MISSIONAL ROLE OF WOMEN IN NIGERIAN BAPTIST CONVENTION CHURCH PLANTING EFFORTS

This paper examines the missiological contributions and transformative impact of women within the Nigerian Baptist Convention (NBC), focusing specifically on church planting and global mission expansion. Grounded in the concept of missio Dei, the study traces the historical evolution of the Women's Missionary Union (WMU) from its informal origins as the "Women's League" in 1854 to its formal institutionalization in 1919 and its eventual recognition as an autonomous auxiliary to the NBC in 1925. It evaluates the multi-generational operational framework of the WMU, which systematically cultivates missional engagement across four distinct demographic sub-organizations: the Sunbeam Band, Girls Auxiliary, Lydia Auxiliary, and Women's Missionary Society. The research outlines the core four-fold missional mandate of the Union—praying for missions, giving to support mission enterprises, direct physical involvement in evangelism, and structured mission education. Furthermore, the study highlights concrete historical and contemporary field deployments, documenting direct female participation in both domestic fields (such as Awka/Onitsha, Ilaje, Etche, and Narya) and international mission corridors (including Benin Republic, Mali, and Burkina Faso). Ultimately, the paper demonstrates that despite historical socio-cultural constraints, women have served as indispensable agents of Baptist ecclesial growth, concluding with a call for pastors and denominational leaders to prioritize institutional support, financial backing, and strategic inclusion for women's mission initiatives.