2019 ANNUAL GATHERING JULY 7-12, 2019 NASSAU, THE BAHAMAS
NETWORKING THE BAPTIST FAMILY TO IMPACT THE WORLD FOR CHRIST
TABLE OF CONTENTS Welcome Letter
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Schedule Overview
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Map of Meeting Venues
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Daily Schedule
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Special Sessions
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Meeting Schedule: Mission, Evangelism, and Justice Commissions
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Resolutions
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Covenant on Intra-Baptist Relationships
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General Council Meeting Agenda
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Minutes of the July 2018 Meeting
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President’s Report
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BWA Women’s Department Report
59
BWA Men’s Department Report
63
BWA Youth Department Report
66
2018 Audit
69
2017-2018 Member Body Giving
74
2020 Budget
78
Caribbean Baptist Fellowship (CBF) Report
80
Asia Pacific Baptist Federation (APBF) Report
83
All Africa Baptist Fellowship (AABF) Report
93
Union of Baptists in Latin America (UBLA) Report
97
North American Baptist Fellowship (NABF) Report
99
European Baptist Federation (EBF) Report
102
Upcoming BWA Meetings
106
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WELCOME LETTER Dear Friends, It is a joy to partner together in the grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Through moments of celebration and the trials of life, it is a profound gift to be bound to one another in love and service. Let us embrace this gift and nurture our relationship with one another believing that the Holy Spirit fully equips and fully empowers all believers. As we are reminded in the Principles and Guidelines for IntraBaptist Relationships, “We are called to love one another … Therefore, representatives attending BWA gatherings seek to develop lasting and meaningful relationships.” Thank you for being a community dedicated to sensing together the leadership of the Holy Spirit. These previous 12 months we have explored together new ministry avenues and, during this Annual Gathering, will be considering leadership for the new quinquennium. Will you join with me in asking for the grace to clearly hear the Spirit of the Lord speaking through one another and that we will continue to join the Spirit in the transforming relationships and ministry to which we are being called? Thank you for being a mission-oriented community. I am prayerful that these few days together will strengthen our longstanding mission statement, “Networking the Baptist family to impact the world for Christ.” This last year, BWA Baptists around the world have offered substantive impact in the name of Jesus Christ such as assistance to Venezuelan refugees across Latin America, religious freedom advocacy alongside Baptists in Bulgaria, practical response to Hurricane Idai in Mozambique, and church planting across the Asian Pacific Baptist Federation. As we gather in committees and commissions addressing a wide range of critical issues, may we speak and share out of our gifts and passions and be renewed once again with the mission of God. Thank you for being a generous community. To all who sacrificially work to be present, thank you. To the many who have prepared presentations, sermons, and collaborative action plans, thank you. You are each at the heart of who we are as the BWA. I pray for renewal in friendships. I also pray that as we enter the second year of our US$2.5 million Together 2020 fundraising initiative that a spirit of generosity will continue to flow through us and out of us. Thank you for being a praying community. Time and again, as I travel with you, I am impressed by the extent to which so many BWA Baptists gather in prayer. At a personal level, I am humbled by the many who regularly pray for the ministry of the BWA, our team, and each one of our families. Thank you. May we continue to pray for one another by name and in the way in which we were instructed by Jesus. Each year during our Annual Gathering we focus on one of the five core program areas of the BWA. This year our emphasis is on Mission and Evangelism. As Jesus declared in Matthew 28:18-20, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” In anticipation of these few days together,
Elijah M. Brown #BWA19
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SCHEDULE OVERVIEW BWA 2019 Annual Gathering/General Council Schedule Nassau, The Bahamas
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Room 1: Independence Ballroom A Room 2: Independence Ballroom B Room 3: Independence Ballroom C Room 4: Independence Foyer Room 5: Conference Room A Room 6: Arawak A Room 7: Arawak B Room 8: Taino Room 9: Suite 117 Room 10: Suite 119 Room 11: Suite 121 Room 12: Conference Room B
Key
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MAP OF MEETING VENUES Conference Center Floor Plan
DAILY SCHEDULE BWA 2019 ANNUAL GATHERING SCHEDULE OF EVENTS Nassau, The Bahamas July 7 – 12, 2019 Sunday, July 7 Morning
Meeting/Event Worship in Local Churches
Location
4:00 – 6:00 p.m.
Registration
Independence Ballroom Foyer
7:30 – 9:30 p.m.
Congress Committee
Conference Room A
Monday, July 8 8:30 – 9:00 a.m.
Morning Worship
Independence Ballroom B
9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Registration
Independence Ballroom Foyer
9:00 – 10:30 a.m.
BWA Awards Committee BWA Women Men’s Department Nominations Committee (2014-2019) Resolutions Committee Youth Department
Arawak A Independence Ballroom C Independence Ballroom B Conference Room A Arawak B Taino
10:30 – 11:00 a.m.
Break
Foyer
11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. BWA Awards Committee BWA Women Communications Advisory Committee Human Resources Committee Membership Committee Men’s Department Resolutions Committee Youth Department 12:30 – 2:00 p.m.
Lunch
2:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Baptist World Aid Committee Constitution and Bylaws Committee Human Resources Committee Membership Committee Men’s Department Resolutions Committee Youth Department
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Arawak A Independence Ballroom C Suite 119 Conference Room A Suite 117 Independence Ballroom B Arawak B Taino
Arawak A Arawak B Conference Room A Suite 117 Offsite Meeting Suite 119 Taino
DAILY SCHEDULE Monday, July 8 4:00 – 4:30 p.m.
Meeting/Event Break
Location Foyer
4:30 – 6:30 p.m.
Congress Committee Constitution and Bylaws Committee MEJ Advisory Committee P & D Advisory Committee
Conference Room A Arawak B Arawak A Taino
7:00 – 9:30 p.m.
Bahamian Cultural Night
Independence Ballrooms
Tuesday, July 9 8:30 – 9:00 a.m.
Morning Worship
Independence Ballroom B
9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Registration
Foyer
9:00 – 10:30 a.m.
Welcome and Opening Session of the BWA General Council - Session 1
Independence Ballroom B
Break
Foyer
10:30 – 11:00 a.m.
11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Budget and Finance Committee/Audit Communications Seminar
MEJ Commissions Christian Education/Nurture Baptist Heritage and Identity Human Rights Advocacy Evangelism Ministry Theological Education Interfaith Relations
Conference Room A Independence Ballroom B
Arawak A Independence Ballroom A Suite 117 Nikkei Restaurant Arawak B Independence Ballroom C Taino
12:30 – 2:00 p.m.
Lunch
2:00 – 4:00 p.m.
BWA Executive Committee
Arawak B
4:00 – 4:30 p.m.
Break
Foyer
4:30 – 6:30 p.m.
FORUM Celebration of Preaching
Independence Ballroom B
4:30 – 5:30 p.m.
FORUM Blessed are the Persecuted
Taino
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DAILY SCHEDULE Tuesday, July 9 4:30 – 5:30 p.m.
Meeting/Event Location Roundtable: Arawak A BWA Forum for Aid and Development (BFAD)
5:30 – 6:30 p.m.
Roundtable: Arawak A Movements of People - When Migration Becomes Crisis
6:30 p.m.
Busses Depart - The Bahamas 46th Independence Anniversary Celebration
Wednesday, July 10 8:30 – 9:00 a.m.
Morning Worship
Independence Ballroom B
MEJ Commissions Christian Education/Nurture Baptist Heritage and Identity Human Rights Advocacy Evangelism Ministry Theological Education Creation Care Interfaith Relations
Arawak A Independence Ballroom A Conference Room A Independence Ballroom B Arawak B Independence Ballroom C Suite 117 Taino
Break
Foyer
9:00 – 10:30 a.m.
10:30 – 11:00 a.m.
11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. MEJ Commissions Baptist Doctrine and Christian Unity Christian Ethics Baptist Worship and Spirituality Mission Peace and Reconciliation Racial and Gender Justice Religious Liberty Social and Economic Justice
Arawak A Independence Ballroom A Independence Ballroom B Arawak B Suite 117 Taino Conference Room A Independence Ballroom C
12:30 – 2:00 p.m.
Lunch
2:00 – 4:00 p.m.
BWA General Council – Session 2
Independence Ballroom B
4:00 – 4:30 p.m.
Break
Foyer
4:30 – 6:30 p.m.
BWA General Council – Session 3
Independence Ballroom B
6:30 – 7:30 p.m.
Dinner
8:00 – 9:30 p.m.
Denominational Leaders Network Resolutions Committee
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Independence Ballroom C Arawak A
DAILY SCHEDULE Thursday, July 11 8:30 – 9:00 a.m.
Meeting/Event Morning Worship
Location Independence Ballroom B
9:00 – 10:30 a.m.
MEJ Commissions Baptist Doctrine and Christian Unity Christian Ethics Baptist Worship and Spirituality Mission Peace and Reconciliation Racial and Gender Justice Religious Liberty Social and Economic Justice
Arawak A Independence Ballroom A Independence Ballroom B Arawak B Suite 117 Taino Conference Room A Independence Ballroom C
Break
Foyer
10:30 – 11:00 a.m.
11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Regional Meetings All Africa Baptist Fellowship (AABF) Asia Pacific Baptist Federation (APBF) Caribbean Baptist Fellowship (CBF) European Baptist Federation (EBF) North American Baptist Fellowship (NABF) Union of Baptists in Latin America (UBLA)
Arawak A Arawak B Independence Ballroom C Independence Ballroom A Independence Ballroom B Conference Room A
12:30 – 2:00 p.m.
Lunch
2:00 – 4:00 p.m.
BWA General Council – Session 4
Independence Ballroom B
4:00 – 4:30 p.m.
Break
Foyer
4:30 – 6:30 p.m.
BWA General Council – Session 5
Independence Ballroom B
6:30 – 7:30 p.m.
Dinner
8:00 – 9:30 p.m.
Nominations Committee (2019-2024) Resolutions Committee
Conference Room A Arawak A
Morning Worship
Independence Ballroom B
MEJ Commissions Christian Education/Nurture Baptist Heritage and Identity Human Rights Advocacy Evangelism Ministry Theological Education Creation Care Interfaith Relations
Arawak A Independence Ballroom A Conference Room A Independence Ballroom B Arawak B Independence Ballroom C Suite 117 Taino
Friday, July 12 8:30 – 9:00 a.m. 9:00 – 10:30 a.m.
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DAILY SCHEDULE Friday, July 12 10:30 – 11:00 a.m.
Meeting/Event Break
Location Foyer
11:00 am – 12:30 p.m. MEJ Commissions Baptist Doctrine and Christian Unity Christian Ethics Baptist Worship and Spirituality Mission Peace and Reconciliation Racial and Gender Justice Religious Liberty Social and Economic Justice
Arawak A Independence Ballroom A Independence Ballroom B Arawak B Suite 117 Taino Conference Room A Independence Ballroom C
The BWA Office is located in Suite 121 The Local Arrangements Committee Office is located in Conference Room B
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SPECIAL SESSIONS Mission Outreach Event Hosted by BWA Men’s Department Monday, July 8, 12:45-5:30 p.m. Offsite, gather in hotel lobby at 12:45 p.m. Overview of Mission Outreach This Mission Outreach is a joint partnership mission effort between the BWA Men's Department and Bahamian Baptist Men. This two-on-two evangelism opportunity is open to all Annual Gathering participants regardless of gender. Buses, free of charge to Gathering participants, will be provided to and from the mission area. Please gather in the hotel lobby at 12:45 p.m. to board the bus. Please sign up at the BWA Registration Desk so that we may plan accordingly.
Bahamian Cultural Night Monday, July 9, 7:00-9:30 p.m. Independence Ballrooms All Annual Gathering participants are invited to a cultural night hosted by The Bahamas National Missionary and Educational Convention. The evening will feature music, arts, and other cultural presentation. Bahamian food will be available to sample. Come, enjoy, taste, and celebrate with our Bahamian hosts!
Communications Seminar Pastoring in the Digital Age Tuesday, July 9, 11:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Independence Ballroom B Pastoring in the Digital Age We have more ways to communicate than ever before, yet we still struggle to connect. So how can we break through the noise? As social media and other technology continues to develop, it’s more important than ever for ministry leaders to implement a strategic plan for communication. Join us to discover ways to effectively shepherd your people in the midst of an ever-evolving digital age.
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SPECIAL SESSIONS Forum Celebration of Preaching Tuesday, July 9, 4:30-6:30 p.m. Independence Ballroom B Celebration of Preaching Notable Baptist preacher Charles Spurgeon said: “We cannot play at preaching. We preach for eternity.” Come and participate in this celebration of preaching as we hear three minisermons, all focusing on mission and evangelism, from Baptist preachers who embody Spurgeon’s words today. Following the sermons, there will be a panel discussion centered on the topic of sermon preparation. We will close our celebration of preaching with a time of questions and reflection on all that has been shared. Moderator: Luiz Roberto Silvado Preachers: Steven Laufer, Doreen Wynter, and Clifford Jones, Sr.
Forum Blessed are the Persecuted Tuesday, July 9, 4:30-5:30 p.m. Taino Blessed are the Persecuted Jeremy Hunt, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Great Britain, commissioned a study of the persecution of Christians. The recently released interim report noted that religious persecution is increasing in scope and intensity. When we hear the stories of Leah, the young Nigerian woman captured by Boko Haram; Asia Bibi, the Pakistani Christian grandmother recently released from death row; and Andrew Brunson, the Presbyterian missionary who was imprisoned in Turkey, it is puzzling to understand why Jesus called the persecuted “blessed.” We will explore what Jesus meant by this within the context of global religious persecution taking place in 77% of the world and consider what the role of the church should be among those who are suffering.
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SPECIAL SESSIONS Roundtable Baptist World Alliance Forum for Aid and Development (BFAD) Tuesday, July 9, 4:30-5:30 p.m. Arawak A Baptist World Alliance Forum for Aid and Development (BFAD) BWA is initiating a brand new network for Baptists engaged in aid, relief and development. This is an opportunity to reflect upon the work of BFAD, capture lessons, and be updated on the work going forward and how you can participate. This will include an opportunity for questions and reflection.
Roundtable Movements of People - When Migration Becomes Crisis Tuesday, July 9, 5:30-6:30 p.m. Arawak A Movements of People - When Migration Becomes Crisis A workshop reflecting on the increasing levels of migration around the world with a specific focus on the UBLA and NABF regions generally and Venezuela specifically. Gain insight into what is happening, share about the work you are already doing, and discuss possible collective responses moving forward.
The Bahamas 46th Independence Anniversary Celebration Tuesday, July 9, 7:00 p.m.-12:30 a.m. Offsite, gather in hotel lobby at 7:00 p.m. All Annual Gathering participants are invited to The Bahamas 46th Independence Anniversary Celebration. The Ecumenical Service and Cultural Celebration begins at 8:00 p.m. Per our hosts, this journey of 46 years as an independent nation will be storied in sermon, music, dance, parade, dramatic presentation, and will end with fireworks. This is a casual dress event and transportation is free for Gathering participants. Please gather in the hotel lobby at 7:00 p.m. to board the bus. The first bus will return attendees to the hotel lobby at 10:30 p.m. A second bus will depart the celebration following the fireworks display at approximately midnight. Please sign up at the BWA Registration Desk so that we may plan accordingly.
