Updated Friday, Jan. 11, 2008

WMU not severing ties

How many times and how many ways must we say it? WMU-NC has not severed ties with BSCNC as BSCNC leadership has repeatedly stated, most recently by Milton Hollifield in his letter to church leaders in December and again by Brian Davis in the January issue of Upclose.

WMU-NC has never been an agency or department of the Convention in the same sense that other groups working in the Baptist building are. WMU-NC has always been an autonomous organization with its own governing board. We have been and continue to be committed to supporting and promoting missions through the BSCNC. WMU-NC is still committed to working with all churches, associations and the Convention in praying for, promoting and supporting the missions offerings, providing missions education resources and training and hands-on missions opportunities. To maintain our autonomy the WMU-NC Executive Board made the decision to move its offices from the Baptist building and assume full responsibility for its own human resources policies and payroll. This meant that WMU-NC employees, who WMU has always believed were our employees, not Convention employees, were required to "officially resign" from the Convention.

It is time to forget the enmity and placing of blame and look to the future. It's true that WMU-NC is beginning 2008 without funding but we are confident God will provide for all our needs through the women and men in the churches who believe in our mission purpose and will join us in carrying it out. We are grateful to the Convention for the benefits they have provided our ministry through the years we have worked together to promote and support missions. It is our desire to continue to cooperate with the Convention in this task. We are not severing our ties with the Convention.

Bonnie J. Wiggs

Raleigh, N.C.