The History of the Junior Womens Auxiliary
"Look Where The Lord Has Brought Us"

The Beginning
Dr. M. A. B. Fuller, a devout Christian woman and a loyal supporter of our early missionaries, organized the Junior Mission at the national level in 1927 under President Green Prince. However, the state convention under Dr. Sam Prince did not make any changes at that time. In October of 1929 in Tyler, Texas, Dr. M. A. B. Fuller, President of the National Mission, and Sis. O. Solomon Barnes, President of the State Mission, worked together to organize the Junior Mission in our state convention, under President Sam Prince.

Sis. Elnora Cunningham of Waco, Texas was the first president of Junior Mission, but personal circumstances prevented her from serving a full year. Sis. Mora D. Daily of Athens, Texas was elected president in 1930. Sis. M. A. W. Stewart of Waco, Texas was elected Vice President, and Sis. Blanch Hardman, Secretary. Later, Sis. Olivia Harris Woodfork was elected Corresponding Secretary and Sis. Ethel L. Johnson, Music Director, assisted by Sis. Olivia Branch, Sis. Inez Humphrey and Sis. Gwendolyn Browning.

At that time, the Junior Mission was not an independent organization, but worked under the Senior Mission. President Mora Daily would allow space on the program for the junior women to participate. It was in 1942 that Dr. Sam Prince pulled the Junior Mission out and made it an auxiliary. After the demise of Sis. Mora D. Daily in 1962, the torch was passed to Sis. M. A. W. Stewart to serve out the remainder of the year.

Sis. Stewart was elected President at the Mt. Olive Baptist Church in Austin, Texas in October, 1962, and served admirably for thirty-five years.
The first area presidents were appointed by President Stewart at the May Board in Crockett, Texas in 1965. Their primary purpose was to reach every woman in every area, and to organize convention workers to sponsor workshops and other events to raise funds and report at the annual session.
Some of the Past Area Presidents: Sisters Lois Allen, Ruby Bradley, R. W. Cage, Florence Caldwell, Jessie Phillips Chance, Earnestine Clack, R. I. B. Clark, Ada Collins, Hollie Estelle, Margaret Flakes, Alma Hayden, Shelina Hill, Annie M. Hurd, F. M. Jackson, Rose M. Mitchell, Jimmie Nichols, Nona B. Pedish, Ethel Parnell, Charlie Mae Pierce, Lucille Redman, Rachetta Rackstraw, Johnnie Mae Scott, Dora M. Shirley, Birdie Simmons, Willie Smith, Helen Ussery Washington, Ray Ethel Wheeler, A. B. Williams, Ruby G. Williams, and Luella Woods.
A mass meeting was held in March each year, consisting of a Saturday workshops and Sunday Mass Meeting. The dates were later changed to the Third Sunday in April so as not to conflict with Easter Sunday.

From Junior Mission to Mission II
At a National Convention in San Antonio, Texas in 1968, the Junior Mission was changed to Senior Mission II under National President, Dr. Carl Sams. The next year, in 1969, the Missionary Baptist General Convention of Texas changed the name of this auxiliary to Senior Mission II with no age limit for membership.

Junior Mission Re-established
In 1970 the President of the National Junior Women’s Auxiliary Sis Pauline Hudson, appointed Sis. Emma Alexander as liaison for the National and State Junior Women of Texas.  The meeting was held in 1971 at the Mt. Olive Baptist Church, FT. Worth, TX (Rev. Dawson, host Pastor) with young women of Dallas and Ft. Worth in attendance.  Trips were made to Houston to meet with Dr. ML Price under the guidance Rev. Hayward Wiggins liaison of Dr. Price and the Junior Women of Texas.  In October 1972, letters were sent from ministers and junior women to Dr. Price.  From this effort a meeting was held at Gethsemane Baptist Church Houston, TX (Rev. Hayward Wiggins host Pastor).  Workshops were held on May 13, 1972 at the St John Baptist Church Dallas, TX (Rev Robert Wilson, host Pastor) with representatives from Austin, Ft. Worth, Dallas and Houston were in attendance.  Sister Catherine Birdsong, met with the Junior Women of Dallas at the New Mt. Moriah Baptist Church (Rev HH Banks, host Pastor) and the Bethlehem Baptist Church in August of 1974 to encourage the young women not to give up in their struggle for state recognition.  With encouragement from such milestone Preachers as EK Bailey, TR Williams, and James Terrell many miles were traveled with the sole purpose to encourage the Junior Women to not give up in their quest to be organized and recognized.  Area meetings (now called Regional Meetings) were already being held in 1973 in what was known as South, Texas (Austin and San Antonio).  Rev. Wiggins charged Sis. Alexander in 1974 to get North Texas organized and thus Area meetings were held there and then spread to Central Texas (Waco).  After many trips, many prayers, many appeals and many meetings, Dr ML Price requested and received the presence of the Junior Women in Galveston Texas in October 1975, with the presence of Sister Barbara Kight-National President.  At this time Rev Albert Chew motioned that the Junior Women become a part of the Missionary Baptist General Convention of Texas.  We were not organized at the 1975 annual session; however, we were told by Dr. Price that we would be organized at the May Board in Seguin, TX.  The Lord had blessed and the victory was ours… The Junior Women of Texas. 

Although some of the Junior Mission essentials can be credited to the original Junior Women such as the auxiliary colors of Pink and Green.  Many other milestones were achieved with the re-establishment of the Auxiliary.  National President Barbara Kight gave us our Theme:  “The Work of The Kingdom: Our Primary Mission” which is the credo the Missionary Baptist General Convention of Texas Junior Women’s Auxiliary stands on today.  Our Presidents which include Sis.Mary Crockett 1976-1982, Sis. Frances Worthey 1982-1988, Sis. Julia Harnsberry 1988-1993, Sis. Janis Degrate Smith (Justice)1993-1994, Sis. Mamie Bush Johnson 1994-1998, Sis. Annye Michelle Watson 1997-2001, Sis. Darralyn Johnson 2001-2004, Sis.Yvonne Rose 2004-2008 and current President Sis.Rachae Ollison continued to burn a trail in this Servanthood journey.  Sis. Odelia Walker in 1976 during Sis. Mary Crockett’s administration, wrote our State Junior Mission Song-“The Junior Mission is on the March”.  We’ve continued our tradition of our Prayer Breakfast and Banner March during the Annual Session.  Our Regional Meetings are held in different cities around the state.  Those meetings have focused on the installation of our officers, family enrichment workshops, a pre-convention rally, leadership training and taking it to the streets for a day of door to door witnessing.  We are of the mindset that there should be a tangible reminder that the Junior Women were in town, so we have incorporated an outreach into each of our regional meetings and board meetings.  A scholarship was started to assist those who are involved in ministry work.   We’ve remained active in the National Conventions with our sisters holding offices that have ranged from Bible Teacher, to Musician, to Treasurer/Financial Secretary, to Corresponding Secretary, to Vice President to President.  With each administration a new dedication to service and new ways to achieve greater things for our God emerged but one thing has remained constant-our Love and Gratefulness to our God and to His Son who died for us.  To put it simply, our State Junior Women’s Song still sings true because the Junior Women are on the March and truly we are marching in the army in the Lord. 

Submitted by Sis. Darralyn N. Johnson (History compiled from the Web-site of the Missionary Baptist General Convention of Texas Mission II Auxiliary and accounts from Sis. Emma Alexander and Sis. Odelia Walker.)