Christian Women’s Job Corps is waiting to take on a new path as Trudy Johnson, the director of CWJC for national Woman’s Ministry Union is leaving to take on a new ministry opportunity.
Carol Causey, director of WMU's missions resource center, said, "WMU is excited about CWJC's growth potential as we take steps to provide accessible training to more mentors and site coordinators and produce resources for the advancement of the ministry." Causey added that the ministry has a strong, stable base and WMU will seek God's direction for a new national point person for CWJC. In the meantime, direction for the ministry will come from WMU's missions involvement team led by Debra Berry, adult ministry consultant.
Through Christian Women's Job Corps, a ministry of Woman's Missionary Union, many women who are poor, underemployed with no hope of providing for her family, and who have just come out from prison, facing other numerous unfortunate situations, have found new direction and hope in their lives.
The on who made this work possible was Trudy John who coordinated the ministry for the past 10 years across the country. However, effective Jan. 5, Johnson will take on a new ministry opportunity at St. Vincent's Hospital in Birmingham, Ala. Johnson will direct the Jeremiah's Hope Skills Center, a CWJC-like initiative at the hospital to help individuals with entry-level jobs and to provide encouragement for further education to build their careers.
"While we always regret losing valuable staff members, we share in Trudy's excitement for this new opportunity God has opened to her and wish her well," said Wanda S. Lee, WMU executive director-treasurer. "We greatly appreciate her commitment and dedication to CWJC and are committed to building on the foundation she helped establish to propel this ministry into the future."
CWJC started out as a vision of WMU leadership in 1994 and in 1996, it was established as a ministry of WMU. In only six years CWJC has grown to 130 sites across 21 states.
What has led Christian Women's Job Corps to gain such victory was because of the active involvement of the participants and the mentors who are helping out the participants to grow in relationship with the Lord and its persistence and long-term commitment to each participant.
Also the WMU Foundation’s endowments have grown over the years which have served as the great support for the advancement of CWJC. The CWJC Endowment Fund awards financial support to sites for the expansion of current ministries and the Sybil Bentley Dove Endowment supports an award given annually to a CWJC participant who has completed the program and desires to advance herself through skills training, academic development, and faith in Christ.
"God's hand has been on this ministry from the very beginning," said Lee. "It is our privilege to serve others and share the love of Christ through CWJC, one of the most exciting ministries national WMU has ever launched."
