When Southern Baptist women gathered in Richmond, Virginia, in May 1888 to organize what would become Woman’s Missionary Union, they needed a leader with vision, conviction, and a heart for missions. God had already prepared such a woman in Martha McIntosh.
A Woman Prepared for Her Purpose
Known as “Mattie” to her family and friends, Martha was a member of Welsh Neck Baptist Church in South Carolina, a congregation recognized for its dedicated support of missions and Christian education. Long before WMU was formally organized, Martha’s heart had been captured by the needs of people around the world who had never heard the gospel. In 1872, she became involved with a Woman’s Mission to Woman organization, a forerunner of WMU, and began investing her time and talents in advancing missions.
Helping Launch a Movement
By 1888, Martha was instrumental in planning the meeting that officially organized Woman’s Missionary Union. During that historic gathering, she challenged women to action and inspired them to unite their efforts for the sake of Christ’s Kingdom. Her leadership and passion for missions led to her election as the first president of WMU.
Leading Others to Give and Go
Those who knew Martha often remarked that her speeches and correspondence were short, simple, and direct. Yet her influence was profound. One of her earliest acts as president was helping lead WMU to sponsor a Christmas offering for foreign missions at the suggestion of missionary Lottie Moon. After announcing the offering, Martha hurried back to South Carolina and rallied the women there to give generously. Their gifts accounted for more than one-third of the total received in that first offering in 1888—a powerful testimony to her ability to inspire others to support missions.
Faithful Service Across Every Season
Martha McIntosh served as WMU president for four years before declining a fifth term and continuing her service as vice president from South Carolina. Her commitment to missions never wavered. After marrying T. P. Bell, head of the Southern Baptist Sunday School Board, she moved first to Nashville and later to Georgia. Wherever she lived, she found ways to advance WMU’s mission, organizing women, serving in leadership, and encouraging others to engage in God’s work.
Even after the death of her husband, Martha continued serving. She traveled to China to assist her stepdaughter, missionary Ada Carol Bell, at a mission station in Tengchow, once home to Lottie Moon. Though never formally appointed as a missionary, Martha devoted herself to supporting the ministry there until health concerns and political unrest forced their return to the United States. Back home, she continued ministering to others and sharing Christ’s love.
A Legacy That Still Inspires Today
Throughout every season of her life, Martha McIntosh demonstrated what faithful obedience looks like. Whether organizing a national movement, encouraging women in a local church, supporting missionaries overseas, or ministering to neighbors in need, she consistently answered God’s call to serve.
Today, her legacy reminds us that God uses ordinary believers who are willing to say “yes” to extraordinary opportunities.
One way that legacy continues is through the work of the WMU Foundation. Just as Martha helped shape the future of WMU through her leadership and vision, faithful men and women today have the opportunity to help strengthen WMU’s ministry for future generations by serving on the WMU Foundation Board of Trustees. If you have a heart for missions, stewardship, and Kingdom impact, prayerfully consider whether God may be calling you to use your gifts in this vital role. By serving, you can help ensure that the mission Martha championed more than a century ago continues to flourish for generations to come.
Source Acknowledgment: The WMU Foundation gratefully acknowledges the use of information from Laborers Together with God by Catherine B. Allen (Woman’s Missionary Union, 1987) and the national WMU Building tour script featuring the Gallery of Presidents in the Alma Hunt Museum.