BIRMINGHAM (Julie Walters, WMU) — Sandra “Sandy” Wisdom-Martin, executive director of WMU of Texas, was unanimously elected executive director/treasurer of national Woman’s Missionary Union by the WMU executive board during a special called meeting, July 29-30, in Birmingham.

Wisdom-Martin succeeds Wanda Lee, who has served as executive director of the 128-year-old missions organization for the past 16 years.

Wisdom-Martin, who will begin her new role on Oct. 15, was presented to the board by a search committee appointed in February following Lee’s announcement of her intentions to retire. Prior to leading WMU of Texas since 2010, Wisdom-Martin served as women’s missions and ministries director for the Illinois Baptist State Association, 2001-2010; and as Cooperative Program Missionary with the Arkansas Baptist State Convention, 1991-2001.

Wisdom-Martin said what excites her most about this opportunity is to put total trust in the Father, serve Him with reckless abandon and see where the adventure leads. “I don’t do what I do because of my employment,” Wisdom-Martin said. “I do what I do because I believe in the restoration of brokenness through hope in Christ. Through WMU, the only reason we do what we do is because He is risen and we must tell the good news.”

In addition to more than 25 years of experience in state WMU and church and community ministry, including children’s missions education camps, Wisdom-Martin has served with more than 50 missions groups in nine different countries; served as national coordinator for Mississippi River Ministry; and writes extensively for WMU publications and others. In WMU, she has served as an associational GA director, associational Acteens director, Campus Baptist Young Women (BYU) president, Mission Friends leader, GA leader, and Acteens co-leader.

Born and raised in southern Illinois, Wisdom-Martin holds a bachelor’s degree in social work from Southern Illinois University and a master’s in social work from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky. She and her husband, Frank, have one daughter, Hannah.

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