January 20, 1999
O'Brien announces retirement from WMU
___TALLADEGA, Ala. (ABP) --Dellanna O'Brien has announced plans to retire Sept. 1 after 10 years as executive director of the Southern Baptist Convention auxiliary, Woman's Missionary Union.
___O'Brien, 65, announced plans Jan. 12 at a meeting of the WMU executive board in Talladega, Ala. Shesaid a mild stroke she suffered in September was not a factor in her decision to retire, a decision she has been discussing with WMU President Wanda Lee for about a year.
Dellanna O'Brien
___"WMU has faced some of its hardest days this decade," acknowledged O'Brien, who has sought to redefine the organization in light of declining participation by younger women and conflict over the auxiliary's refusal to align with the conservative faction now in control of the SBC.
___But she also pointed to accomplishments in the million-member WMU the last 10 years. She cited record giving to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering and Annie Armstrong Easter Offering, started by WMU in 1888 and 1895, respectively, to support Southern Baptist missions.
___She also noted the organization's more recent involvement in projects related to hunger, AIDS and child advocacy; the partnership with Habitat for Humanity to build eight houses; and the development of Christian Women's Job Corps, a job training program which seeks to help women in poverty to gain self-sufficiency.
___Lee appointed a search committee to find O'Brien's successor in the closing session of the board meeting. Members of the committee are Ann Coffman of Florida, who will chair the group; Rebecca Williams of Mississippi; Kathy Sheldon of Pennsylvania-South Jersey; Madonna Havner of Wyoming; and Judith Edwards, WMU executive director for New Mexico.Frontpage / Contents/ Masthead / Why We're Here / Links / Archive / E-mail us/ SUBSCRIBE!