Sisters Who Care
Who Are We?


Sisters Who Care is part of a national organization of Baptist women, aged 18 and above, of all races, ethnic backgrounds, and classes. Our national organization is Women on Mission^® which is a church-based organization that seeks to enable women to understand the call of missions, to embrace that call, then to live it out by growing spiritually toward missions and by becoming involved in mission action.

It is important to understand that Sisters Who Care is not a separate organization but rather an approach to understanding, embracing and living the mission of God. The term sister resonates in the African American community both spiritually and ethnically. Members of Sisters Who Care are committed first and foremost to their membership in the household of faith and to the work our Lord has commissioned us to do: To “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything [the Lord has] commanded . . .” (Matt. 28:19–20). This means we will increase our knowledge and understanding of our Savior; we will support fellow believers; and we will positively influence the world for Christ.

There are between 800,000 and 900,000 blacks in the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) with an approximate annual growth rate of 13 percent. Therefore, Sisters Who Care also seeks to promote involvement of black women from these churches in activities of the Woman’s Missionary Union (WMU). However, our call is not limited to SBC-member churches. Using unique approaches that appeal to our community, SWC seeks to encourage the development and strengthening of mission organizations, women’s ministries, and activities in all African American Christian churches through a variety of ministries such as: Christian Women’s Job Corp^®; Project Help^SM: Poverty; International Initiatives^SM; and MissionFEST^SM.

Women on Mission provides experiences for all women to come together to seek, see and celebrate what God is doing in their lives and through them in their community, association, state, nation and/or world. The beauty of Sisters Who Care/Women on Mission (WOM) is women can take advantage of resources provided by WOM to address the concerns of their communities. And the information can be customized to meet particular needs of the community. WOM makes available books, magazines, brochures, and posters to help publicize special events as well to support the ongoing work of Women on Mission and other mission organizations and women’s ministries.

The History of Woman’s Missionary Union and African Americans

The record of Woman’s Missionary Union in race relations is to be applauded and should be made known to every present and potential African American woman who participates in Women on Mission. According to Dr. Emmanuel McCall, former Director of Black Church Relations for the North American Mission Board (formerly Home Mission Board), “In most instances, WMUs have prodded men in other denominations structures to take seriously racial reconciliation and interracial ministry.” Consider these facts:

• In the years before the formal establishment of WMU, Ann Graves of Baltimore solicited the support of African American churches when collecting funds for foreign missions with her mite boxes. Each woman was asked to set aside no less than two cents on the first day of each week.

• Annie Armstrong and the Maryland Baptist Home Mission Society worked with local black Baptists to establish an orphanage. They taught in and helped to fund schools for black children.

• In 1895, the first black woman spoke at a WMU annual meeting. In December 1896, the corresponding secretary of the National Baptist Foreign Mission Board, L.G. Jordan, requested the assistance of Annie Armstrong in establishing a women's missions organization in their convention. L.G. Jordan, his assistant Nannie Helen Burroughs, and Annie Armstrong established the National Baptist Woman's Auxiliary in 1897.

• During the 1940s, almost every state had a black staff member and administered camps for black children.

• The 1957–58 WMU Yearbook and the 1959 Guide for Community Missions implored women to support the laws that opened public facilities to all races.

• Throughout the controversial sixties, WMU publications supported racial reconciliation.

• In 1973, Margaret Thomas Perkins became the first African American woman to serve on the professional staff of WMU. She worked for nearly 20 years to strengthen missions education and involvement in SBC African American churches.

• In September of 1999, the WMU National African American Advisory Council was established.