Corresponding Secretaries/Executive Directors

The title was corresponding secretary until 1937; executive secretary 1937-1975; executive director after 1975.

Annie Walker Armstrong, 1888-1906
Edith Campbell Crane, 1907-1911 (later Mrs. Samuel Tucker Lanham)
Kathleen Moore Mallory, 1912-1948
Alma Fay Hunt, 1948-1974
Carolyn Weatherford, 1974-1989 (later Mrs. Joseph Crumpler)
Dellanna West O'Brien (Mrs. William), 1989-1999
Wanda Seay Lee (Mrs. Larry), 2000-present

Annie Armstrong
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Annie Walker Armstrong was the first corresponding secretary of Woman’s Missionary Union. Born on July 11, 1850, in Baltimore, Maryland, to a prominent family active in Baptist life, Annie accompanied her mother to the missionary meetings of Woman’s Mission to Woman where she learned the importance of giving and praying for missions. Having a heart for home missions, Annie worked with Indians, immigrants, Blacks, and children. In 1882, Annie helped organize the Woman’s Baptist Home Mission Society of Maryland. She was this society’s first president.

Missions work among women’s groups had grown as an endeavor in other states as well. In conjunction with the Southern Baptist Convention of 1888, women from 12 states met on May 14 in Richmond, Virginia and formed the Executive Committee of Woman’s Mission Societies, Auxiliary to the Southern Baptist Convention. Annie Armstrong was elected corresponding secretary, a position equivalent to executive director today. In 1890 the name Woman’s Missionary Union was adopted. Annie Armstrong served as corresponding secretary until 1906 and always refused a salary for the work she did through WMU to further the gospel. In 1934 the offering that was collected annually for the Home Mission Board was renamed the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering for Home Missions. Annie Armstrong died on December 20, 1938, the year of WMU’s 50th anniversary.

WMU events that occurred during the tenure of Annie Armstrong:

WMU recommended that churches adopt a graded system of missionary education with organizations for all age levels, beginning with Baby Bands. (1899)
WMU began the process of legal incorporation. (1906)
WMU began publishing literature for sale. (1906)
The organization became officially named Woman's Missionary Union, Auxiliary to Southern Baptist Convention. (1890)
WMU adopted Sunbeam work at the request of the Foreign Mission Board. (1896)
The motto "Go Forward" was chosen. (1888)

For more information on Annie Armstrong visit www.anniearmstrong.com

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Edith Campbell Crane
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Edith Campbell Crane served as corresponding secretary of WMU from 1907 to 1912. She and Young Woman's Auxiliary entered the WMU family at the same Annual Meeting. Her background in work with young women students made her the perfect choice to write the first YWA literature.

Miss Crane brought a flavor of Baptist ecumenicity to what was rather provincial organization at the time. She brought a world perspective, world Baptist viewpoints. Miss Crane also helped organize a woman's meeting at the Baptist World Alliance meeting in 1911. As recording secretary for the woman's committee for BWA, she kept the world's Baptist women in touch with each other.

WMU events that occurred during the tenure of Edith Crane:

The "Union Ideals" included "a larger intellectual life through mission study." (1909)
The home for women attending classes at Southern Seminary in Louisville became the Woman's Missionary Union Training School. (1907)
WMU purchased and occupied 15 W. Franklin Street in Baltimore, Maryland. (1909)
WMU's corresponding secretary planned the program for the first women's meeting of the Baptist World Alliance. (1911)
YWA was the name chosen for the young women's societies; badge, motto, and aims were chosen. (1907)
Mottos for two successive years were "Larger Things" and "Higher Things." (1907, 1908)

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Kathleen Moore Mallory
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Kathleen Moore Mallory served as corresponding/executive secretary of WMU, SBC from 1912 to 1948. She led WMU through the Great Depression, two world wars, and the depths of denominational debts for 36 years, a tenure unequaled so far. Her leadership was vital in saving the denomination from financial disaster on more than one occasion.