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MEETING SCHEDULE: MISSION, EVANGELISM, AND JUSTICE COMMISSIONS
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MEETING SCHEDULE: MISSION, EVANGELISM, AND JUSTICE COMMISSIONS
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RESOLUTIONS The Resolutions Committee assists the General Council by bringing resolutions to the General Council for consideration. Participants are encouraged to submit to the Resolutions Committee all resolutions that they wish to be considered by the General Council. The persons in bold have registered for the meeting as this is going to print. Resolutions Committee Tony Cartledge, Chair Yvonne Martinez Thorne, Vice Chair Kojo Amo Rod Benson Karl Henlin Blake Killingsworth Tomรกs Mackey Tony Peck Bob S. Terry BWA President, ex officio BWA General Secretary, ex officio
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COVENANT ON INTRA-BAPTIST RELATIONSHIPS Covenant on Intra-Baptist Relationships Preamble: Baptist World Alliance: Unity and Diversity 1. “The Baptist World Alliance, extending over every part of the world, exists as an expression of the essential oneness of Baptist people in the Lord Jesus Christ.”1 2. The Baptist World Alliance (BWA) exists as “a global movement of Baptists sharing a common confession of faith in Jesus Christ bonded together by God’s love to support, encourage and strengthen one another while proclaiming and living the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit before a lost and hurting world.”2 3. BWA organizes its work around five clusters of commitments, namely, to join together in worship and fellowship, to nurture the passion for mission and evangelism, to defend religious liberty and human rights, to respond to human need through relief and sustainable community development, and to promote relevant theological reflection.3 4. From its inception, BWA was understood to be a family of “Churches of the Baptist order and faith throughout the world.”4 In its earliest years, however, BWA’s membership was mostly composed of conventions and unions from the Western world. Over the past century, the BWA family has grown into a truly worldwide organization with widespread membership from East and West, North and South. 5. The growth of BWA membership is marked by increased cultural diversity. This diversity includes various cultures, languages, customs, histories, racial identities, ways of expressing theological conviction, and personal and communal encounters with Christ in different cultural contexts. By God’s grace, the BWA reflects, in a visible way, the rich diversity of the one body of Christ.5 6. BWA seeks to live out its commitment to unity in the face of the diversity that marks its membership. It regards this diversity as a God-given gift and therefore essential to effectively represent the kingdom of God despite certain obvious challenges. In order to achieve the goals for which the BWA was established, and which continue to be the foundation for cooperation among BWA members, the BWA must maintain a delicate balance. That balance is between maintaining a unity of purpose and common commitment even as the organization seeks to honor and be blessed by the diversity that characterizes the fellowship. 7. One of the greatest assets in the BWA's worldwide commitment to unity, in the face of our rich diversity, is its ability to foster space for open dialogue among the various constituencies that constitute the membership of the BWA. That space will allow the BWA to harvest the fruit of the various biblical, theological and experiential perspectives that the members bring to, and articulate in, BWA gatherings. The expression of new perspectives on, and cultural expressions of, our faith is a gift that is graciously shared and received within the BWA. 17
COVENANT ON INTRA-BAPTIST RELATIONSHIPS 8. However, the BWA commitment to open dialogue and honest communication in the midst of our profound diversity also presents the BWA with perhaps the greatest challenge to the unity we are called to maintain.6 That challenge comes in the form of the difficulty of achieving clear, precise and commonly-understood communication through the use of language, especially when translation from one language to multiple languages is involved. That challenge is enhanced when well-meaning individuals do not know or fully appreciate the biblical, cultural, historical or theological distinctives and sensibilities that inform the perspectives articulated by various members of the BWA family.
9. The commitment to maintain unity within the BWA, while celebrating the diversity marking the movement, implies concern to take positive steps to advance our oneness and to reduce opportunities for misunderstanding. With this in mind, BWA affirms the following principles and guidelines for discussion and dialogue among Baptists attending the BWA meetings, and sharing in the work of the BWA: Principles and Guidelines 1. “With God all things are possible”7 and apart from Christ Jesus, we can do nothing.8 Therefore, all BWA meetings take place within a context of worship, acknowledging God's presence and leadership. 2. Christians are finite beings and sinners saved by grace.9 Therefore, we cannot assume that our knowledge or understanding is complete and free from error. On account of this, our opinions and perspectives must always be offered in a spirit of humility and with the request for the Holy Spirit to guide us in our speaking and in our listening to others. 3. All humans are made in the image of God.10 In Christ, we are being conformed to the image of Christ11 and we share in the one body of Christ.12 We “affirm the dignity of all people, male and female, because they are created in God’s image and called to be holy.”13 Furthermore, as members of the body of Christ, we belong to one another.14 No matter how passionate BWA members may be about an issue or a position they articulate, the conversation/dialogue must always be focused on principles and not on individuals, cultures, regions, nations, or denominational bodies. Our conversations, dialogues and debates must never degenerate into attacks on the personhood, humanity or the authenticity of one's Christian faith and commitment.15 4. We are all members of the one household of faith.16 We “declare that, through the Holy Spirit, we experience interdependence with those who share this dynamic discipleship of the church as the people of God.”17 As a world community of Baptist believers, we remain incomplete until we have vigorously sought to hear, understand, and respect the diverse viewpoints reflected by others, especially those persons from cultures that have been marginalized through material poverty 18
COVENANT ON INTRA-BAPTIST RELATIONSHIPS and the legacy of colonialism and imperialism. Therefore, we strive to avoid practices or conversations that perpetuate the dominance of one cultural perspective as providing the normative experience or theological perspective for all members of the BWA. 5. The members of the BWA celebrate the gift of language that reflects our rich diversity. Language is an index of one’s identity and affirms one’s history and culture. The BWA therefore, recognizes the need to provide for greater opportunities to assist members to hear and speak in their own languages.18 To that end, the BWA will seek to identify and employ a variety of tools that will contribute to make communication in various languages plausible and possible during our meetings. 6. We are called to love one another.19 By this, we demonstrate that we are Christ’s disciples.20 We believe that true unity and fellowship can never be achieved until relationships move beyond acknowledgment of, and respect for the other, and toward care and concern. Therefore, representatives attending BWA gatherings seek to develop lasting and meaningful relationships through thoughtful and prayerful conversations both within and outside of formal meetings. 7. We acknowledge that Baptists are known to have a wide range of opinions and perspectives on many issues including what constitutes “truth.” Yet, we love and accept one another.21 When we believe an opinion or perspective is seriously flawed, we challenge each other as beloved family members rather than as strangers and enemies. Even the correction of perceived errors must be done in love.22 8. We are committed to seeking the interests of each other.23 Therefore, we encourage and expect that, in situations where a person's point of view or perspective is not clearly articulated or understood, perhaps due to a language and/or cultural barrier, the person moderating the meeting will diligently and respectfully provide the speaker with the opportunity to clarify the point the speaker seeks to articulate. This will contribute to the ensuing conversation being focused on the intended meaning of statements rather than inaccurate presumptions about what was said. Each person who speaks during our meetings shall be free to conclude the point being made without unwarranted interruption, except by the moderator of the meeting when the requirement of gracious speech and proper decorum is violated. In our gatherings, everything should be done decently and in order. 24 All participants will respect the authority of the moderator and endeavor to respect the diversity and live into the unity that is the gift of the Holy Spirit to the BWA family.
Ocho Rios, Jamaica, July 2013
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COVENANT ON INTRA-BAPTIST RELATIONSHIPS ______________________________ 1
Preamble to BWA Constitution. BWA Vision Statement developed by the 21st Century Committee and adopted at the 19th Baptist World Congress in Birmingham, England, in 2005. 3 The statement on BWA clusters of commitment emerged in the deliberations of the 21 st Century Committee. 4 “Preamble” to BWA Constitution as approved at the inaugural congress in 1905. See The Baptist World Congress, London, July 11-19, 1905: Authorised Record of Proceedings, (London: Baptist Union Publication Department, 1905): 330-31. 5 1 Corinthians 12:12, 27; Romans 12:4. 6 Ephesians 4:3. 7 Matthew 19:26. 8 John 15:5. 9 Ephesians 2:5, 8; I Corinthians 13:9. 10 Genesis 1: 26-27. 11 Romans 8: 29. 12 Romans 12:4-5. 13 BWA Centennial Statement § 11. 14 Romans 12:5 15 See Colossians 4:6. 16 Galatians 6:10. 17 BWA Centennial Statement § 8. 18 See Acts 2: 5-12. 19 John 13:34; 1 John 4:7-12. 20 John 13:35. 21 Romans 15:7. 22 Ephesians 4:15. 23 Philippians 2:4. 24 1 Corinthians 14:40. 2
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GENERAL COUNCIL MEETING AGENDA BAPTIST WORLD ALLIANCE General Council Meeting Nassau, The Bahamas, July 9-11, 2019 SESSION ONE Tuesday, July 9, 2019 9:00 – 10:30 a.m. 9:00
Call to Order & Welcome
9:07
Prayer
9:10
Greetings from The Bahamas
9:20
Welcome by General Secretary
9:45
Adoption of Agenda
9:48
Confirmation of Minutes
9:50
President’s Report
10:15 Report of Resolutions Committee 10:30 Adjournment
SESSION TWO Wednesday, July 10, 2019 2:00 – 4:00 p.m. 2:00
Call to Order
2:02
General Secretary/Staff Report • Report • Discussion
3:30
Report of Membership Committee
3:45
Constitution & Bylaws Committee
4:00
Refreshment Break
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GENERAL COUNCIL MEETING AGENDA SESSION THREE Wednesday, July 10, 2019 4:30 – 6:30 p.m. 4:30
Report of Resolutions Committee
4:45
Report of Nominations Committee – Part 1: The Nominations Committee, 2019-2024 • Election of 3 General Council Representatives to the Nominations Committee
4:55
Financial Matters • BWA Audit, 2018 • BWA Budget, 2020
5:25
Report of Women’s Department
5:35
Report of Men’s Department
5:45
Report of Youth Department
5:55
Report of Congress Committee
6:10
Time of Remembrance: General Secretary Emeritus Denton Lotz
6:30
Adjournment SESSION FOUR Thursday, July 11, 2019 2:00 – 4:00 p.m.
2:00
Call to Order
2:02
Memorials
2:20
Presentation to Hosts
2:30
Nominations Committee Report – Part 2: Executive Committee, 2019-2022
2:40
Human Resources Committee
2:55
Baptists at Work in the Regions 2:55 CBF 3:05 APBF 3:15 AABF 22
GENERAL COUNCIL MEETING AGENDA 3:55
Report of BWA Awards Committee
4:10
Presentation of Denton and Janice Lotz Human Rights Award
4:00
Refreshment Break
SESSION FIVE Thursday, July 11, 2019 4:30 – 6:30 p.m. 4:30
Report of Resolutions Committee
4:50
Baptists at Work in the Regions 4:50 UBLA 5:00 NABF 5:10 EBF
5:20
Report of Nominations Committee – Part 3: The Officers
5:40
Time of Global Prayer
5:50
Future BWA Meetings • July 22, 2020: General Council Meetings, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil • July 22-26, 2020: Baptist World Alliance Celebration 2020, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
5:55
Other Matters • • •
6:05
Presentation of Christian Leadership Certificates
6:15
Commissioning Moment
6:20
President’s Closing Remarks & Benediction
6:30
Adjournment
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MINUTES OF THE JULY 2018 MEETING BAPTIST WORLD ALLIANCE General Council Meeting Minutes Zßrich, Switzerland, July 3-6, 2018 SESSION ONE Tuesday, July 3, 2018 9:00 – 10:30 a.m. Call to Order and Welcome First Vice President Jan Saethre called the meeting to order at 9:04 a.m. and welcomed General Council members and proxies in attendance. Greetings and Apologies Saethre conveyed greetings and apologies for absence on behalf of former BWA President Billy Kim; BWA Treasurer Carolyn Fossen; BWA Vice Presidents Jules Casseus, Michael Okwakol, Luiz Roberto Silvado, and Anslem Warrick; Past BWA General Secretary Neville Callam; Regional Secretary Parrish Jacome; Ross Clifford, Chair of the Constitution and Bylaws Committee; Melvin Harris, Chair of the Audit Committee; Judith Wanki, additional member; Joao Cesar, Baptist Convention of Angola; Edmilson Vila Nova, National Baptist Convention, Brazil; Siim Nigulas, Union of Evangelical Christians and Baptists of Estonia; Morris Siah, Liberia Baptist Missionary and Educational Convention, Inc.; Willy Ralambondrainy, Association of Bible Baptist Churches of Madagascar; Thang Cin Lian, Myanmar Baptist Convention; Vijay Thapa, Nepal Baptist Church Council; Ron Bobo, National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc.; David Hardage, Baptist General Convention of Texas; Suzii Paynter, Cooperative Baptist Fellowship; and Peter Mitskevich, Russian Union of Evangelical Christians-Baptists. The following General Council members were present at the meeting: President
Paul Msiza
General Secretary
Elijah Brown
First Vice President
Jan Saethre
Vice Presidents
Ernest Adu-Gyamfi Jerry Carlisle Miyon Chung Dimitrina Oprenova Jorge Quinteros Naomi Tyler-Lloyd
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MINUTES OF THE JULY 2018 MEETING Australia Baptist Union of Australia
Bill Brown Keith Jobberns
Austria Baptist Union of Austria
Walter Klimt
Bahamas Natl Bapt Missionary & Ed Convention
William Thompson
Brazil Brazilian Baptist Convention
Donaldo Guedes Santos
Bulgaria Baptist Union of Bulgaria
Teodor Oprenov
Canada Canadian Baptist Ministries
Malcolm Card Renee Embree Terry Smith
Denmark Baptist Union of Denmark
Lone Møller-Hansen
Estonia Union of Evan Chr & Bapt Chr of Estonia
Einike Pilli proxy for Siim Nigulas
France Federation of Evangelical Bapt Churches of France
Marc Deroeux
Germany Union of Evang Free Churches in Germany
Michael Noss Christoph Stiba
Ghana Ghana Baptist Convention
Ernest Adu-Gyamfi Enoch Thompson Philomena Wiredu
Hungary Baptist Union of Hungary
János Papp
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MINUTES OF THE JULY 2018 MEETING India Arunachal Baptist Church Council
Tage Donyi proxy for Changha Chippo
Baptist Church of Mizoram
Lalbiaksanga Chinzah Fanai Ramdinmawia
Lairam Jesus Christ Baptist Church
John H. Chinzah
Manipur Baptist Convention
Wungnaoting Konghar
Nagaland Baptist Church Council
Mhathung Lotha
Jamaica Jamaica Baptist Union
Karl B. Johnson
Korea Korea Baptist Convention
Miyon Chung Timothy H. Lee
Liberia Liberia Baptist Miss & Ed Conv Inc
Olu Menjay
Malaysia Malaysia Baptist Convention
John Kok
Netherlands Union of Bapt Chs in the Netherlands
Ingeborg Janssen-Teloo proxy for Albrecht Boerrigter
Nigeria Nigerian Baptist Convention
Moses Adebayo Samson Ayokunle Dawari George Emmanuel Kehinde Rachael Lateju Olubode Oke
Norway Baptist Union of Norway
Jan Saethre
Philippines Luzon Conv of Southern Baptist Churches, Inc.
