April
4, 1872-Women from five churches in Richmond met and organized
the Woman's Missionary Society of Richmond as the first cooperative
organization of Baptist women from more than one church, south
of the Potomac.
July
7, 1873-Charlotte Lottie Moon appointed by the Foreign
Mission Board, SBC.
September
7, 1874-Woman's Missionary Union of Virginia was born
as a result of helping to raise money for the FMB to supply Lottie
Moon and her sister Edmonia Moon with a home in China.
Summer
1886- Sunbeams began at Fairmount Baptist Church in Nelson
County.
May
14, 1888-Woman's Missionary Union, SBC, established at
a meeting in Richmond, VA.
January,
1889-Woman's Missionary Society of Virginia contributes
$361.06 to a special offering to help raise support for two women
missionaries to replace Miss Moon so she could come home on furlough.
In 1918 this offering is named for Lottie Moon.
March
1895-Week of Prayer and Self-Denial was established to
assist the Home Mission Board with their financial need. This
would later become known as the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering
after the first recording secretary of WMU, SBC.
1898-Woman's
Missionary Union of Virginia begins to receive Cooperative Program
funds for its administrative operations.
January,
1903-Mrs. W. S. Leake becomes the first corresponding
secretary of WMU of Virginia.
1917-WMU
of Virginia begins a state camping program.
May
1921-White Cross Chairman sent supplies of bandages, towels,
sheets, pillow slips, etc. from 102 WMU throughout Virginia to
the hospital in Nigeria.
Summer
1922-First GA camp building finished at Virginia Beach,
VA.
1927-Christmas
in August begins at First Baptist Church, Charlottesville.
1929-The
State Mission Thank You Offering raised $2,500 to support the
first state missionary and subsequently the Buchanan Mountain
Mission School.
1930-Establishment
of the Kersey Home for Motherless Children.
1934-Interracial
work begins.
1934-WMU
of Virginia collected $23, 625.29 to help pay the debt of the
Foreign Mission Board.
1940-
Camp Carey established in Chesterfield, Virginia for young girls
and women from Negro Baptist Churches in Virginia.
1940-A
camping program at The Cedars was begun.
1946-Virginia
Woman's Missionary Union gave money for relief and rehabilitation
to the stricken countries of Europe and Asia.
1947-Virginia
women give sewing machines to the women of Germany to help open
sewing centers throughout the country.
1951-Camp
Viewmont is opened for girls in Central Virginia.
1956-Mission
work with Spanish speaking migrants is begun in Accomack.
1959-Three
good will centers are established throughout Virginia by Woman's
Missionary Union of Virginia.
1974-Celebration
of 100 years of WMU of Virginia.
1976-
State Mission Offering becomes churchwide through a WMUV & BGAV cooperative agreement.
1985-Camp
Little Cross Roads is opened for GAs and Acteens, as well as retreats
for all ages.
1990-Resource
Team is initiated to train women to train others in missions education
and leadership. Included is a great deal of work with ethnic congregations.
1993-The
Mary and Elizabeth Project is launched to minister to pregnant
teens.
1994-The
Dorcas Project is established to work with the homeless and hungry.
1994-The
Lydia project is organized to begin new churches by meeting the
people where they are for Bible Study.
1994-The
Parish Nurse Project is launched to promote holistic wellness
for our church congregations.
1995-The
Ruth and Naomi Project is developed as a way for leaders to mentor
potential leaders throughout Virginia.
1997-The
Co-Missioners initiative begins, with WMUV partnering with the VBMB relating closely to Mission
Mobilization.
1997-The
Hope Builders/Christian Women's Job Corps is established to help
move individuals from dependency to self-sufficiency.
1998-The
At Home Ministry (originally called Aging in Place) is initiated
to assist churches in helping their elderly remain in their homes
as long as possible.
1998-The
Great Commission Teachers Project begins, encouraging literacy
through adult education, tutoring and English as a Second Language
classes.
1998-Virginia
Missions Offering named for Miss Alma Hunt, now called the Alma
Hunt Offering for Virginia Missions.
1998-Camp
Little Cross Roads initiates coed camping.
1998-The
Parish Nurse Education Program begins.
1999-WMUV's
membership soars to over 70,000. For the last six years an average
of 1,000 Women on Mission per year have found their place of service
through hands-on mission projects.
1999-Camp
Little Cross Roads changes its name to CrossRoads Camp and Conference
Center. Full-time camp directors are hired for CrossRoads.
2000-The Jochebed and Hannah Project is launched to promote
child advocacy.
2000-The
Parish Social Workers Project is begun to promote social and emotional
wellness in our church congregations and communities.
2001-
WMUV commits to "Securing Tomorrow...Today!",
a way to Endow missions in the local church for tomorrow, maintain
and grow Great Commission responsiveness, and secure the purposes
and ministries of Woman's Missionary Union of Virginia.
2001 - Mission InnoVAtors Training was developed to encourage current missiology and to train participants to assist individuals, church, associations, and states to be meaningfully involved in missions.
2002 - Missions Life Cycle Assessment tool was created by WMUV and Mission Mobilization Group, VBMB.
2002 - At the May 10 Kingdom Advance BGAV Called Meeting, as part of a revised missions strategy and vision for Virginia Baptists, WMUV and the BGAV/VBMB affirmed the 1997 Working Agreement and agreed to modify the nature and uses of the Alma Hunt Offering for Virginia Missions to provide allocations for WMUV, missions within Virginia, and National and International missions.
2003 - Restructuring of the WMUV Board
2003 - New Expanded CrossRoads vision to include Health & Wellness.
2003 - The Bridge Builders Project was created to transcend barriers, bridge cultures, and build relationships.
2003 - Latino Network is created.
2003 - Statewide Vision 2025 was launched at Annual Meeting at Oakland Baptist Church in Roanoke.
2004 - WINGS curriculum was developed offering a decentralized missions education methodology.
2004 - The WMUV Board of Trustees and Advisory Board signed and affirmed the Declaration of Women at the annual fall Board Meeting. Click here to read the Dignity Declaration.
2004 - New Organizational Model, World Missions Unlimited, is launched and becomes a subsidary of WMUV.
2005 - A New WMUV Assistant Executive Director is selected.
2005 - World Missions Unlimited Teaching Church Model is established.
2005 - New Co-Missioner Charter revisions were adopted between WMUV and the VBMB to more effectively coordinate future partnering ventures.
2005 - WMUV reached out to victims of the Tsunami in Southeast Asia and victims of Hurricane Katrina in the United States.
2005 - At Home Ministries transitioned into Aging With Significance to equip mature adults for spiritual, educational, and functional life fulfillment.
