RIDGECREST, N.C.—Woman’s Missionary Union of North Carolina will move its headquarters from Raleigh to an office building in Lillington recently donated to the mission organization.
The relocation to Lillington—about 40 miles south of Raleigh—will save WMUNC about $70,000, said acting executive director Ruby Fulbright.
The new 16,500-square-foot bulding is considerably larger than WMUNC’s current facilities, added Fulbright, who announced the move during the organization’s annual meeting at Ridgecrest Baptist Conference Center.
A press release said the building “has been provided by several missions-minded individuals who firmly believe in the purpose of WMUNC ‘to challenge, prepare and equip Christian believers to be radically involved in the fulfillment of the Great Commission,’ and who envision that with these facilities, WMUNC can become a premier missions educator, resource and enabler.”
Fulbright indicated that closing on the building is projected for May. As plans are firmed, “details of the renovations and how others might be involved will be forthcoming,” she said.
WMUNC president Tana Hartsell acknowledged that the distance might create a hardship for some of the organization’s staff, some of whom live in north Raleigh.
“It takes about an hour to get there and especially for those living on the north side of Raleigh it will take some time,” she said. “But the space is the real advantage. The second floor will be used for WMU offices while the first floor will provide plenty of space for shipping and receiving, with some office space left for ministry partners or future growth of WMU as the Father leads.”
She emphasized, “The only reason we are moving is because of the space.”
WMUNC moved to its current location on Front Street in north Raleigh in 2007 from offices in Baptist State Convention of North Carolina’s building.
That move was prompted by a disagreement between the two over hiring practices which led WMUNC to assert its autonomy. Subsequently the state convention eliminated funding for WMUNC in the state missions offering.
The mission organization continues to work with North Carolina churches to promote the state convention’s mission causes, as well as those of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship and the Southern Baptist Convention.
The CBF of North Carolina includes WMUNC in its Mission Resource Plan, a financial mechanism which is expected to channel about $117,000 to WMUNC over the next year.
Jim White (jwhite@religiousherald.org) is executive editor of the Religious Herald.