Preciosa T. Caronongan
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MINUTES OF THE JULY 2018 MEETING Poland Baptist Union of Poland
Mateusz Wichary
Rwanda Reformed Baptist Convention in Rwanda
Josephena Masika proxy for Bashaka Faustin
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines St. Vincent Baptist Convention
Sylvester King
Serbia Union of Baptist Churches in Serbia
Dane Vidovic
South Africa Baptist Union of Southern Africa
Angelo Scheepers
Sweden Uniting Church in Sweden
Christer Daelander Sofia Camnerin proxy for Lasse Svensson
Switzerland Union of Swiss Baptist Churches
Stefan Gisger
Turkey Turkish Baptist Alliance
Ertan Cevik
Ukraine All-Ukrainian Union of Assoc of Evang Christian Baptists
Igor Bandura
United Kingdom Baptist Union of Great Britain
Lynn Green
Baptist Union of Scotland
Alan J. Donaldson
United States of America American Baptist Churches in the USA
Roy Medley Lee Spitzer
Baptist General Association of Virginia
Ann Brown Valerie Carter Jim Somerville
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MINUTES OF THE JULY 2018 MEETING Baptist General Convention of Missouri
Brian Ford Brian Kaylor Doyle Sager
Baptist General Convention of Texas
Patty Lane Chris Liebrum Josue Valerio
Cooperative Baptist Fellowship
Harry Rowland proxy for Suzii Paynter
District of Columbia Baptist Convention
Robert Cochran
National Baptist Convention of America, Inc. International S.C. Dixon Samuel Tolbert National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc.
Terrence Griffith William Thompson
Progressive National Baptist Conv Inc.
Wallace Charles Smith
Zomi Baptist Churches of America
Pau Kai
3 At-Large and Personal Member Representatives
Portia Tyler-Lloyd
Additional Members
John Beasy Johnathan Hemmings David Kerrigan Leo Thorne Steve Vernon
Auxiliaries and Youth Department Youth Department President Six (6) Ex-officio
Amanda Haines Adeoye Gbenga Adigun - Africa
Women’s Department President Additional Rep Six (6) Ex-officio
Ksenija Magda Marthe N. Ekollo - Africa Preciosa T. Caronongan - Asia Yvonne Pitter - Caribbean Aniko Ujvari - Europe TaNikka Sheppard - North America Amelia Gavidi - SW Pacific
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MINUTES OF THE JULY 2018 MEETING Men’s Department President
Ayoola Ayodele Badejo Dawari George - Africa Olubode Oke - Africa
Chairs of Standing Committees Baptist World Aid BWA Awards Congress Human Resources Membership Nominations Resolutions
Karl B. Johnson Regina Claas Jerry Carlisle John Upton Roy Medley Paul Msiza Tony W. Cartledge
Regional Fellowship Presiding Officers All Africa Baptist Fellowship Asia Pacific Baptist Fellowship Caribbean Baptist Fellowship European Baptist Federation North American Baptist Fellowship Union of Baptist in Latin America
Ernest Adu-Gyamfi Edwin Lam William Thompson Jenni Entrican Sam Tolbert Alberto Prokopchuk
Regional Secretaries All Africa Baptist Fellowship Asia Pacific Baptist Fellowship Caribbean Baptist Fellowship European Baptist Federation North American Baptist Fellowship
Duro Ayanrinola Vesekhoyi Tetseo Everton Jackson Tony Peck Jeremy Bell
Past BWA Presidents
David Coffey John Upton
Past BWA General Secretaries
Denton Lotz
Greetings Following a prayer led by Samson Ayokunle, General Secretary Elijah Brown invited the local hosts to bring greetings to the meeting. On behalf of the Swiss Baptist Union, Stefan Gisiger gave a warm welcome to attendees that included a history of the country and the union, as well as a gift to each attendee. Traditionally-dressed alpine horn players played for the meeting.
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MINUTES OF THE JULY 2018 MEETING Michel Müller brought greetings on behalf of the Evangelical Reformed Church of the Canton of Zürich, Federation of Swiss Protestant Churches, and the Community of Protestant Churches in Europe. He expressed pleasure in the BWA accepting the invitation to Zürich, and highlighted combined events celebrating the reformation journey that were scheduled for the week, including the service that evening at Huldrych Zwingli’s Grossmünster Church. Welcome by General Secretary The General Secretary thanked the hosts and greeted all attendees by emphasizing the transformative power of God’s Holy Word and how it cannot be chained. Brown stated that there were many around the world, including Baptist brothers and sisters, who were feeling the weight of God’s Word and those who would seek to chain it down. He noted that, since beginning in his position in January, one of his most moving experiences was the opportunity to stand with BWA Vice President Miyon Chung on the DMZ border of North and South Korea. He shared some reflections from the trip, including meeting with a North Korean defector, Siyon. Brown invited Chung to share with the meeting about the trip and both invited everyone to pray. Brown concluded by sharing his prayer that, throughout the Annual Gathering, everyone would embody a community that builds bridges to our history and our heritage, to one another in Jesus Christ, and to our shared future in ministry, for the Word of God is not chained.
Adoption of Agenda The General Council adopted the agenda on a motion moved by Jerry Carlisle and seconded by Regina Claas. Confirmation of Minutes On a motion by Karl Johnson, seconded by John Beasy, the General Council unanimously approved the minutes as presented. President’s Report First Vice President Jan Saethre invited President Paul Msiza to present his report to the General Council. Msiza thanked God for the smooth transition in the office of the General Secretary and celebrated the leadership of both past General Secretary Callam and current General Secretary Brown. He welcomed the two new BWA Regional Secretaries: APBF General Secretary Vesekhoyi (Vee) Tetseo and NABF General Secretary Jeremy Bell. He also welcomed the new General Director of BMS World Mission, Kang-San Tan. Msiza noted some highlights from his visits since the Bangkok Annual Gathering and how he was encouraged by witnessing the commitment of BWA member bodies to God’s mission. He challenged the BWA to continue to advocate against the evils of racism, tribalism, political dictatorship, terrorism, and patriarchal domination. President Msiza urged for the youth to be highlighted during the Baptist World Alliance Celebration 2020 and announced that he was
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MINUTES OF THE JULY 2018 MEETING optimistic about the final Task Force report. He thanked the staff and General Council members for their hard work and commitment to the BWA. President Msiza concluded by encouraging attendees to join the General Secretary and Treasurer in the drive to raise funds for the BWA by personally giving and inviting others to do so. On a motion by Lone Møller-Hansen, seconded by Brian Talbot, the General Council received the President’s Report. Following announcements, the meeting adjourned for the day at 10:37 a.m.
SESSION TWO Wednesday, July 4, 2018 9:00 – 10:30 a.m. Call to Order President Msiza called the meeting to order at 9:11 a.m. and invited First Vice President Saethre to pray. General Secretary’s Report General Secretary Brown began his first report by sharing that he wakes up every day grateful and humbled and excited to be part of this incredible, diverse family seeking impact for the glory of Jesus Christ. He announced that each year, the Annual Gathering will have a loose theme to give continuity to the worship and biblical reflections. These themes will follow BWA’s five ministry areas beginning this year by emphasizing worship, fellowship, and unity. Focusing on BWA’s mission statement, “Networking the Baptist family to impact the world for Christ,” General Secretary Brown spoke on three words that stood out to him: Christ, impact, and networking. He then invited attendees to share stories of how the BWA has had an impact on their lives. He showed a video produced by Ethics Daily that helped the BWA answer the question, “Who is the BWA?”, and reflected on two realities impacting Baptists around the world today.
The first reflection was that the BWA is currently living through the greatest global expansion the Baptist movement has ever known. He shared several statistics including that, in 1990, 15% of the BWA family were outside of Europe and North America. Today, 55% of the BWA family are outside of Europe and North America. He invited reflections on celebrating what the Lord is doing to move thousands of people into God’s kingdom. The second major impact he shared was the ongoing reality of religious persecution and religious restrictions, which deeply affect many. Scholars at the US Holocaust Museum, in
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MINUTES OF THE JULY 2018 MEETING collaboration with other genocide experts, maintain an annual dynamic list where government -sponsored mass killing including genocide is more than 50% likely to occur. If cross-indexed with BWA membership, 40% of all BWA Baptists, 18 million Baptists, live in a context where government-sponsored mass state killing up to the point of genocide is a real possibility – almost one out of every two Baptists in the world. General Secretary Brown asked how this should influence BWA’s perspective and action. He stated that the two impacts in our global reality – ongoing revival and ongoing persecution – were part of what drives the BWA to work so hard.
In relation to being hard at work, he gave some summations of the programmatic output of the Baptist World Alliance in the last 18 months, many of which were included in the newly formatted BWA end of year report: • US$450,000 distributed through BWAid grants • 12,000 received Baptist World magazine • 7,100 received monthly BWA Connect e-newsletter • 6,500 have personally heard someone from the BWA speak • 895 mobilized for greater prayer through the weekly BWA “Pray through the World Update” • 751 member bodies, churches, and individuals supported the BWA • 439 Baptist leaders participated as members of the 16 BWA Commissions • 107 new Christians among unreached villages in Nepal • 53 BWAid project grants directly impacted over 6,000 people • 30 leaders participated in Christian Worldwide Communion dialogues • 17 podcasts produced to help tell the story of what the Lord is doing through the BWA and BWA family • 14 languages the BWA Christmas message was translated into • 10 new churches planted in the Central African Republic, reaching 4,200 people • 8 individuals accredited for work at the United Nations (UN) • 8-week study developed for churches and individuals to connect their Easter worship to God’s call to global engagement • 6 offices on Capitol Hill engaged in direct advocacy • 4 mini-libraries given to strengthen 4 different theological institutions in India • 3 embassies and permanent missions to the UN visited: Kenya, Liberia, and South Korea • 3 new member bodies welcomed: Chad, Turkey, and United States • 64 countries directly touched by the BWA through pastoral visits, grants, and mobilization of Baptist leaders for international engagement General Secretary Brown highlighted that the BWA continues to hold the most internationally diverse Baptist Annual Gathering in the world, lead in evangelism and mission through programs such as the Baptist Fund for World Evangelization and Discipleship (BFWED),
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MINUTES OF THE JULY 2018 MEETING minister to practical aid needs around the world touching over 6,000 people in the last year, and work to advance religious freedom around the world in places like Nigeria and Bolivia. He noted BWA team member transitions that had occurred since he began his role and publicly thanked both Eron Henry and Ashley Becker for their years of service with the BWA. Brown spoke on how Henry’s influence was widely felt as he helped tell the story of what the Lord is doing through the BWA and through Baptist believers around the world as the Associate Director of Communications. New and strengthened relationships have occurred in 2018 and include the formation of a new initiative called the Baptist Forum on Aid and Development (BFAD) and a new Memorandum of Understanding with BWA Women that strengthened the ability to work together. General Secretary Brown spoke of the next year’s Baptist International Conference on Theological Education (BICTE) and how the emphasis will be HerStory and the role of women in the life of the BWA at all levels of leadership and service. He invited attendees to participate in BICTE and stay for the Annual Gathering. He also noted new initiatives, including Leadership Certificate tracks through each Annual Gathering and a major survey related to mission and evangelism that will be released later in 2018. As he celebrated these renewed partnerships, General Secretary Brown noted that there were three special recognitions that he needed to make. The first was to Dr. Neville Callam and his recommendation that Callam be given the honorary title of General Secretary Emeritus to recognize the exemplary work he pursued. The second was to Dallas Baptist University (DBU) and to President Adam Cook. DBU partnered with the BWA in March 2018 by providing financing and sending a team of DBU professionals to the BWA office to help renovate the second floor of the building. The third and final group he recognized was very special as it has been important to him to build upon BWA’s incredible past as the BWA grows into the future. The BWA staff researched whether there were member bodies who were present at the formation of the BWA in 1905 who continue to exist today in relationship with the BWA. While in the past 113 years some of these groups have changed names or have merged or taken on new iterations, General Secretary Brown wanted to recognize and celebrate these member bodies in a very special way through the formation of the 1905 Founders Circle. The following organizations were recognized as being inaugural members of the 1905 Founders Circle: American Baptist Churches in the USA; Baptist Union of Australia; Baptist Union of Denmark; Baptist Union of Great Britain; Baptist Union of Hungary; Baptist Union of Scotland; Baptist Union of Southern Africa; Canadian Baptist Ministries; Christian Evangelical Baptist Union of Italy; Irish Baptist Networks; Jamaica Baptist Union; Lott Carey Baptist Foreign Mission Society, USA; and National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc. He then turned his attention to calling for three actions. The first was to invite nominations for those to serve as BWA’s 2020-2025 President and Vice Presidents. He asked for prayers and announced that the deadline for submitting nominations was August 31, 2018.
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MINUTES OF THE JULY 2018 MEETING The second action General Secretary Brown gave was, as we lean into the many opportunities the Lord is continuing to bring to the BWA, the proposed the launch of a US$2.5 million twoyear campaign called Together 2020. There are two parts to this campaign: The first part was an effort to raise from member bodies, churches, and individuals US$2.5 million and to celebrate that achievement during the 2020 Celebration in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Like other denominations, the BWA has been facing significant funding changes and new financial models. The second part was to build on the 2.5 and to ask if in the next two years the BWA could have an increase of 25% participation – 25% more member bodies participating, 25% more churches, and 25% more individuals.
He answered a question about the focus group of the campaign, stating that it was meant for member bodies, churches, and individuals, and that donations for the campaign were already being accepted. On a motion by General Secretary Brown, seconded by Jerry Carlisle, the General Council unanimously affirmed the launch of the US$2.5 million Together 2020 campaign. He publicly thanked Albert Reyes and Buckner International for becoming the inaugural associate member since he began as General Secretary and for making the inaugural gift as part of this Together 2020 Campaign, having given a US$10,000 gift. As the third action item, General Secretary Brown introduced the report of the completed dialogue with the World Methodist Council entitled, “Faith Working Through Love.” He thanked Curtis Freeman who chaired the BWA dialogue team and the other participants in this process and noted that General Council members had received an electronic copy of this report. On Monday the Commission on Christian Education and Nurture hosted an hour presentation on this dialogue. After commending the reading of this report to the BWA family, he asked dialogue participant Valerie Duval-Poujol to share about her experience participating in the process. On a motion by General Secretary Brown, seconded by Olu Menjay, the General Council unanimously received the report of the Baptist-Methodist dialogue.
Brown concluded the report by expressing his gratitude for journeying together and that he believed in what the Lord was going to continue to do through the life of the BWA in the days ahead. He ended by announcing a new tradition of celebrating the BWA birthday at the Annual Gathering. On a motion by Lee Spitzer, seconded by Tomás Mackey, the General Council received the General Secretary’s Report.
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MINUTES OF THE JULY 2018 MEETING Trisha Miller Manarin led the attendees in singing Happy Birthday to the BWA to mark the 113th birthday of the BWA. President Msiza announced the break and that the meeting would resume at 11:00 a.m.
