BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (ABP) — Korean preschoolers and children now will learn about Baptist mission efforts around the world thanks to an agreement between national Woman’s Missionary Union and its Texas affiliate.
Leaders of the two WMU organizations signed a three-year agreement Aug. 28 to formalize their commitment to provide educational materials.
The project began in 2007 as a pilot between the state and national bodies to meet a specific need in Korean Baptist churches, according to Carol Causey, director of national WMU’s missions-resource center. The churches needed missions-education materials written in both Korean and English for preschoolers and children.
Angela Kim, Korean consultant for both WMU organizations and editorial coordinator for the Korean curriculum project, presented the proposal along with Carolyn Porterfield, Texas WMU’s former executive director-treasurer.
Mission Friends and Children in Action organizations in Korean churches have grown exponentially in the year since the materials became available.
“Most adults in cultural churches in North America speak their own languages,” Kim said. “However, they are limited in English-speaking teachers — and usually the first-generation adults with limited English comprehension have to prepare the lessons using English curriculum. WMU has been sensitive to this need and responded with materials for the first-generation teachers teaching the second generation using both their own language and English.”
Under the agreement, Texas WMU will handle logistics, including layout and design, printing and distribution, and the national body will provide expertise in curriculum development and will help fund the project.
Kim, who also serves as WMU committee chair for the Council of Korean Southern Baptist Churches in America, added, “Most Korean churches are very much interested in missions today, but they have not had the framework for on-going missions education or materials where the children can grow learning about missions. The concept is new to them and has been very well received.”
Causey said that, in addition to preschool and children’s materials, bilingual resources for Korean adults are being developed.
“National WMU remains committed to expanding missions involvement with emerging audiences, and this project provides us with a good model for other bilingual resources,” Causey said. “Our hope is that other states will join us with similar projects to engage a larger multicultural audience in missions.”
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