Miss Mallory guided WMU to be a partner in forming the Cooperative Program, creating the reputation of being the strongest supporter. People carried indelible memories of the little woman who did not mind kneeling in public prayer in the face of good news or bad.

WMU events that occurred during the tenure of Kathleen Mallory:

WMU operating expenses amounted to 4/5% of money raised. (1912)
WMU published its first yearbook. (1912)
WMU chose its first hymn of the year, "Joy to the World." (1913)
WMU published its first full-length guide to WMU work, the Manual of WMU Methods, written by Miss Mallory. (1917)
WMU adopted the term "fundamentals" to describe these purposes: individual and united prayer; regular Bible and mission study; systematic and proportionate giving; organized personal service. (1918)
WMU moved its corporate headquarters from Baltimore, Maryland, to Birmingham, Alabama. (1921)
The title "corresponding secretary" was changed to "executive secretary." (1937)
WMU began providing funds for secretarial assistance to the president. (1940s)

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Alma Fay Hunt
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Alma Fay Hunt served as executive secretary of WMU, SBC, from 1948 to 1974. Under her leadership the national WMU staff grew to 100 and moved into and expanded its own beautiful building in downtown Birmingham without incurring debt.

Her great contribution was to take the WMU organization as it was and move it, in an orderly manner, into the twentieth century. Miss Hunt is author of Woman's Missionary Union: History of Woman's Missionary Union, Reflections from Alma Hunt; and co-author of Leadership Legacies: Lessons for Christian Women Leaders.

Miss Hunt passed away on June 14, 2008, at the age of 98.

WMU events that occurred during the tenure of Alma Hunt:

The fire marshal instructed the executive secretary to remove stacks of mail and magazines from the halls of the WMU building or go to jail. (1948)
WMU membership was first reported at over 1 million. (1950)
The Lottie Moon Christmas Offering^® goal first exceeded $2 million. (1950)
Tell and Sunbeam Activities replaced World Comrades. (1953)
The first issue of Nuestra Tarea, for Spanish-speaking audiences, was published. (1955)
A limit of tenure was first set for the national WMU president. (1957)
WMU transferred responsibility of Royal Ambassadors (RA) to the Brotherhood Commission. (1957)
WMU celebrated its Diamond (75th) Anniversary. (1963)
WMU first published its four "tasks." (1964)
"Community Missions" was renamed "Mission Action." (1967)
Woman's Missionary Society (WMS), Young Woman's Auxiliary (YWA), Girls' Auxiliary (GA), and Sunbeam organizations were reorganized into Baptist Women, Baptist Young Women, Acteens, Girls in Action, and Mission Friends. (1970)
The first National Acteens Convention was held at Glorieta. (1972)

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Carolyn Weatherford Crumpler
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Carolyn Weatherford Crumpler served as executive director/treasurer of WMU, SBC, from 1974 to 1989. Mrs. Crumpler was the first woman to chair the North American Baptist Fellowship, presiding over two major continental meetings in 1979 and 1980. Nine different Baptist denominations were represented on this fellowship.

During her tenure as executive director, national WMU moved from the 600 North 20th Street South building into their current building on Missionary Ridge. Her greatest contribution may have been in public relations. An engaging speaker, she promoted WMU's visibility not only through speaking engagements but also by use of videotapes and audiotapes. Mrs. Crumpler is the author of If I Had Known: What Happens When I Study Missions; My Life: More Fit for Him (co-authored with Barbara Massey); Our Father, The Doctrine of Prayer, and God Has Done His Part, Bible Teachings on Support of Missions.