SESSION THREE Wednesday, July 4, 2018 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Resolutions Committee Report Tony Cartledge, Chair of the Resolutions Committee, outlined the process for submitting resolutions and Resolution Committee’s reports to the General Council meetings in Zürich. He explained that the draft resolutions would be emailed to all persons attending the Annual Gathering and would also be posted on a notice board outside the conference room. He stated that 6:00 p.m. July 4 was the deadline for anyone submitting new draft resolutions to the Committee. The same deadline was given for sending suggestions for amendments to the proposed resolutions. Cartledge then advised the meeting of three pending resolutions and their wording. The resolutions were entitled: 1. Resolution on the Freedom of Religion in the Lugansk Region in Eastern Ukraine 2. Resolution Opposing Violence and Abuse of Women and Girls 3. Resolution on Preserving the Primacy of Family in Immigration Membership Committee Report Roy Medley, Chair of the Membership Committee, reported that the Executive Committee had voted to commend one application to the General Council for approval. He presented the overview of the application from St. Vincent Baptist Convention. Medley noted that the convention, organized in 1982, is already a member of the Caribbean Baptist Fellowship and the Jamaica Baptist Union wrote to support the application. He moved for the acceptance of St. Vincent Baptist Convention into BWA membership. Following the motion being seconded by Karl Johnson, the St. Vincent Baptist Convention was unanimously accepted into BWA membership. On behalf of the Council, President Msiza welcomed Sylvester King, President of St. Vincent Baptist Convention, to the front where the group was publicly welcomed into the BWA. King shared how the convention was glad to join the BWA and that they had just planted a new church. Karl Johnson offered a prayer for the new member body.
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MINUTES OF THE JULY 2018 MEETING Financial Matters Audit Committee Report Jan Saethre, on behalf of Audit Committee Chair Melvin Harris, reported that the committee met in June 2018 with the responsible UHY, LLP Principal to review the draft 2017 financial statements and to hear the report on the results of the audit. The audit firm issued an unmodified opinion on the financial statements and the Audit Committee had accepted the 2017 audited financial statements. The audit firm also issued a report on internal control matters, noting that they did not identify any deficiencies in internal control that were considered to be material weaknesses. The Audit Committee reviewed the letter covering matters required by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants to be communicated by independent public accountants to those charged with governance in overseeing the financial reporting process. The auditors reported they had proposed no audit adjustments; there were no disagreements with management concerning a financial accounting, reporting, or auditing matter; and no significant difficulties were encountered in performing and completing the audit. Saethre stated that a copy of the full 2017 audited financial statement was available. The General Council unanimously adopted the Audit Committee’s report on a motion moved and seconded by Chris Liebrum and Amanda Haines, respectively. Budget and Finance Committee BWA Comptroller Monica Teal presented the budget for 2019 with John Jones, former BWA Treasurer, as found on page 80 of the Annual Gathering Report Book. Teal indicated that this was a unified budget, a change requested by General Secretary Brown. Jones stated that it would be good for the number of contributions to increase. On a motion seconded by Naomi Tyler-Lloyd, the General Council unanimously adopted the 2019 budget as presented. Update from President’s Task Force President Msiza reviewed the process where, for the past two years, BWA member agencies involved in aid and development had been pursuing an approach aimed at enabling their work to be better coordinated, and reminded General Council members that this Task Force had been formed to meet with these agencies. He stated that, at the March 2018 meeting, the Executive Committee had approved the creation of the Baptist Forum for Aid and Development (BFAD) as a network of Baptist Agencies and other entities involved in aid and development. The coordination of BFAD sits within BWAid and, when hired, the BWAid Director will adopt the role of facilitator of BFAD. The members of those who had been working on the creation of BFAD were invited forward: Paul Msiza, Chair David Kerrigan, Facilitator Ross Clifford (absent)
Rachel Conway-Doel John Hickey Karl Johnson
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Dean Miller Jan Saethre Terry Smith
MINUTES OF THE JULY 2018 MEETING Several individuals involved in the process spoke in favor BFAD, stating that it provided a space for all actors. David Kerrigan was thanked for his role as Facilitator and they shared that the next step was to determine the operational side of BFAD. General Secretary Brown will chair the committee moving forward with a planning meeting scheduled for October. A question was raised on how the General Council could ratify the creation of BFAD without seeing the final report from the President’s Task Force. On a motion seconded by Lone Møller-Hansen, the General Council ratified the creation of BFAD with one member opposing. Attendees were invited to a BFAD session later that day that would be an informal time of question and answer. Report of Women’s Department Ksenija Magda, President of the Women’s Department (WD), reminded attendees that since October 1, 2017 the WD has had an Interim Executive Director, Moreen Sharp from Canada, which meant a big part of the work needs had finally been met. She expressed gratitude to Sharp and stated that they hoped that the position could be maintained. Magda voiced appreciation to the continental presidents who were finishing their dedicated service: Precy Caronongan, from Asia; Sara de Barrios, from Latin America; and Aniko Ujvari, from Europe.
Magda continued by sharing her pleasure in the recently signed Memorandum of Understanding between the BWA and the Women’s Department. She emphasized the excitement, freedom, and relief in a closer relationship with less walls between the two bodies and stated that a further report on new avenues of collaboration would be given to the BWA Executive Committee meeting in March 2019. Magda spoke of how preparations for their conference in Rio in 2020 had already begun with the help and cooperation of the Brazilian Baptist women. The event, with the theme, LIFE!, should be a wonderful time that will enlarge and flow over into the BWA Celebration 2020. On a motion by Naomi Tyler-Lloyd, seconded by Tomás Mackey, the General Council received the report of the Women’s Department.
General Secretary’s Global Leadership Council Brown announced the creation of a General Secretary’s Global Leadership Council to honor leaders who have had a long term significant impact on the life of BWA and global Baptists. He announced Past President David Coffey as the inaugural member of the Global Leadership Council and that Past President Billy Kim would be inducted when he next attended a General Council meeting. General Secretary Brown shared Coffey’s bio with the attendees. He read two written tributes that had been sent in by BWA supporters Nabil Costa and Blake Killingsworth that thanked Coffey for his dedicated ministry. A custom stole was conveyed to Coffey, who
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MINUTES OF THE JULY 2018 MEETING expressed gratitude for the honor, and Everton Jackson prayed for him. Brown stated that more individuals, including Kim, would be named to the General Secretary’s Global Leadership Council. The meeting adjourned for the day at 12:19 p.m.
SESSION FOUR Thursday, July 5, 2018 9:00 – 10:30 a.m. President Paul Msiza called the meeting to order at 9:06 a.m. and opened the meeting with prayer. He welcomed General Council members attending the Annual Gathering for the first time. Baptist Forum for Aid and Development (BFAD) General Secretary Brown spoke in favor of BFAD, noting that a BWAid Director will adopt the role of coordinator or facilitator of BFAD as soon as practically possible and that, in the meantime, Brown would be the chair of the Roundtable since the leadership of the network falls within the BWA. Brown voiced his full support of BFAD and how he was pleased that the BFAD Core Team will have representation from the Global South and North and female and male with theological expertise as well as others with aid and development skills. Congress Committee Report Congress Committee Chair Jerry Carlisle reminded attendees that the next Baptist World Congress, Celebration 2020, would be at Rio Centro in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, July 22-26, 2020, with the theme, “Together.” The meeting will be a new kind of gathering as Baptist World Youth and the traditional BWA Congress will meet and that this format meant a new kind of Congress Committee, as youth and adult leaders and regional leaders envision and plan together under the leadership of the Holy Spirit. He shared about the work of Congress Director Carolina Mangieri, General Secretary Brown, the Congress Committee, and the Local Arrangements Committee. Carlisle noted with pleasure the addition of Jeff Carter to the BWA staff to work in Congress mobilization and coordination of the youth and children’s tracks for the Gathering. Additionally, there had been an unprecedented level of cooperation with the planners of the BWA Women’s event for 2020 with positive effects caused by the increased synergy and economies of scale in working together to coordinate schedules, spaces, and contracts. Carlisle spoke of the venue and that payments were currently being made on an annual basis so that all rental fees for Rio Centro would be paid by the time of the Celebration and that Brazilian Baptists had taken responsibility for a massive outdoor evangelistic event on the
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MINUTES OF THE JULY 2018 MEETING Saturday. Five sub-themes had been decided on to focus the program planning for each day of Celebration 2020. The subthemes were “Together” in: (1) Diversity, (2) Community, (3) Mission, (4) Witness, and (5) Hope. Carlisle noted that the subthemes were also meant to guide BWA through the next quinquennium. He gave other updates on the Congress, including plans for prayer teams, caregiving for participants, and the hope that we would celebrate surpassing the US$2.5 million goal of the Together 2020 Giving Campaign. Carlisle concluded by quoting a 1960 banner from the last BWA Congress in Rio de Janeiro, “We want YOU in Rio!”
President Msiza thanked Carlisle and stated that he looked forward to being “Together” at Celebration 2020. Resolutions Committee Report Resolutions Committee Chair Tony Cartledge thanked attendees for their feedback, especially to those who don’t speak English as their first language, and outlined the changes to resolutions presented the previous day. Cartledge explained that draft resolutions would be emailed again to all persons attending the Gathering and would also be posted on a notice board outside the conference room. As with the previous day, Cartledge stated that 6:00 p.m. was the deadline for sending suggestions for amendments to the three pending resolutions. He noted that the three resolutions would be brought for vote to the General Council the following day. Prayer General Secretary Brown invited attendees to pray in small groups for the issues raised in the proposed resolutions, as well as for other matters facing Baptists around the world. Nominations Committee Report President Msiza, as Chair of the Nominations Committee, presented the following additional nominees for service within BWA: Executive Committee 2018-2021 Lynn Green Melvin Harris Thomas Klammt Suzii Paynter On the motion of the Nominations Committee, seconded by Karl Johnson, the General Council unanimously affirmed these persons to serve on the Executive Committee.
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MINUTES OF THE JULY 2018 MEETING Other General Council Members Joina Dhlula Thomas Klammt Tim McCoy On the motion of the Nominations Committee, seconded by Naomi Tyler-Lloyd, the General Council unanimously affirmed these persons to serve on the General Council. Msiza noted that there was a new Vice Chair of the Commission on Religious Liberty and that further commission additions were listed in the BWA Yearbook. He also gave an overview of the Officers Search Process for the 2020-2025 quinquennium. He reminded attendees again that the call for nominations for President and Vice Presidents was distributed in April and the deadline was August 31, 2018. Nomination forms were available for completion at the Annual Gathering. Msiza stated that the process for naming individuals to serve on the 2019-2024 Nominations Committee was underway. The names of these representatives of the regions and the General Council would be brought to the July 2019 meeting. A call for nominations for the 2020-2025 committees and commissions will be distributed in April 2019. The General Council received the report of the Nominations Committee and Jan Saethre thanked President Msiza. BWA Awards Committee Report Regina Claas, Chair of the BWA Awards Committee, stated that, having discussed possibilities for how to inspire member bodies to take up the challenges of the awards and break it down into practical action for the local churches and national member bodies, during the award ceremony this year they would present some simple ideas on how to learn from the awardee’s work and implement these learnings in local churches. Claas shared that the Awards Committee was excited about the new BWA - Kowloon International Baptist Church Evangelism Award, established to honor innovative initiatives and fresh and creative approaches to evangelism. The Awards Committee was concerned about the funding of the existing Human Rights Awards and were in discussion with the General Secretary about this matter. Nominations for both awards, which will be presented at the Congress in 2020, will be distributed in March 2019 with a deadline for submitting completed forms by September 30, 2019. Nominations for the 2019 Denton and Janice Lotz Human Rights Award are due by November 30, 2018.
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MINUTES OF THE JULY 2018 MEETING Presentation of Denton and Janice Lotz Human Rights Award Jeremy Bell, Vice Chair of the BWA Awards Committee, read the citation in honor of Christer Daelander of Sweden, recipient of the Denton and Janice Lotz Human Rights Award for 2018. The citation praised Daelander’s outstanding work as a passionate advocate for human rights and religious freedom for many years. President Msiza presented the award to Daelander, who responded by thanking the BWA for the honor and noting the support and teamwork of BWA; European Baptist Federation (EBF); Uniting Church in Sweden; and his wife, Barbro. He challenged attendees that, “Jesus’ calling to all of us is to work for liberation on every level of life: spiritually, physical, mentally, intellectually, and socio-economically. One basic freedom for all human life is freedom of religion or belief – a freedom we as Baptists promote for all people.” Attendees were encouraged to take the following action items, inspired by Daelander’s ministry: • • •
Pray for Christer Daelander, his ministry, and other EBF/BWA leaders advocating for religious freedom Pray for reforms in nations where there were violations of religious freedom Become informed and engaged in religious freedom advocacy in order to speak out in their own local and national contexts (see: forb-learning.org)
President Msiza thanked the Awards Committee. The meeting adjourned for the day at 10:32 a.m. The Forum on International Religious Freedom began immediately afterward.
SESSION FIVE Friday, July 6, 2018 9:00 – 10:30 a.m. President Msiza called the meeting to order at 9:23 a.m. and invited Wale Hudson-Roberts to pray. Memorials Leo Thorne led the Council in the Memorial Act for persons who had served in BWA-related positions and had passed away since the Bangkok General Council meetings (see Appendix I). Marly Caruso Teixeira provided vocal accompaniment during the time of remembrance.
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MINUTES OF THE JULY 2018 MEETING Human Resources Committee Report John Upton, Chair of the Human Resources (HR) Committee, reported that they had been active since the General Council met last and highlighted several significant changes in the life of the BWA that the committee had participated in during the past year: 1. The first significant change was the transition of General Secretaries. Upton noted that it was a smooth transition and expressed appreciation to both Neville Callam and Elijah Brown, as well as the BWA staff, for their diligence in helping make the transition time as smooth as possible. The staff was instrumental in organizing the retirement celebrations for Callam and in welcoming Brown to the BWA office. 2. He also spoke about how Brown came into the office with much energy and enthusiasm for the vision and purpose of the BWA and has not slowed down since. The HR Committee worked closely with him as he transitioned to the new role, settled his family more permanently in the D.C. area, and as he envisioned the immediate and distant future of the BWA. 3. The HR Committee has also continued to edit and bring clarity to the revised HR Manual, having waited until the new General Secretary was in place to assist with the Manual before completing the task. Upton thanked John Beasy and Elaine Smith for leading the committee through this process and shared that the committee voted to create a separate Operations Manual, which will contain much of the day-to-day items, to accompany a streamlined HR Manual. Upton reported that there have been two Regional Secretary changes and several staff job description changes since the General Council met in Bangkok. Both regions followed the process for selecting Regional Secretaries as outlined in the BWA Constitution and he welcomed Jeremy Bell from North America Baptist Fellowship and Vesekhoi (Vee) Tetseo from the Asia Pacific Baptist Federation. 4. Upton continued by stating that several staff changes had occurred since the General Council met in Bangkok. The position of Associate Communications Director was eliminated, and the position of Director of Communications and Media created. A committee was appointed to hold interviews for that position. The BWA was very fortunate to have member bodies partnering with the BWA to generate needed staff positions. Canadian Baptist Ministries, partnering with the BWA, created the position of Director of HORIZONS and Congress Mobilization. Two new job specifications were also approved by the HR Committee: Director of Relationship Mobilization (Divisions of Promotion and Development and Communications) and Director of Integral Mission. 5. The HR Committee in the March meeting heard the completed report of the Executive Task Group on BWA Staffing. Upton stated that the HR Committee voted to express their support of the recommendations of the report and voted to express appreciation to Ross Clifford and the Task Group for their excellent work.
