By Vicki Smith - Director of Women's Ministries

If you attended the Summit, you heard on numerous occasions that we are one organization with a singular mission. We are one church. We must be clear and remain clear on who we are, how we act, and what we do. Women’s Ministries is one part of that church, with each ministry doing what they can do to equip the churches to fulfill the Great Commission.

The churches do not exist to support Women’s Ministries. We exist to support the local church and the women in those churches regarding missions and making disciples of women.

I began to evaluate what we were doing as an organization and if Women’s Ministries was doing all they could to inspire and equip. To be the most effective, the organization needed to multiply.

For the past two and a half years, I have had the opportunity to serve on the Restructure Task Force. The Council of Associations appointed this task force, and our assignment was to formulate a restructuring plan for the denomination. As we began to work through various models and began to think about our goal, we realized that, in essence, we needed to multiply and establish connections across the denomination, thus empowering churches to fulfill the Great Commission. From these conversations came the region director’s mistake model.

As a result of those conversations and that plan, it was precisely what Women’s Ministries needed to do. We needed to multiply to equip our women’s groups and churches to fulfill the Great Commission, pouring into the church or, in this case, the General Baptist movement.

On January 1 of this year, Women’s Ministries implemented a region plan. The plan is designed to complement the Restructure Task Force. It only made sense to pattern our plan after the RTF plan. Women and the churches would be familiar with the idea. It would be an easy transfer of organization, and it would be a good indicator of how successful the region plan would be for the denomination.

One of my goals, when I became director of Women’s Ministries, was to make myself more visible in the churches and among the groups. I soon learned that this was an overwhelming task. The required amount of travel became hard to manage, and I soon found that I could only spread myself so thin. However, I could see positive results from the personal contacts, so I knew that it was a crucial part of the ministry.

After approval from the women’s board and the body of Women’s Ministries groups, we were ready to begin.

The United States was divided into regions based on the areas that have existing General Baptist Churches. Currently, we have the following regions: Missouri, Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana, California, Oklahoma/ Arkansas, and Tennessee/ Florida/Georgia. There were specific criteria that I knew were important for the region director position. They had to have boldness, love for missions, experience with Women’s Ministries, and most importantly, they needed to be well known in their region and have contacts with the churches. In other words, they had to be people who

knew people. Overwhelmingly each woman that I contacted supported the vision and wanted to serve in this compacity. I knew that the funding was not there to compensate them, so I was blessed to have these women step forward. Each had a heart for the ministry, and compensation was not part of the equation.

A restructure of the women’s board was also part of the plan. Region directors now serve as board members, thus expanding the communication and cooperation to fulfill the region plan’s purpose.

I am pleased to report that Women’s Ministries has reaped several benefits from the hard work of the regional directors. There has been a real upswing in new groups forming. Since January, approximately 20 groups have formed. Several current women’s groups have also restructured themselves. Several groups had been inactive for up to four years, and because of personal contact from one of the directors, they have decided to support Women’s Ministries again. Communication was the key. They needed to know that we acknowledged they existed and were needed. Many times, misinformation has been at the root of the problem.

Our goal for 2022 is to hold a women’s event in each of our regions. Local women’s events will serve to make each region stronger. Each event will be organized around a common theme and held during March, April, and May. Women’s Ministries currently has a speaker’s bureau comprised of women from all over the denomination who are gifted speakers and willing to share their gifts by speaking at the regional events. Each one of these events will highlight our banner cause and receive a mission offering. Region events will promote our national event, Inside Out, held in the fall of each year. 2022 Inside Out will be September 30-October 1, with Connection Point Church as the host location in Jackson, Missouri.

As Women’s Ministries, we need to be passionate about our shared mission and servants to the women’s groups and local churches. Our goal through the region plan is three-fold: 1.) leadership development, 2.) engagement with women’s groups and the churches, and 3.) missions. Our region plan has helped Women’s Ministries to achieve these goals.

Women’s Ministries region plan validates the idea that communication and personal contact makes a huge difference in the success of a ministry.

As was stated earlier, we are all part of one church, each serving in the role that God has gifted us in. We must stay true to our purpose, thus encouraging women’s groups to find their purpose and be involved in the local church.

If you would like to know more about the Women’s Ministries region plan or need information on how to contact your region director contact the Women’s Ministries Office at 573-785-7747 or contact Vicki Smith, Director of Women’s Ministries at 417-989-1426 or vicki.smith@generalbaptist.com.