WMU events that occurred during the tenure of Carolyn Weatherford Crumpler:

The title "executive secretary" was changed to "executive director." (1976)
Missiologists were studying why the SBC was increasing its missions work while other denominations had declined. (1977)
Campus BYW was begun. (1977)
WMU promoted and provided materials for Big A Clubs, materials to use (primarily) with young children, primarily from transitional communities, who were unchurched. (1977)
The WMU office building in downtown Birmingham was expanded into a small, rear garden plot at a cost of $500,000. (1977)
Round Table Book Club was started, in conjunction with Baptist Book Stores. (1977)
Acteens Activators, a volunteer missions program, began. (1978)
The tenure limit for national president was set at five years. (1981)
Baptist Nursing Fellowship^SM was organized, with WMU providing a national office and staff. (1983)
WMU first produced videotape products. (1983)
WMU relocated to a new office building on Missionary Ridge. (1984)
New Hope^® Publishers was established as a separate company name for publishing more general Christian materials. (1985)
WMU observed its centennial; a 100-year anniversary celebration was held in Richmond, Virginia, in May.

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Dellanna West O'Brien
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Dellanna West O'Brien served as executive director/treasurer of WMU, SBC, from 1989-1999. She, her husband Bill, and their three children were Southern Baptist Foreign Mission Board missionaries to Indonesia from 1963-1973.

Mrs. O'Brien wrote Beyond Belief! Volume 1, published by WMU in 2000, and co-authored Choosing a Future for U.S. Missions, published in 1998. A visionary, she positioned WMU into the 21st century through the Blueprint Committee. WMU programs began during her term were: CWJC^®, Volunteer ConnectionSM, as well as the formation of the WMU Foundation.

Dr. O'Brien passed away on September 7, 2008.

WMU events that occurred during the tenure of Dellanna O'Brien:

WMU assumed responsibility for coordinating housing for foreign missionaries on furlough (stateside assignment). (1990)
WMU established the Vision Fund and an Office of Development.
Project HELP^SM was launched, with an emphasis on hunger relief. The emphasis would change to other social issues in succeeding years. (1994)
GA World magazine was launched, for GA members in grades 5–6. (1995)
Baptist Women and Baptist Young Women organizations were combined to form the newly named Women on Mission^®, with a new magazine, Missions Mosaic, replacing Royal Service and Contempo. (1995)
The three major operating divisions of the national WMU staff, each formerly led by an associate executive director, were discontinued and replaced by a management team. (1997)
Christian Women's Job Corps^® gained the attention of then US vice-president Al Gore, and WMU's staff member responsible for CWJC^® joined a national coalition focusing on welfare-to-work programs, led by the vice-president.
Lottie Moon Christmas Offering^® totals surpassed $80 million. (1990s)

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Wanda S. Lee
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Wanda S. Lee became the executive director/treasurer of WMU, SBC, in 2000. Mrs. Lee is the seventh woman to hold this office. Previous to this appointment, she served as president of WMU, SBC, 1996-2000. She is the first woman in WMU, SBC, history to hold both positions.

Wanda S. Lee was appointed by the Southern Baptist Foreign Mission Board as church/home/nurse missionary in 1979 to St. Vincent, Windward Islands, with husband Larry, serving as a church planter/pastor (returned home in 1981 due to illness with son). She has worked with Acteens for over 20 years, starting a group in three different churches. She is the author of Live the Call: Embrace God's Design for Your Life.

Prior to her election as national WMU president in 1996, she was president of Georgia WMU from 1993 to 1996.

As a registered nurse, Mrs. Lee has worked in hospitals in Georgia, Louisiana, Alabama, and the Windward Islands. Her volunteer projects include medical missions to Bosnia, St. Vincent and Rio Branco, Brazil, and the Mississippi River Ministry.

WMU events that occurred during the tenure of Wanda Lee:

Customer Relations Team introduced as customer service returned to in-house operations at WMU national building.
National WMU staff was introduced to a new team structure for management and operations.
Over 6,500 Acteens attended the National Acteens Convention in Nashville, Tennessee, in 2003 and new Acteens curriculum was introduced through The Mag.
Girls in Action celebrated its 90th birthday while a new GA Watchword, Motto, and Scripture was adopted.
MissionsFEST, a national project in which volunteers are brought together to specific U.S. city to be actively involved in missions, was launched in 2000.
Sisters Who Care launched in 2000 to develop Women on Mission organizations in Southern Baptist African American churches.
WMU Web site project began to expand to provide an ecommerce solution for users and be more user-friendly to the WMU family.

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