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MINUTES OF THE JULY 2018 MEETING Upton concluded by bringing forth a recommendation on behalf of the HR Committee to honor Neville Callam with the title of General Secretary Emeritus. Elijah Brown had also presented this recommendation to the Executive Committee meeting in March, where it was approved. On a motion seconded by Olu Menjay, the General Council unanimously agreed to honor Neville Callam with the title of General Secretary Emeritus. Constitution and Bylaws Committee Report David Kerrigan, Vice Chair of the Constitution and Bylaws Committee (CBC), reported on behalf of CBC Chair Ross Clifford, who was not able to attend the General Council meeting. Kerrigan shared that the CBC had focused on the relationship of the auxiliaries to the BWA. These matters would continue to be discussed by the CBC as they look at possible implications to the Constitution and Bylaws. A proposal has been finalized with the BWA Women’s Department. He stated that the CBC had asked all chairs of the committees of the General Council and Executive Committee how effective their charter was and if any changes were recommended. The CBC will continue to monitor the charters. Kerrigan also gave notice of the following proposed amendment to the Constitution: “Resolved that clause IX, paragraph 3 of the BWA Constitution be deleted.” Current text: IX. FUNCTIONS OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Subject to the authority reserved to the General Council in accordance with Article VII of this Constitution and applicable laws, the business, property, affairs and funds of the Alliance shall be managed, supervised and controlled by the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee shall fulfill its oversight responsibilities in furtherance of the purposes and objectives of the Alliance and shall provide regular reports to the General Council regarding its deliberations and actions. In the event of the BWA General Secretary post becoming vacant, the Executive Committee, in consultation with the Chair of the Human Resources Committee, shall be responsible for appointing a search committee who shall make a recommendation for appointment to the General Council.
In the event of an elected BWA Staff Director post becoming vacant, the General Secretary, in consultation with the Chair of the Human Resources Committee, shall appoint a search committee and make a recommendation for appointment to the Executive Committee. Elected BWA Staff Directors are elected with anticipation of service until the conclusion of the ensuing Baptist World Congress and may be re-elected by the Executive Committee.
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MINUTES OF THE JULY 2018 MEETING Proposed text: IX. FUNCTIONS OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Subject to the authority reserved to the General Council in accordance with Article VII of this Constitution and applicable laws, the business, property, affairs and funds of the Alliance shall be managed, supervised and controlled by the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee shall fulfill its oversight responsibilities in furtherance of the purposes and objectives of the Alliance and shall provide regular reports to the General Council regarding its deliberations and actions.
In the event of the BWA General Secretary post becoming vacant, the Executive Committee, in consultation with the Chair of the Human Resources Committee, shall be responsible for appointing a search committee who shall make a recommendation for appointment to the General Council. On behalf of the CBC, Kerrigan gave notice of the adoption of the following amendment to the BWA Constitution: “Resolved that the sentence ‘The General Secretary shall be responsible for staff appointments’ be added to article VI, section 4 of the Bylaws.” Current Text: ARTICLE VI: OFFICERS OF THE BWA, 4. GENERAL SECRETARY The General Secretary shall be the chief executive officer of the BWA. The General Secretary shall be accountable to the Executive Committee and shall in general supervise and control all of the business and affairs of the BWA. The General Secretary shall be primarily responsible for achieving the overall objectives of the BWA within the framework of policies and objectives approved by the Executive Committee, and within the delegated authority and responsibilities set forth in a job description developed and approved by the Executive Committee and confirmed by the General Council. Proposed Text: ARTICLE VI: OFFICERS OF THE BWA, 4. GENERAL SECRETARY The General Secretary shall be the chief executive officer of the BWA. The General Secretary shall be accountable to the Executive Committee and shall in general supervise and control all of the business and affairs of the BWA. The General Secretary shall be primarily responsible for achieving the overall objectives of the BWA within the framework of policies and objectives approved by the Executive Committee, and within the delegated authority and responsibilities set forth in a job description developed and approved by the Executive Committee and confirmed by the General Council. The General Secretary shall be responsible for staff appointments. Both motions will be brought to the General Council meeting in 2019 for decision.
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MINUTES OF THE JULY 2018 MEETING Kerrigan reminded the General Council of the notice of motion from the 2017 meeting that was to be voted on at this meeting. The following proposed amendment to the BWA Constitution would, if approved, be added as a third paragraph to Article VIII: Executive Committee: In special circumstances, the President, in consultation with the General Secretary, may appoint up to three additional individuals to serve on both the General Council and the Executive Committee. Such appointees shall be presented for ratification at the subsequent General Council meeting and shall serve for a term of three years, renewable for a second three-year term. The General Council unanimously approved the amendment as presented. President Msiza, in consultation with the General Secretary, appointed John Beasy to serve on the Executive Committee for a term of three years. The General Council unanimously ratified the appointment. Men’s Department Report Men’s Department President Ayoola Badejo stated that the department keeps growing with excitement. The Men’s World Day of Prayer and Witness outline and meeting program were distributed in English, French, and Hausa, and the April 28 date was a success. The same was true with devotional material. Noting the Men’s Department meeting at the 2017 Annual Gathering, he appealed again for the Annual Gathering schedule to be amended to include a time for the departments to hold parallel meetings so that all the men attending the Annual Gathering may come together for a few hours. He also shared that Samson Fatokun was elected to serve as the Men’s Department Secretary. Finally, Badejo urged for all six BWA regions to be represented in the Men’s Department leadership and for the Men’s Department to have an official representative on the Executive Committee. He reiterated that the Men’s Department wanted to be more responsive and live up to its mandate in the coming years.
Baptists at Work in the BWA Regions, 2017-2018 Regional Secretary Vee Tetseo, on behalf of the Asia Pacific Baptist Federation, gave a summary presentation based on his published report that appears in the General Council Report Book. Youth Department Report Youth Department President Amanda Haines reported on the work of the department in the absence of a Youth Director. She highlighted the Youth World Day of Prayer that was held in
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MINUTES OF THE JULY 2018 MEETING June. Haines gave an overview of the Baptist Youth Regional Gatherings, both past and upcoming. She introduced the Youth Regional Representatives and invited attendees to get to know the Youth Leadership Team. Haines spoke of the excitement and participation in the planning of Baptist World Alliance Celebration 2020 as the Youth Department moves forward into the future. President Msiza announced the break and that the meeting would resume at 10:50 a.m.
SESSION SIX Friday, July 6, 2018 10:50 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. President Msiza called the meeting back to order at 10:54 a.m. Resolutions Committee Report On behalf of the Resolutions Committee, Tony Cartledge presented the resolutions for the General Council’s approval. Following one question raised about the third resolution, the General Council took the following decisions: 1. On a motion seconded by Tony Peck, the General Council unanimously adopted the Resolution on the Freedom of Religion in the Lugansk Region in Eastern Ukraine. 2. On a motion seconded by Karl Johnson, the General Council unanimously adopted the Resolution Opposing Violence and Abuse of Women and Girls 3. On a motion seconded by Brian Kaylor and Wallace Charles Smith, the General Council adopted the Resolution on Preserving the Primacy of Family in Immigration, with two abstentions. The approved resolutions are appended to these minutes (Appendix II). President Msiza and the General Council thanked the Resolutions Committee for distributing the draft resolutions so that all members could read them and give feedback prior to the vote. Baptists at Work in the BWA Regions, 2017-2018 The Regional Secretaries gave a summary presentation based on their published reports that appear in the General Council Report Book. Presenters were Alberto Prokopchuk on behalf of Parrish Jacome, Union of Baptists in Latin America; Jeremy Bell, North American Baptist Fellowship; Helle Liht, Jenni Entrican, Tony Peck, and Sven-Joonatan Siibak, European Baptist Federation; Everton Jackson, Caribbean Baptist Fellowship; and Duro Ayanrinola, All Africa Baptist Fellowship.
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MINUTES OF THE JULY 2018 MEETING Future BWA Meetings Carolina Mangieri reminded the General Council of the following upcoming meetings: th • July 5-7, 2019: 9 Baptist International Conference on Theological Education, Nassau, Bahamas • July 8-13, 2019: Annual Gathering, Nassau, Bahamas • July 22, 2020: General Council Meetings, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil • July 22-26, 2020: Baptist World Alliance Celebration 2020, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Mangieri also gave a report on the Annual Gathering in numbers, stating that 320 people from 46 nations and 51 member bodies with 95 General Council delegates and 225 other participants were present. She stated proposals were now being accepted for 2021-2024 Annual Gatherings and the 2025 Congress. Mangieri concluded by thanking the Annual Gathering attendees and staff for making the week a success. Trisha Miller Manarin, Coordinator for the Division on Mission, Evangelism and Justice (MEJ), announced that 12 people from eight different countries and five BWA regional bodies had completed the Certificate in Christian Leadership that was offered for the first time during this Annual Gathering. She stated that the intent of the Certificate was to intentionally engage attendees in the “heart work” of the 16 commissions of the MEJ Division. The 12 awardees, who were required to be part of five commission sessions offered by the various commissions and not to include more than two sessions from any one commission, were each presented with a certificate by Manarin to take home. Commissioning Moment General Secretary Brown thanked all members of the BWA Team for their hard work and sacrifice, highlighting the great job done by Carolina Mangieri in organizing the Annual Gathering. He also thanked First Vice President Jan Saethre for helping chair the General Council meetings and Lone Møller-Hansen, who was rotating off of the BWA Executive Committee, for her dedicated service. Brown praised Baptist Heritage and Identity Commission Chair Karen Bullock and the entire commission for planning and organizing the special tours throughout the week. Baptist Worship and Spirituality Commission members, including Steve Millington, were also thanked by Brown for helping prepare and implement worship during the Annual Gathering.
Brown highlighted the ecumenical events during the week, including the service at the Grossmünster Church; and thanked the Swiss hosts, from both the Swiss Baptist Union and the Evangelical Reformed Church of the Canton of Zürich, for their hospitality. He concluded by appealing for attendees to go do something courageous for the sake of God. President’s Closing Remarks and Benediction President Msiza urged attendees to continue to hold together in unity, found in Jesus Christ, that was felt during the week’s meetings, and to work together within the BWA to continue to
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MINUTES OF THE JULY 2018 MEETING serve the Lord. He challenged all those present to participate in the Together 2020 campaign and to begin preparing to bring delegations to the Baptist World Alliance Celebration 2020 in Rio de Janeiro. Msiza expressed appreciation to all Annual Gathering participants, offered a prayer, and pronounced the benediction. Adjournment The General Council meeting adjourned at 12:35 p.m.
Recorded and submitted by Julie Justus July 2018
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MINUTES OF THE JULY 2018 MEETING Appendix I: Memorials Francis Iliya Bakut, Nigeria William (Billy) Franklin Graham, Jr., USA Margaret Jarman, UK Violet Mosse-Brown, Jamaica Harrison Taylor Pendley, USA Doyle Pennington, USA Norman Smith, USA Jacob Yeguri, India
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MINUTES OF THE JULY 2018 MEETING Appendix II: Resolutions 2018-1 Resolution on the Freedom of Religion in the Lugansk region in eastern Ukraine The Baptist World Alliance General Council, meeting in Zurich, Switzerland, July 2-6, 2018: EXPRESSES concern that that the situation for religious communities is precarious in the eastern part of Ukraine – the Lugansk region. The region is part of a conflict area now widely understood to be under the control of Russia, which has recognized the area as “The Lugansk Peoples Republic (LPR).” Recently the LPR launched a law on religion (LPR law #211-II “On the freedom of conscience and religious associations”) from 02/02/2018. This law violates universal human rights, restricts religious freedom, and threatens the existence of existing religious groups and organizational networks; REGRETS that all religious organizations within the LPR, except the Moscow Patriarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC), must now prove their loyalty to LPR authorities through a reregistration procedure in order to maintain their legal status. This includes an obligation for all religious organizations to report in detail their activities; NOTES that these limitations and regulations are violating Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 18 of the International Convention of Civil and Political Rights, and Article 9 of the European Convention on Human Rights; AFFIRMS our commitment as Baptists to the biblical concept that all people are created in God’s image and endowed with freedom to worship and practice their religion according to the dictates of their own hearts; URGES the Lugansk Peoples Republic, regarding Baptist and other churches, to change the law in order to make it compatible with Freedom of Religion or Belief as stated in the international declarations, conventions, and agreements; ENCOURAGES the Russian Republic to influence the Lugansk Peoples Republic to change the law in order to make it compatible with full Freedom of Religion or Belief; and CALLS upon the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief to gather information on the situation in the Lugansk region and to visit the Lugansk area and the authorities in order to put pressure on them to change the law.
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MINUTES OF THE JULY 2018 MEETING 2018-2 Resolution Opposing Violence and Abuse of Women and Girls The Baptist World Alliance General Council, meeting in Zurich, Switzerland, July 2-6: AFFIRMS that women and girls are created in the image of God and invested with inestimable worth and dignity as gifts from God, and are essential to the health and vitality of families, churches, communities, and national life;
ACKNOWLEDGES that the church has at times stood silent or has been guilty of perpetuating biblical and theological interpretations regarding women and girls that render them vulnerable to violence and abuse in the home, the church, and society; and hinder their ability to live into the fulness of God; NOTES that harassment and violence against women and girls worldwide are immoral and antithetical to the freedom of all people as expressed in the Gospel, and that the church has too often been guilty of abusing and demeaning women and girls and of covering up instances of abuse; RECOGNIZES that the #MeToo movement has been catalytic in calling attention to the harassment and violence toward women and girls; CALLS the BWA member bodies to: • • • • •
Enhance the appreciation of the worth and dignity of women and girls in all aspects of family, church life, and in society; Develop programs, policies, and practices that safeguard and empower women and girls; Provide access to counseling and safe places for women and girls who are victims of abuse; Ensure a system of transparent accountability that includes reporting of suspected abuse to appropriate authorities both inside and outside the church; Design and implement culturally contextualized curricula to educate ministerial leadership and congregations about the multi-faceted problem of violence on women and girls and processes to prevent such violence.
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MINUTES OF THE JULY 2018 MEETING 2018-3 Resolution on Preserving the Primacy of Family in Immigration The Baptist World Alliance General Council, meeting in Zurich, Switzerland, July 2-6, 2018: RECOGNIZES that the human desire to preserve and protect one’s family from violence, disease, economic depravity, and other threatening conditions is universal and drives millions of people to leave their homelands seeking better lives for themselves and their family members; AFFIRMS the clear biblical mandate to welcome the stranger and for followers of Jesus to respond with love and justice to the plight of immigrants, migrants, and refugees (Micah 6:8; Matt. 22:34-40, 25:35, 40; Rom. 12:13; Heb. 13:1-3.); ASSERTS our belief that God created the family as the primary social unit, and that families are integral to a healthy society; REAFFIRMS our past resolutions noting our position on the rights and dignity of immigrants, migrants, and refugees, including those adopted in 2013, 2016, and 2017; LAMENTS recent actions by the U.S. government that separated more than 2,000 migrant children from the parents, many of whom remain in detention even as their parents have already been deported; REJECTS claims by some U.S. government officials that the Bible justifies a policy of forced separation of families, and urges the U.S. government to work toward reuniting each family and prevent such separations in the future; CALLS upon individuals, churches, and religious organizations to be involved in immigration issues supporting the primacy of family solidarity; ENCOURAGES all Baptists to prophetically challenge immoral policies that seek to undermine the rights and dignity of immigrants, migrants, and refugees; and
URGES all governments to follow international law regarding the proper treatment of immigrants, migrants, and refugees, and to uphold the primacy of the family unit.
