge by God's grace to pass it on to succeeding generations through the women and young people of our organization today.

EMBLEM
The emblem was designed in 1913 by an American woman. The shape a symbol cherished because of its use in the early days of Christianity fearing persecution.

The shape is two fish heads joined together with Women Missionary Union Ghana printed around the borders. In the centre of the emblem is a bible opened to 1 Corinthians 3:9 Labourers together with God. Above the opened bible is a lighted torch a symbol of Jesus Christ as the light of the world (John 8:12). The staff of the torch extends behind the opened bible and the world suggests the wonderful strengthening keeping and saving power of God the father whose love is above, below and behind all who follow the light of life. The world suggests that there is no boundary for the gospel and the responsibility of Christ's followers.

PURPOSE
Δ The major purpose of the Union is to lead persons to explore with growing understanding the nature, implication and evidences of God's missionary purpose and to respond in personal commitment and active participation.

Δ Personal witnessing participation in missionary projects, support of missionary efforts through prayer, study and contributions are activities usually associated with this Union

Δ Age-graded leadership and study materials often are used to provide guidance for groups of members ranging from older preschoolers - adults.

In the convention the WMU desires to under grid and promote missionary plans of Ghana Baptists. Though missions are the primary purpose of the WMU, it cooperates with the Convention in its entire program.

WATCH WORD
For we are Labourers together with God: The watch word is used by all Unions in the world. To labour with God and other Christians is to proclaim the gospel of life abundant and life everlasting to all people. A labour of love and life is both joyous and rewarding. We must work with courage our love. The significance of the word together is for members to learn to work with each other and so doing take their rightful place in the expansion of the kingdom of God.

COLOURS
Blue and White

GREETINGS
Δ Greeting: Labourers
Δ Response: Together with God

HYMN
Come Women Wide Proclaim

AIMS OF THE UNION
The WMU helps the individual woman to grow spiritually, physically, socially and economically.
Prayer
Study
Stewardship
Personal Service

Prayer
The Union promotes the importance of prayer. Special emphasis is given to missionary praying, that is praying for the lost and missionaries around the world. A woman may not be able to read, but she can pray and be of great value to her church and community. A time is set aside during each meeting for praying.

Study
a) Mission Study: The Bible is basically a missionary book. Members study it to learn what it teaches about the call of God. Missionary materials of other countries are also studied and compared to Ghana's to help the Union work more effectively. Once a year every local union is encourage to study a mission study book.

b) Bible Study: Members are also expected to study the bible collectively during meetings and on individual basis. This is to equipped the Women for their personal and spiritual lives and for the work they have been tasked to do for God.

Stewardship
Because of God goodness to His children, every woman and child should know that God requires that we give Him a tenth of our income. To grow in stewardship we try to teach women and girls that they should give God their talents and time as well. We begin by teaching the Women to bring their money to meetings each week and to the special offerings we have in a year. It is a thrill to teach people to share their money so that others in our own country and around the world may come to know Jesus Christ as Saviour.

Personal Service
Missions are not confined to other countries, but are a part of women's daily living, because we feel that a can witness for Jesus Christ each day. Personal Service is promoted as an aim. Every woman should serve and witness daily. Personal Service can be in the form of witnessing, visitation, cleaning the church etc.