What Is WMU?

In 1888, a handful of women dedicated to the cause of missions founded Woman’s Missionary Union^®. Since that time, WMU^® has become the largest Protestant missions organization for women in the world, with a membership of approximately 1 million.

From the beginning, WMU’s main purpose has been to educate and involve women, girls, and preschoolers in the cause of Christian missions. Throughout its history, WMU has been an auxiliary to the Southern Baptist Convention, which means that it acts as a "helper" to the SBC. The auxiliary status also means that WMU is self-governing and self-supporting.

National WMU receives no funds from the Cooperative Program allocation budget, Annie Armstrong Easter Offering^®, or Lottie Moon Christmas Offering^®. National WMU is supported through the sale of magazines and products, and from investments.

WMU supports the following organizations through age-appropriate magazines and/or products:

• Women on Mission, for women 18 and up
• Adults on Mission, for men and women 18 and up
• Acteens, for girls grades 7-12
• Youth on Mission, for boys and girls grades 7-12
• Girls in Action, for girls grades 1-6
• Children in Action, for boys and girls grades 1-6
• Mission Friends, for preschool girls and boys birth through prefirst.

WMU offers ministry opportunities through:

• Baptist Nursing Fellowship
• Christian Women’s Job Corps and Christian Men's Job Corps
• Project: HELP
• Pure Water Pure Love
• Volunteer Connection
• WorldCrafts

WMU offers short-term volunteer missions opportunities through:

• Volunteer Connection
• Acteens Activators/Acteens Activators Abroad
• Acteens Interns
• Women on Mission Enterprisers

The Missions Focus of Woman’s Missionary Union:

• Pray for and give to missions.
• Do missions.
• Learn about missions.
• Develop spiritually toward a missions lifestyle.
• Participate in the work of the church and denomination.