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PRESIDENT’S REPORT President’s Report Report to the BWA General Council July 9-11, 2019 Paul Msiza, President
We give honour and praises to God our Father, our Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit for the grace that carried us through 2018. In the words of King David in Psalm 111:1-3:
(1) Praise the LORD. I will extol the LORD with all my heart in the council of the upright and in the assembly. (2) Great are the works of the LORD; they are pondered by all who delight in them. (3) Glorious and majestic are his deeds, and his righteousness endures forever. Indeed, we have a reason to celebrate even with so many challenges that we are facing these days. The goodness of the LORD out shines all the negatives that we see all around and for that reason praises to the LORD shall always be on my mouth. Last year we had a wonderful gathering in Zürich, Switzerland. It was a great moment to reflect back on the life of one of our forbearers in the Anabaptist faith. The joint service with our Reformed sisters and brothers was a wonderful testimony to the Gospel. The statement of confession by the Reformed Church regarding the persecution of the Anabaptists was so uplifting. In many instances, Christians do not want to move forward from the past. An admission by the Reformed Church that the persecution of the Anabaptists was wrong is a great step forward. The name of Christ is dragged in the mud when Christians are persecuting people, even in the name of defending their faith. Even when Christians take sides with governments that persecute God’s people, the name of our Lord Jesus Christ is put to shame. We thank the General Secretary, our staff, the leadership of the Baptist Union of Switzerland, and our EBF leadership for the hard work to make sure that all the contacts were made and the meetings happened. That was the last General Council and Annual Gathering that our late General Secretary Emeritus Rev Dr. Denton Lotz attended. After the Council he was in high spirits looking forward to visit some of the work that he was involved in while serving the BWA family. The BWA family has lost a great leader that served us and the Lord Jesus with such deep commitment. We shall surely miss him and we continue to pray for his dear wife Janice and their children. We gather in the Bahamas to reflect on work that has been covered on the last 12 months. Our gathering here is a build-up to BWA Celebration 2020. Excitement about Brazil is already building. During my recent visits I met so many members who are looking forward to BWA Celebration 2020. It was a joy to join General Secretary Dr. Elijah Brown and Merritt Johnston,
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PRESIDENT’S REPORT our Director of Communications and Media, on a tour of South Africa to drum up support for the Congress. Now we are looking forward to seeing the excitement being translated into registrations. I, therefore, make this appeal to all of us in the leadership to support every effort by the staff and the Congress Committee to promote and encourage our people register for BWA Celebration 2020. Let us not forget to pray for all the work that is remaining and for the LAC in Brazil. Let the spirit of “TOGETHER” begin to move in us. THE WORLD IN WHICH WE LIVE Our vision statement reads: “The Baptist World Alliance is a global movement of Baptists sharing a common confession of faith in Jesus Christ bonded together by God’s love to support, encourage and strengthen one another while proclaiming and living the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit before a lost and hurting world.” We are living in a world that is hurting and lost. During the month of September last year, the General Secretary, the EBF leadership, and I had the privilege to visit Ukraine. We were taken to the grey zones, places where conflict has subsided, and around the areas where the war is still going on. We met our fellow sisters and brothers who have been deeply affected by this war. In one of the villages we visited, its inhabitants are now mostly elderly women. They cannot leave the village because this is their only home. This is the place where they have spent all their lives. I assume that this is the place where they wish to die. Maybe the other reason why they are still facing bomb shells every evening is because they do not have the strength to flee. This is the face of the world in which we live, the women and the children have become the main victims of these wars and conflicts. Whether it is in DR Congo, Palestine, Israel, Mexico, Sudan, Nigeria, Syria, or the Rohingya people of Myanmar, the picture is the same. We see mostly women and children suffering. The image is that of children dying of hunger and diseases and of women running from conflict zones with babies on their backs. This is a bleak picture, which may leave us paralysed by pain and hopelessness. However, this situation is calling upon us to rise up and do God’s ministry. After our visit to Ukraine, one journalist wrote an article where he attacked us, stating that we are taking sides with the government of Ukraine. This unnecessary attack is a confirmation that we are doing something right. This is the time for the BWA to strengthen the ministry for peace and justice. We need to increase our intervention to freedom and justice. The work is vast, and we cannot afford to do it alone. We need to join hands with like-minded organizations to empower all our regions to get involved in advocacy work. The UN, AU, EU, and other similar organizations need to hear the voice of God’s prophet, which the church of our Lord Jesus Christ is today. But we know that in most cases the church is found wanting. However, the BWA has a history of working for peace and justice and defending the freedom of worship. The BWA Denton and Janice Lotz Human Rights Award is a living legacy which reminds us to continue to do this ministry. We will continue to be in solidarity with those who are suffering. We will continue to speak on behalf of those who are oppressed and marginalized. If I can borrow the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. used in his
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PRESIDENT’S REPORT sermon about the drum major, the BWA should always be the “drum major for justice,” the “drum major for peace,” and the “drum major for righteousness.” This is the Gospel that the Lord commanded us to preach, which speaks good news to the poor, liberty for the oppressed, freedom for prisoners, and healing for the broken hearted. This is the way we shall be able to minister relevantly in this world in which we live. By doing so we shall be affirming our vision statement. OUR MISSION A. Evangelism The Mission Statement of the BWA is Networking the Baptist family to impact the world for Christ. One of our main objectives is to network Baptists for the work of evangelization of the world. Baptists are known for our commitment to evangelism to sharing the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. The growth of Baptist work is the result of this commitment. For many years past, the Baptists were also committed to the personal evangelism where believers shared the Gospel as individuals. There is a need to revive this in our churches. We need to use the BWA network to mobilize believers for personal evangelization. Recently I came across one movement called Global Outreach, which is about mobilizing believers all over the world to do personal outreach. I introduced the leader of the organization to our Commission on Evangelism. The goal is to empower Christians with the correct tools to enable the communicating of the Gospel message. I am reporting on this so that we can give support to our General Secretary on the BWA strategy to mobilize believers to become missionaries to the world by sharing the Gospel. B. BFAD For the past three years I had an assignment to chair the task force that sought to resolve the challenges that related to our work in aid and relief. Let me once again thank you all for your patience and support. Last year we presented both to the Executive Committee and the General Council the proposal to form the Baptist Forum for Aid and Development (BFAD). I want to present a brief report that the work has begun to put BFAD on course. The General Secretary will present a full report on the work that has happened since the 2018 General Council in Zürich. I am very optimistic that this move to establish BFAD is going to strengthen BWAid and its work. BFAD is going to strengthen our network and enable us to coordinate our aid and relief work through a more organized way. However, I need to mention that the work to put together this round table is still in the beginning stage. I want to appeal to all for patience and allow us to go through the trial phase. I thank you all for your support and the patience you have exercised while the task force was working on this matter. VISITS Once again, a big thank you to all who assisted with my visits and hosted me so well. I can report that the BWA plays such a significant role in the life of our global Baptist family. These visits are helping us to show support to our members, especially those going through the most difficult time of their lives. These visits also help to strengthen our fellowship and give the
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PRESIDENT’S REPORT BWA an opportunity to extend its ministry. Finally, these visits help to bring new members on board and new funding for the BWA. A. Norway Before the Annual Gathering in Zürich, my wife Sanna and I had a great privilege to visit Norway and we were hosted by our First Vice President Jan Saethre and his wife Kari. I had the privilege to speak in two churches, the Youth Camp, and meet the Executive Committee of the Baptist Union of Norway. I was impressed and touched by the ministry of the Baptists in Norway. Norway is one country in Europe that has opened its borders to receive immigrants from many parts of the world, especially from Myanmar. I met these people of God in one of the churches where I preached. The words that I can use to express my experience about the mission work of the Norway Baptist Union is found in Matthew 25:35 and 36: For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me. B. EBF I was invited together with the General Secretary to the EBF General Council that was hosted in L’viv, Ukraine, under the theme “The Reconciliation in Christ.” This visit accorded me the opportunity to meet for the first time with Baptists from Georgia, Macedonia, Albania, Jordan, Moldova, Latvia, Uzbekistan, Serbia, and others. This was a rare privilege to have fellowship with these sisters and brothers. It was also a great joy to those delegates to meet with us and share their testimonies about the life of Baptists in their countries. We also visited churches in Ukraine, and we had a wonderful experience. I preached in a church that meets in an entertainment center or club. At the end of the EBF Council we visited the Ukraine Baptist and visited the areas that are affected by the war. We finished our visit by meeting with the President and our Baptists who are serving in the parliament of Ukraine. I wish to thank Tony Peck, Helle Liht, and the Ukraine leaders Valeriy and Igor Bandura for organizing all the logistic and for being great hosts. C. General Baptist State Convention of North Carolina My next stop was in North Carolina, USA, with the General Baptist State Convention of North Carolina. I would assume that this is the first visit to this state convention by the BWA leadership. I had a great opportunity to promote BWA Celebration 2020 in Brazil. I was honored also to speak on the subject of the prophetic ministry of the church. I was well received, and the convention made a donation US$2,500 to the BWA. I hope that this is going to be an ongoing relationship with the convention. I am thankful to Dr. Gregory K. Moss who introduced me to this convention and to Secretary Treasurer Dr. Haywood Gray for receiving and hosting me so well and making sure that the BWA receives the donation. It is sad to report that Dr. Haywood has since passed away to be with Lord Jesus. Let us pray for the GBSCNC as they seek the face of the Lord for someone to fill the vacant position left by Haywood Gray.
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PRESIDENT’S REPORT D. Jamaica Baptist Union This was a great honour to visit the Jamaica Baptist Union. This was the first assembly chaired by Rev Karen Kirlew, the first female to be elected President of the JBU. I thank the JBU GS Rev Karl Johnson and Rev Everton Jackson for hosting me so well. I had a blessed time to meet and share with our GS Emeritus Rev Dr. Neville Callam. F. Campbell University I thank both Dr. Lynn Brinkley and Dr. Tony Cartledge for facilitating my visit to Campbell University. I thank the President of the University Dr. J. Bradley Creed for a warm welcome and for being open to work with the BWA. The visit gave me an opportunity to promote BICTE among the students and to share the Word during the chapel service. G. European Baptist Mission International Mission Council The Mission Council was hosted in Bulach, Switzerland. This Mission Council was a celebration of tenure for the EBMI General Secretary Rev Christoph Haus, who has also served the BWA for a number of years as the member of the Executive Committee and the BWAID Committee. The visit afforded me the opportunity to meet with the leaders of BWA member body conventions. This was also another opportunity to promote the Congress. H. Botswana Baptist Convention A few years ago, the leadership of the Convention in Botswana took a decision to suspend their active participation in the BWA. The purpose of my visit was to attend to their concerns and to encourage them to become active again. The meeting was positive, and I was requested to attend a follow up meeting during their Annual General Meeting, which will take place before the end of this year. I. Churches 1. The People’s Community Baptist Church, Silver Spring, MD, USA Pastor Dr. Haywood Robinson is so keen to get the church to become linked to the BWA. He invited me to come and speak to the church and to meet with some of the leadership. I am looking forward to seeing this church getting involved with the BWA. 2. Salem Missionary Baptist Church, Brooklyn, NY, USA My final stop was Salem Missionary Baptist Church in Brooklyn, NY, USA. This is one of the churches that had sent a good delegation to the 2015 BWA Congress in Durban, South Africa. I went to promote BWA Celebration 2020. Indeed, this church, too, should become a Global Impact Church. 3. Alfred Street Baptist Church, Alexandria, VA, USA I am grateful to Rev Dr. Howard John Wesley for his continued support of the BWA. The visit afforded me the opportunity to promote the Congress and we are looking forward to having Alfred Street Baptist Church to minister during the Congress in Brazil.
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PRESIDENT’S REPORT 4. Mt Sinai Baptist Church in Los Angeles, CA, USA I thank the pastor of Mt Sinai Baptist Church, Rev George Hurtt, who hosted me and arranged for me to speak in his church and to meet with the pastors in Los Angeles. This was a wonderful opportunity to promote the BWA. Most of these pastors heard about the BWA for the first time. I trust and hope some of them will enlist their church to join the BWA Global Impact Churches. 5. The Church Without Walls – IC3 Conference Rev Dr. Douglas Ralph West is no stranger to the BWA family. He invited me to his annual conference called IC3, a conference that empowers pastors to become effective in their ministries. I was accompanied by our new Director of Advancement and Global Impact Churches, Dr. Philip Nation. This is another opportunity that God opened for us to promote the BWA but also to talk to an individual pastor about the work of the BWA. Dr. West made a commitment to bring a good number of attendees to the Congress. I am so grateful for all these opportunities and the generosity of all those who hosted us. I trust and hope that long lasting relationship with BWA will come out as results of these visits. CONCLUSION I thank God for the wonderful protection and for providing for the BWA. I am grateful to everyone for the role you played in supporting the BWA. We celebrate the breakthroughs we had. One of those is to welcome new members in our staff. We now have a Director of Communications and Media, Merritt Johnston; and Director of Advancement and Global Impact Churches, Philip Nation, who will be introduced by the General Secretary to the BWA Executive Committee. We are looking forward to it with great enthusiasm. The General Secretary is working hard to get our finances to improve so that we can be in a position to fill the vacant positions. Let us pray for him and the staff as they work hard on this goal. May the grace of God continue to carry us forward as we work to strengthen our fellowship and the mission of the BWA.
Paul Msiza BWA President
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BWA WOMEN’S DEPARTMENT REPORT BWA Women An Auxiliary of Baptist World Alliance Report to the BWA General Council July 9-11, 2019 Ksenija Magda, President Moreen Sharp, Interim Executive Director
Our fiscal year 2019 started in May 2018 with intensive concluding discussions regarding the nature of the relationship of the Women's Department with the BWA. It was recognized that the “women's issue” required a different approach from youth because of the recognized difficulties with which women are handled in organisations if nobody is paying attention to their inclusion. The Women's Department's task was discussed in terms of strengthening women, who, because of their upbringing, could never envision themselves to be in a leadership position. On the other hand, the General Secretary pointed out the impasse in his role, as he found himself responsible, but in no way in charge of any decision making, as the WD’s business, in particular, finances and officers’ employment and selection, was not conducted through the official channels of the BWA. The MOU that was signed in July 2018 at the Annual Gathering in Zürich, reflects those concerns on both sides, affirming the “auxiliary” nature of the Women’s Department and granting it freedom in conducting its ministry, but also ensuring involvement of the General Secretary in such decisions which could have a major effect on the business and legal standing of the BWA. We are thankful to everyone involved in these long and tedious talks, especially David Kerrigan and Ross Clifford of the BWA Constitution and Bylaws Committee and both Dr. Neville Callam under whose watch this process had begun and Dr. Elijah Brown, our current General Secretary, under whom it was successfully concluded. The MOU is set up for two years and will be up for re-evaluation on both sides next year. Already, the outcomes of these intensive talks have become visible and on different levels. The talks have featured the issues of women in the BWA. We are thankful that BICTE is looking into the issue of HerStory in Nassau, this year. We are looking forward to these discussions. Also, the WD has joined forces with the General Secretary to start research on the status of women in Baptist churches globally. We believe that this will give the BWA more insight into
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BWA WOMEN’S DEPARTMENT REPORT how women can be more involved, not only for their sake, but for the sake of the whole family to function to its full potential. Also, financial issues that have burdened the WD have been settled, so that the new 2020 team can start their work from a clean slate. Other business Executive Director. This year the WD has worked with a paid interim Executive Director – Moreen Sharp. Having a non-US citizen as an officer for this global work has shown itself as extremely complicated and it has cost a lot in legal fees to get Moreen a legal status that is now allowing her full involvement in the Falls Church office. This process, too, is an issue of interest to the BWA as a whole, as the BWA contemplates “displaced” offices in other continents to make the BWA ministry more global. The WD appreciates the ministry done by Moreen Sharp. It is impossible to imagine this ministry without a director who monitors the daily tasks which keep the WD going. Search Committee. Regina Claas has kindly accepted the board’s request to serve as the Chair for the Officers’ Search Committee for the new quinquennial. The process for President and Secretary/Treasurer is well on its way and should be completed while we are at these meetings.
