nineteen hundred and forty-six - Amazon Web Services

150 SOUTHERN BAPTIST CONVENTION
of missions—promotion of the mission interests of the Southern Baptist Convention
of which it is an integral part."
Even so did Mrs. Armstrong realize that Woman's Missionary Union could
and should serve largely through the Baptist World Alliance. Here again she
had the exceptional opportunity of knowing its immediate and far-reaching
plans and purposes. During the twelve years (1933-45) that she was a member
at large of its committee she attended the Alliance meeting in Berlin where
she presided over the Woman's Session and in Atlanta where she spoke with
marked ability at the Woman's Session. Yet another proof of her eagerness
to serve through this world-wide Baptist agency was the fact that she took the
long journey from her Missouri home to Washington for a committee meeting
connected with the Alliance though she was physically far from well and though
it was less than a month before her earthly pilgrimage was to end.
Another journey which Mrs. Armstrong rejoiced to take was to an annual
meeting of Cuban Baptists in Havana, her reports of that experience having
been as glowing as w er e her testimonies concerning the work in Europe. Accordingly
you will rejoice to know that our Union's memorial to Mrs. Armstrong
will take the tangible form of a gift of $25,000 for specified work in Cuba and
$50,000 for some phase or phases of Southern Baptist work in Europe.
Though Judge and Mrs. Armstrong were not granted children of their own,
yet it can truly be said that their married life was a blessing to the youth of
the world. This can be gratefully proved by citing merely two channels for
such blessings: W.M.U. young people's work and the W.M.U. Training School.
As already noted, Mrs. Armstrong early manifested ability and willingness to
promote the College Y.W.A. work in her state. To this "first love" she readily
added finely informed interest in each phase of the Union's missionary education
of its young people. In the promotion of such she attended many conferences
and camps, wrote many articles for their missionary magazines, tactfully
guarded against immature or otherwise harmful policies by the Union or the
denomination in general with reference to the missionary education of its youth
and by practice as well as precept she promoted such work in her own church.
Closely linked with all such intelligent zeal was Mrs. Armstrong's really passionate
devotion to the W.M.U. Training School in Louisville, Ky. In it she
clearly saw the Union's best opportunity not only to train future leaders for
appointed service under state, home and foreign mission boards but also to
impress indelibly on each student the value of every W.M.U. organization, from
the largest to the smallest, and the responsibility of all such students for fostering
such work in obedience to the Great Commission.
The following quotation from Mrs. Armstrong's address at our meeting in
1940 emphasizes her conviction and consecration for the missionary education
of our young people:
"Are we so teaching missions that the minds and hearts of our children will
ever be alert to the call of world needs? Are we assuming our rightful responsibility
for the children and young people of our churches, stimulating in their
young hearts the spirit and grace of giving? Are we satisfying ourselves with
less than the best for these young people in missionary organizations? If we
rear a world-visioned generation of youth it will be because we as mothers, as
teachers, as counselors train them to be such. If we fail it is just as surely
because we failed in this truest and highest function of womanhood. Rigid selfexamination
will lead us to take our rightful -responsibilities more worthily."
In conclusion I feel that you and Judge Armstrong and Woman's Missionary
Union would want me to quote from King Lemuel's immortal tribute to a
worthy woman, for surely we unitedly know that Mrs. Armstrong lived and led
most worthily: "A worthy woman? Her price is far above rubies. The heart
of her husband trusteth in her; she doeth him good. She worketh willingly
with her hands. Her lamp goeth not out by night. She stretcheth out her hand
to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy. Strength and
dignity are her clothing. She openeth her mouth with wisdom and the law of
kindness is on her tongue. Give her of the fruit of her hands and let her
works praise her in the gates."