JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (ABP) — National Woman's Missionary Union executive director Wanda Lee will follow through with a commitment to speak at the annual meeting of the moderate Baptist General Convention of Missouri in April — despite an attempt to convince her to decline.
David Clippard, executive director of the conservative Missouri Baptist Convention, sent a letter March 17 to Missouri Baptist pastors and WMU leaders complaining about Lee's planned speech, noting Baptist General Convention of Missouri staffers have “personally and actively been soliciting … churches away from the MBC.” Clippard said he warned Lee that the BGCM diverts Cooperative Program funds away from Southern Baptist missions.
Missouri is one of three states that has two competing Baptist conventions as a result of the controversy in the Southern Baptist Convention. The national Woman's Missionary Union, which raises money for Southern Baptist missions, attempts to relate to women in all those conventions.
Jim Hill, interim executive director of the BGCM, said by e-mail April 1: “The Baptist General Convention of Missouri has no interest in recruiting churches or attacking other organizations. We believe every church has the right and responsibility to determine how the congregation should cooperate for missions and ministry.”
The BGCM is “thrilled” that Lee has agreed to be the missions speaker at the organization's annual meeting, Hill said.
Apparently Clippard also had suggested to Lee that the national WMU is restricted in its relationships with other Baptist entities.
In a response to Clippard, Lee noted, “You stated in our phone conversation that WMU works with only one convention in a state. I need to correct that misstatement…. WMU relates to the WMU organization in a state, not the state convention.”
In her letter to the Missouri executive director, Lee pointed out WMU's mission purpose. “My greatest disappointment in Baptist life is the wasted time and energy spent on things that take us away from our purpose,” she wrote.
Lee accepted the Baptist General Convention of Missouri invitation for two reasons, she said. She pointed out that some churches affiliated with the BGCM have WMU organizations and many send Cooperative Program gifts directly to the SBC Executive Committee and are still considered SBC churches.
She also noted WMU's desire to help churches promote missions. “Secondly, the purpose of WMU is to resource all churches that decide to grow in their missions awareness and commitment,” she wrote.
She reminded Clippard that “many of our past Missouri WMU leaders are members in these churches as well…. It is our desire to work in harmony with your convention, and all the others, as we strive to fulfill the Great Commission,” Lee concluded.
However, Clippard told Missouri pastors and WMU leaders that he still considers Lee's appearance a mistake. “Personally, I believe Mrs. Lee has placed her greatest Missouri supporters, allies and partners for WMU nationally in extremely difficult and unnecessary pressure situations across the churches of our MBC. Only the Lord knows what this will ultimately mean in relationships,” he wrote.
Clippard also has e-mailed each state Baptist executive director about his concerns.
– Based on reporting by Vicki Brown