The process for the Executive Director is about to start and we kindly ask you to recommend women to us who would be able and willing to serve the WD in its new future. Ideally, at this time, we are looking for a US based (may be even DC based) woman with a global view and experience, possibly even a “resident alien” as this would express better the WD global concerns. The search this time has also included leaders “from the shadows” – that is, such women who are faithfully serving the church with their extraordinary gifts, but have not been “in the structures” of the wider community of Baptists. We are determined to recognize these leaders and hope that they can be involved in the new ministry of WD and also in its leadership in the future.
The WD wants to thank Regina Claas for her kindness, her wealth of organisational wisdom and deep spiritual approach to this process. We learned a lot from Regina through this process and appreciate her as a sister and global leader and model for women in leadership. Changes in the Board. The WD Executive Board has begun to change, as Continental Women’s Unions elect their officers on a quinquennial basis. We express our thanks and appreciation to the former presidents for their faithful ministry and welcome new presidents to the team:
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BWA WOMEN’S DEPARTMENT REPORT • •
•
In Latin America (UFBAL) Sara de Barrios from Venezuela has been succeeded by Liliana Fernandez de Farina from Argentina. In Asia (ABWU) Preciosa Caronongan from the Philippines has been succeeded by Vernette Myint Myint San from Myanmar. At their quinquennial conference, Asian Baptist Women’s Union changed its name to Asia Baptist Women’s Union. In Europe Aniko Ujvari from Hungary has been succeeded by Fabienne Seguin from France. The EBWU has also changed its name to European Baptist Women United. The acronym stays the same.
Only two members of my incipient board are left now: Amelia Gavidi from Fiji (SWP) and Yvonne Pitter from Jamaica (CBWU). I was worried how business can be conducted with these changes, but the new leaders are well prepared to step into their new tasks and we continue the work with new enthusiasm. The Bylaws and Manual are in their final revision to be put forward for approval by the Baptist Women’s Council in the Leadership Conference in Rio. Before that, they will be read and approved by continental union boards. The Day of Prayer is undergoing rebranding under the leadership of TaNikka Shepherd from BWNA. Watch out! The 2020 DOP should sweep you off your feet! (Nevertheless, the Caribbean did a great job on the DOP for this year within the current model, too! You can access it on our web page). We are setting up a fundraising committee, aware that we need to find new approaches to support our global ministry. First Signs of Change. New and often younger leaders have been elected in most continents. We hope that this is a general sign of change which we envisioned in 2015. There is still a need to come together and learn from each other and get inspired by each other. Now, this is more so than ever, as the world has become a village. We believe that Christians should be the first to show the world that unity in diversity is not only possible, but that it creates synergies and resources where there were thought to be none. The Rio Leadership Conference and Celebration 2020. Above all, at this time, the Women’s Department appreciates the wonderful Baptist sisters and brothers from Brazil who are working hard to make our Global Conference of Baptist Women (and subsequently Celebration 2020) a great success. We pray that the Lord may bless and keep them in all their efforts. We join prayers for Brazil’s stability to make their task a little easier. Our goal for the Conference is to have women representatives from all BWA member bodies to have once more a full global representation. Also, we invite Baptist organisations who feature women and women’s issues around the world to help us by setting up break-out sessions
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BWA WOMEN’S DEPARTMENT REPORT during the conference. We want this place to become a true exchange of wisdom, experience and diversity of approach. We want to have the best of Baptist work for women and by women featured there. Please help us by informing us (you can email Moreen) of such organisations from your countries. Also, let us know about women who should be invited to represent you. LIFE! The new theme for our quinquennial has been chosen as Life! John 10:10b – ‘I have come so that they may have life and have it in all its fulness.’ The logo, which will also be the logo for the Rio conference, has been donated by a young artist from Fiji, Alexandra Gavidi. It has been selected from the submissions that came in from the logo competition on our webpage. We Talks. We have another competition open on the WD web page. We are asking for small video clips (5-7 minutes) on the theme of Life in Christ and Women. The best will be invited to deliver their talks in Rio in person. (For details Google BWA Women’s Department.) Five years is a long time for such intensive international involvement. Please pray with us and for us, so that what we have begun with enthusiasm and faith in 2015, we can conclude with even more enthusiasm and faith.
Ksenija Magda Women’s Department President, 2015-2020
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BWA MEN’S DEPARTMENT REPORT Baptist World Alliance Men’s Department Report to the BWA General Council July 9-11, 2019 Ayoola Badejo, President
Preamble The Men’s Department is forging ahead with excitement. The vision and drive of the MD leadership remains on focus. The review of the activities and efforts of the Men’s Department reveals a picture of consistent pattern over the past few years. In the year under review, the department was able to achieve mobilisation and empowerment of more men globally through various means of grace highlighted below. We want to acknowledge the support received from the General Secretary Dr. Elijah Brown and other leaders in the BWA headquarters in Falls Church. Devotional Material & Baptist Men World Day of Prayer & Witness The MD sustained the consistency of preparing the quarterly devotional materials used by Men for preparation towards the Baptist Men World Day of Prayer and Witness. These materials have been prepared consistently for many years. The motivation for this effort has been to enlist and attract improved participation towards this very important prayer meeting for Baptist men globally. Testimonies are received world-wide on the great impact that this effort on devotional materials leading to the global prayer meeting have been eliciting. The MD completed the devotional materials and guidelines for the 2019 BMWDP&W at the last Executive Committee meeting in March 2019 in Falls Church, Virginia. Still in 2019, we were able to translate the materials into more languages for wider reach. The following languages were achieved - English, Yoruba, Hausa and French. We were able to reach more men across the globe who participated in the global Men’s prayers. We trust God to be able to even enlarge the language presentations in the years to come, through the support of volunteer translators world-wide. We want to invite such support from all men’s groups everywhere available. The BMWDP&W programme is always posted on the BWA Men’s Department page through the support of the Communications Department. The Men’s Department is always seeking to find or be linked with more men who will be willing to assist the MD in freely translating this two-page document into multiple languages. This will help reach out to more men and churches across the globe. The 2019 Baptist Men’s World Day of Prayer & Witness was held on Saturday, April 27, 2019. It remains the foremost world-wide Men’s prayer programme. 2018 Annual Gathering Men’s Meeting During the 2018 Annual Gathering in Zürich, Switzerland, the Men’s Department hosted its regular session interface and created a platform for bonding amongst men. The paper presented was on the Topic - “Baptist Men Upholding Christian Heritage in A Changing World”. The paper was presented by one of the pastors and member of the General Council
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BWA MEN’S DEPARTMENT REPORT from India, in the person of Revd. Sam Bontha. The session was well attended by about 40 men. Efforts to enlarge the attendance was hampered by the fact that many other departments, committees and commissions were running parallel meetings at the same time. This meeting was held within the Annual Gathering main venue that easily afforded interested men to attend and participate. One of the resolutions at the meeting was that the Men’s Department should re-present the appeal to the BWA leadership to consider an arrangement whereby for a few hours during BWA meetings only the three departments of Men, Women and Youth will run parallel meetings. Otherwise, the MD alone can be afforded that privilege to bring all the men attending the Annual Gathering together for a few hours. This is a request, as well as an appeal. This will enhance attendance and participation of men at these meetings. We thank the Executive Committee through the General Secretary in advance for your kind and positive consideration. Men’s Fellowship Work in BWA Regions The Fellowship of Baptist Men remains very strong in some of the BWA regions, namely Africa, North America (especially the US) and Caribbean. On the other hand, Men’s Fellowship presence remains weak or non-existent in other regions, namely Europe, Asia Pacific and maybe South America. In spite of these challenges, we have continued to dialogue and appeal to Baptist leaders in all regions to partner with the MD to bring to life or inject fresh life to the Men’s Fellowship groups worldwide and in every BWA region. For the avoidance of doubt and leaning on Scriptural authority, our appeal stems from the Biblical fact that the church of Jesus Christ is made up of three major components from which other components are derived. These are men, women and children. Any church that parades only women and young people will not be a true representation of the church Jesus Christ built for himself. The MD wants to use this platform to plead for support and understanding of all concerned. We want to remind our leaders and this gathering that men have a special place in God’s Kingdom and his church here on earth. The MD is determined to forge ahead in spite of all odds. We will continue with the determination to arrive at the promised land, and to ensure that the journey does not take the tortuous 40 years to arrive at the desired destination. 2015 - 2020 Quinquennium Strategic Plan Implementation A review of the Strategic/Operational Plan set up by the Men’s Department for the 2015 2020 quinquennium indicates that while some aspects are being achieved, there is more to be delivered on others. While appreciable strides have and are being made in some of the strategies like spiritual development and maturity, the department needs to work and develop more in the area of Development of Regional Fellowships. Currently only about three regions of North America, Africa and Caribbean are well represented in the Men’s Department. The remaining regional fellowships are still struggling to come up strong. We will intensify our efforts to enlist men from the other regions of Europe, Asia Pacific and South America to pull the bull by horn and come on board the vehicle of the Men’s Department. We appreciate those Regional Secretaries who are cooperating with us in this regard. What we request is the appropriate contacts to Men’s leaders in these regions and we shall follow-up and take on the tasks directly.
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BWA MEN’S DEPARTMENT REPORT Conclusion The Men’s Department is currently carrying out internal efforts to reposition and create a more efficient platform for success. It is our desire and hope that these efforts will culminate in the re-admittance of the Men’s Department back into the Executive Committee of the BWA. The Department wants to be more responsive and live up to its mandate in the coming years. As indicated earlier, the MD is seeking to have a permanent presence at the BWA offices to reasonably take care of the interests of the men. It will be a daunting task no doubt, but we trust that the Lord will help us moving forward. We are pleased to present some of the events of the reporting period captured for our attention. We thank you for your attention and expected further necessary action as well. God bless you indeed. Amen.
Ayoola Badejo Men’s Department President
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BWA YOUTH DEPARTMENT REPORT Baptist World Alliance Youth Department Report to the BWA General Council July 9-11, 2019 Amanda Haines, President
The BWA Youth Department strives to promote fellowship, spread the Gospel, support and encourage Christian values among young people around the world and assist in the development of servant leaders working in areas of Awareness, Inspiration, Fellowship. Equipping. Since we last gathered in Zürich, Switzerland, the Youth Department has been working on the following: 1. Rebuilding a strong Youth Department Committee. Just like all committees during a quinquennium, some of our Youth Committee members have changed. Since 2013, we have had committee members who transitioned out of their regional leadership roles and we’ve welcomed new individuals to the work and life of the BWA. For a moment it appeared that we only had just a few Youth Committee members, but we prayed, sought the Lord’s guidance and we are grateful to God and how He has blessed the Youth Department. God led us to reconnect with our regional bodies of those who haven’t been present and now we have great representation of committed leaders from each region serving with the BWA Youth Department. Our brother, Jeff Carter, was extremely helpful during this process. We are grateful to God for the spirit and the fresh momentum of the Youth Department. All glory and honor belongs to our God. A special thank you is given to Elijah Brown, Dean Miller, Vee Tetseo, Clinton Minnis, Brickson Sam, Jeff Carter and Carolina Mangieri for their support, guidance and love towards the BWA Youth Department. Each one of them were influential in bringing back the momentum of the Youth Department. 2. Tasks given by General Secretary Elijah Brown. In Early December of 2018, Amanda Haines, Youth Department President; and Jeff Carter, Horizons Director, met with General Secretary Dr. Elijah Brown at the Baptist World Alliance Headquarters. Our time together was extremely productive. Dr. Brown continued to share his vision of where God is leading us as the BWA. One of the several tasks that was given by Dr. Brown was for us to reexamine the work and the life of the Youth Department. Dr. Brown encouraged us to be prayerful during this process, as well as open to new possibilities of what God can do through the Youth Department. The Youth Department is doing just as Dr. Brown requested. We are examining our current structure, its productivity, our leadership process and other propositions as a Youth
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BWA YOUTH DEPARTMENT REPORT Department so we move forward successfully. During our dialog, we have identified some of our strengths as well as our weakness, from each region we identified a common request of leadership development opportunities that are geared towards young people and we dreamed of other possible programs. We have committed ourselves to be in deep prayer during this process, as well as be strategic in our work as we move forward with our General Secretary and the work of the BWA. 3. We are continuing to live out our mission through Youth World Day of Prayer. The Youth World Day of Prayer is an annual event held on the second Sunday in June. Our Youth World Day of Prayer is scheduled for June 9, 2019, as we complete our Singapore Declaration, which we began in the year of 2013. Our young people around the world are encouraged to plan services that reflect upon the importance of prayer, interceding on behalf of others, to celebrate the unity we share as believers in Jesus Christ as we seek a deeper relationship with Christ and also contribute to our Annual Prayer Offering. This offering is used to assist with mission projects involving young people around the world and leadership development training. In the year of 2013 during our Youth Conference in Singapore, we as young people from around the world made a covenant to seek to be GOSPEL people:
G- Giving O- Open to God’s Mission S- Speaking Out P- Prophetic Action E- Evangelization L- Living This year’s theme is focused on the letter L of our acronym G.O.S.P.E.L.: Living. It is based on the Singapore Declaration, which calls Baptist young people to commit themselves to live as “G.O.S.P.E.L.” people. We want to be a living, breathing expression of the Gospel as free samples of Jesus wherever we may find ourselves. Together and dispersed we will live this out; this is our desire personally, locally, nationally and globally. Even in trials and trauma, God gives us opportunities to display His love. As we practice hospitality and love for all humankind in the name of Christ, God will give opportunities for Christ to be glorified. We undertake to pray for one another, upholding one another in the Body as this is a tough calling. We are inviting all young people of the world to join us to seek to walk the way of Christ in all things. Ultimately, we are to be a generation of followers of Jesus who will live simply, give generously and love abundantly as Gospel people.
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BWA YOUTH DEPARTMENT REPORT 4. Rio2020: We are excited!!!! The more we dream, talk, plan and work, the more excited we have become. Since July of 2018, our Youth Congress Committee members have divided into assigned areas in efforts of making sure tasks are done for our gathering. We all are using our strong skillsets in the areas of our expertise. We have identified topics for our seminars and workshop sessions and speakers and are working closely with some of our UBLA brothers and sisters, Elijah Brown, Carolina Mangieri, Jerry Carlisle and the entire Congress Committee. Jen Stewart has also been instrumental in our work. We are pleased to share that Randy Kilpatrick from Houston, Texas, USA, will be serving as the Producer for the Youth during our gathering. Please continue to pray as we pray for a successful and impactful Celebration gathering in Rio. In Summary our Next Steps: 1. Encourage participation with our Youth World Day of Prayer throughout the world. 2. Continue our work in examining the current structure of the Youth Department with our General Secretary. 3. Push for Participation in Horizons Programs in all of our regions. You’ve heard from Jeff Carter and from our General Secretary about the Horizons Program. We as the Youth Department will be intentional in sharing this opportunity. 4. Rio, Rio, Rio, Promotion, Promotion, Promotion, and all that entails for us to have an extremely successful gathering for all generations. 5. Implementing an Engagement Strategy. Have a strategic plan to connect with all of the young people after our 2020 gathering. In other words, what will we do after our Celebration gathering in Rio that will keep the momentum and energy going within the Youth Department and within life of the Baptist World Alliance global community?
Amanda Haines Baptist World Alliance Youth Department President
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2018 AUDIT
69
2018 AUDIT
70
2018 AUDIT
71
2018 AUDIT
72
2018 AUDIT
73
2017-2018 MEMBER BODY GIVING
74
2017-2018 MEMBER BODY GIVING
75
2017-2018 MEMBER BODY GIVING
76
2017-2018 MEMBER BODY GIVING
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BUDGET REPORT
We are incredibly thankful for the faithful and generous support of our ministry partners around the world. In 2020, our projected Operating and Congress Budget is approximately $3.7 million. . BUDGETED SUPPORT & REVENUE
$2,311,950 $871,500 $400,000 $395,000 $317,850 $300,000 $27,600
Churches, Individuals and Others Member Organizations Ministry Grants Other Income Tenant Income Meeting Income
BUDGETED OPERATING EXPENSES
$2,311,950
$1,559,636
Program Services
$370,000
Administration
$254,314
Fundraising
$128,000
Building
MINISTRY AREAS 53%
Worship, Fellowship & Unity
23%
Theological Reflection & Transformational Leadership
10%
Religious Freedom, Human Rights & Justice
10%
Mission & Evangelism
4%
Aid, Relief & Community Development
Budget:
$1.3 MILLION
2020 78
2020 Proposed Unified Budget Summary Budget 2020
Budget 2019
Actual 2018
400,000.00 450,000.00 300,000.00 121,500.00
477,284.00 358,331.00 236,567.00 132,968.00
387,613.92 425,108.02 265,670.67 86,255.31
$1,271,500.00
$1,205,150.00
$1,164,647.92
27,600.00 91,500.00 90,000.00 – 300,000.00 500.00 1,500.00 134,350.00 350,000.00 35,000.00 10,000.00
162,600.00 75,900.00 75,000.00 75,000.00 290,000.00 500.00 1,500.00 134,350.00 350,000.00 35,000.00 10,000.00
231,372.03 97,344.78 115,789.03 0.00 303,775.35 (2,964.38) 6,412.27 14,057.68 321,362.00 35,073.00 675.00
$1,040,450.00
$1,209,850.00
$1,122,896.76
1,382,500.00
–
–
$3,694,450.00
$2,415,000.00
$2,287,544.68
REVENUE Contributions Donations from Member Bodies Donations from Churches Donations from Individuals Donations from Others Total Contributions
Other Revenue Meeting Income Administrative Fees Bank & Investment Income Investment UR Gain/Loss(1) Tenant Income Currency Gain/Loss Miscellaneous Income (Loss) Transfers to General Fund Operations BWAid Ministry Grants(2) Mission & Evangelism Ministry Grants(3) Youth & Horizons Program(4) Total Other Revenue Congress Congress - Income Total Revenue including Congress
EXPENDITURES Direct Program Costs Ministry Grants(2)-(4) Allocated Expense Promotion & Advertising Costs Depreciation Tenant Expenses Transfer to Reserves(5) Total Expenditures & Transfers to Reserves from Operations Congress Congress Expenses
1,359,650.00 390,000.00 244,300.00 60,000.00 65,000.00 128,000.00 65,000.00 2,311,950.00
1,426,700.00 405,000.00 240,300.00 60,000.00 65,000.00 128,000.00 90,000.00 2,415,000.00
1,322,371.81 357,110.00 256,202.01 65,993.03 59,346.87 142,550.02 – 2,203,573.74
1,382,500.00
–
–
Total Expenditures & Transfers from Operations with Congress
3,694,450.00
2,415,000.00
2,203,573.74
$
$
NET SURPLUS/(DEFICIT) from Operations including Congress
–
Non-Operating Gains/Losses Investment UR Gain/Loss(1)
75,000.00
NET SURPLUS/(DEFICIT)
$75,000.00
–
$
83,970.94 (246,657.97)
$
–
(162,687.03)
NOTES $(162,687.03) 1) Non-Operating Gains/Losses reported after Operations and pending market performance. (2)-(4) Transfer from Temporarily Restricted Funds for BWAid, Mission & Evangelism and Youth Grants into a projected unified budget and offfset by corresponding grants given. (5) Transfers to reserves. Transfers will not be funded if budgeted income is not received.
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CARIBBEAN BAPTIST FELLOWSHIP (CBF) REPORT Caribbean Baptist Fellowship Report to the BWA General Council July 9-11, 2019 William Thompson, President Everton Jackson, Executive Secretary/Treasurer
Introduction The Caribbean Baptist Fellowship, one of the regional bodies of the Baptist World Alliance, continues to fulfill its mandate in the Caribbean region. Currently there are 22 active member bodies. These are Jamaica Baptist Union, Trinidad and Tobago Baptist Association, Baptist Union of Trinidad and Tobago, Independent Baptist Church of Trinidad and Tobago, San Andres Island Baptist Association, Baptist Convention of Barbados, Baptist Alliance of Barbados, Guadeloupe Baptist Federation, Bahamas National Baptist Missionary & Educational Convention, Missionary Evangelical Baptist of South Haiti, Haiti Baptist Convention, Haiti Connection Baptist Church for Mission Integral, Turks and Caicos Islands Baptist Union, Cayman Islands Baptist Church, First Baptist Church of Cayman Islands, Baptist Convention of Guyana, Guyana Missionary Church – Lott Carey, St. Vincent Baptist Convention, St. Kitts Baptist Convention, Grenada Baptist Association, Dominica Baptist Union and Baptist Association of Belize. This report will provide highlights from the CBF Executive and Baptist Gathering, the Caribbean Christian Publications and Women’s Union. Mention will also be made of upcoming gatherings in the region as well as plans for the CBF 50th anniversary. CBF Executive Meeting, October 24-26, 2018 The Executive Committee of the Caribbean Baptist Fellowship was held from October 24-26, 2018 at the Karibe Hotel, Port – au – Prince, Haiti. A total of 25 executive members were present representing 15 member bodies, the Youth Department and Women’s Union. In addition, we had in attendance over 45 non-executive members from Haiti. Greetings were received from Rev. Dr. Elijah Brown who was a special guest of the CBF, as well as reports from the Communications, Mission and Evangelism, Christian Education and Stewardship and Theological committees. The Youth Department and Women’s Union along with the Executive Secretary/Treasurer also gave reports.
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CARIBBEAN BAPTIST FELLOWSHIP (CBF) REPORT Sunday School Training, Thursday, October 25, 2018 The Caribbean Christian Publications conducted training for Sunday school workers at the First Baptist Church, Port – au – Prince, Haiti, on Thursday, October 25. Approximately 320 participants, including Sunday school superintendents and teachers, benefited from the training facilitated by Dr. Cynthia Anderson, retired educator; and Mrs. Beryl Roper, Director of CCP. Youth Conference, Friday, October 26, 2018 Over 300 young people from Haiti gathered at the First Baptist Church, Port – au – Prince, Haiti, on Friday, October 26, 2018 for a youth conference. The young people came from different Baptist conventions/associations in Haiti. Mr. Osney Fevry and Dr. Jean V. Dorlus from Haiti explored the theme of Social Justice. The sub-topics were the Theological Foundation of Social Justice and the Legal and Economic Framework of Social Justice. Baptist Gathering, Friday, October 26, 2019 On the evening of Friday, October 26, 2018, over 1,000 Baptists from eight different Baptist groups in Haiti met at the First Baptist Church, Port – au- Prince for Baptist Gathering. The worship experience was guided by the theme “One in the Spirit,” which was addressed by the Rev. Dr. Elijah Brown, General Secretary of BWA. It was the second time that Baptists were coming together like this for worship in Haiti. The first time was the Bread of Life Conference organized by BWA some years ago. It was a rich experience, having so many Baptists from Haiti in one place, worshipping the One God. Among the special features of the worship were special choir musical presentations, dance and awards. Mention must be made of a plaque collected by the BWA General Secretary on behalf of Rev. Dr. Neville Callam, immediate past General Secretary of BWA. As a result of this initiative, the Baptist Groups in Haiti have established a Fellowship of Baptist group. Caribbean Christian Publications Writers’ Conference 2018 Caribbean Christians Publications, the literature agency of Caribbean Baptist Fellowship, has been developing age-graded, culturally oriented and biblically grounded Sunday school literature since 1976. After each period of writing for the various age cohorts, the material is recycled as a cost containment measure. Since 2014, every summer, volunteer writers have met in Jamaica for eight days each year to write new lessons to replace recycled lessons written several years earlier. July 2018 marked the fifth consecutive year of curriculum development and the production of new lessons for youth and adults. These lessons which are part of the fourth cycle series, reach Sunday Schools in over 30 Christian denominations in as many territories across the region. Women’s Conference The 37th annual conference of the CBF Women’s Union was held at the Barbados Beach Club from July 18-23, 2018 guided by the theme: “Arise, Shine – Through Justice.” Among the
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CARIBBEAN BAPTIST FELLOWSHIP (CBF) REPORT activities were opening celebrations with Rev. Vincent Hood as the guest preacher, Prayer Breakfast, panel discussion on “Divine Justice VS Human Justice,” cultural presentations and bible studies, among others. Certificate in Pastoral Ministry Fifteen of the first cohort of 19 students in the certificate programme co-sponsored by CBF and the Northwestern Baptist Theological Seminary located in the Cayman Islands, attended the third residential session in Trinidad and Tobago. The students are from Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, Guyana, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Barbados, and Grenada. Rev. Randall L. Von Kanel led the devotion for the week while Rev. Dr. Glenroy Lalor taught the course Baptist History in the Caribbean and Rev. Dr. Deron Biles, Preaching from the Old Testament. Therefore, a total of six courses have already been taught in this three-year certificate programme. These are: 1. Introduction to Old Testament – Rev. Dr. Greg Smith 2. Introduction to New Testament – Rev. Dr. Harry Lewis 3. Biblical Hermeneutics – Rev. Dr. Harry Lewis 4. Christian Ethics – Rev. Dr. Neville Callam 5. Baptist History in the Caribbean – Rev. Dr. Glenroy Lalor 6. Preaching from the Old Testament – Rev. Dr. Deron Biles The next session will be held in Trinidad and Tobago from July 22 – 27.
Upcoming Events Plans are currently being made for the following upcoming events: 1. Women’s Conference, July 17-22, 2019 in San Andres Island. 2. Youth Festival, July 17-21, in Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands. Theme: “Limitless…” 3. CBF Executive and Baptist Gathering, October 23-26, 2019 in St. Kitts. 4. CBF Women’s Executive Meeting, November 20-23, 2019 in Miami, Florida, USA. 5. CBF 50th Anniversary, October 21-27, 2020 in Jamaica. Theme: “Celebrating Fifty Years – Reaching this far by Faith – The Journey Continues”. Conclusion We are grateful for the leadership of our President, Rev. Dr. William Thompson and the diligent work of our Administrative Services Manager, Miss Santana Morris. Despite the challenges we continue to face, the Baptists in the Caribbean are committed to working together to transform these challenges into opportunities for ministry.
Submitted by Everton Jackson CBF Executive Secretary/Treasurer
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ASIA PACIFIC BAPTIST FEDERATION (APBF) REPORT Asia Pacific Baptist Federation Report to the BWA General Council July 9-11, 2019 Edwin Lam, President Vesekhoyi Tetseo (Vee), General Secretary
Dr. Paul Msiza President, BWA Dr. Elijah Brown General Secretary, BWA Regional General Secretaries Members of the Executive Committee BWA Thankful for the first quinquennium! I want to thank my resurrected savior Jesus Christ, my Redeemer and my King for allowing me to complete a year as APBF General Secretary. I want to thank Rev. Edwin Lam for the partnership in the ministry as we traveled together representing APBF. 2018 Year of Disaster Soon after the February 1-3, 2018, APBF Execom meeting in Singapore, we were met with the Hualien Earthquake in Taiwan. This event got a few of our Execom members into action: Mr. Peter Leau and Dr. Timothy Lee, who was in Taipei around that time. The three of us made a call to Chinese Baptist Convention President Rev. Grace Nein and General Secretary Rev. Daniel Yen. Over the following months Asia was hit by several natural disasters. First was the Lombok earthquake in Indonesia on July 19, 2018, followed by Kerala floods of South India in August 2018, Central Sulawesi earthquake and tsunami of September 28 in Indonesia, Typhoon Mangkhut in Philippines, landslides in Japan, and Krakatau Volcanic eruption and tsunami in Sunda Straits on December 23, 2018. Many people lost their lives, properties were lost and there are thousands who have been displaced by these disasters.
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ASIA PACIFIC BAPTIST FEDERATION (APBF) REPORT While natural calamities are vicious and Asia in general is prone to disaster, our task is to do everything possible to get relief to those who are affected and help them re-build their community. These challenges call us to be determined to stay united and strong as we serve God with all our best efforts. APBF would like to thank our partners like TAI, BFAD, BMS, CBF, and Rebanna that have been a source of encouragement to many of us. We thank God for all the funds received towards this work, an on-going work to re-build the community. We encourage our Baptist family to continue praying for Asia Pacific. President and General Secretary Ministry Visits I want to express my profound gratitude to you all for the prayers and the support you have given to the APBF through this third year of the quinquennium. Much has happened in 2017-2018. Here’s a quick highlight(s). 1. Along with President Rev. Edwin Lam, we attended the Baptist World Alliance meeting in Washington, DC, USA, in March 5-7, 2018. 2. President Rev. Edwin Lam, APBY Chair Ps. Imnatoshi and General Secretary travelled to the Philippines to finalise the preparation of the 17th APBYouth Conference in Baguio, Philippines, scheduled for May 21-24, 2019. 3. Rev. Edwin Lam and I met with the Convention of Filipino Chinese Baptist leaders to introduce the APBF, since they are yet to become members of APBF, on April, 11, 2018. 4. Rev. Edwin Lam and I attended the APBY MD2 training in Ho Chi Minh City from May 10-12, 2018. 5. A special commissioning service of the General Secretary of APBF was held in Okinawa with President Rev. Edwin Lam speaking at the service on June 17, 2018. 6. President Rev. Edwin Lam, M & E Chair Dr. Tim Lee, Theo.ED Chair Dr. Miyon Chung and I attended the BWA General Council meeting in Zürich, Switzerland, from July 2-6, 2018. 7. The APBF Task Force met in Sydney, Australia, in August 8-11, 2018 for a two-day intensive meeting to plan for the future of APBF. 8. Rev. Edwin Lam and I attended the Asia Baptist Women’s Union in Penang, Malaysia, from August 29-September 1, 2018. 9. Met with the General Secretary of the Hong Kong Baptist Convention. Thanked the Hong Kong Baptists for being one of the strongest supporters of the APBF on October 18th, 2018. 10. Invited by Vice President Rev. Mark Wilson to attend/speak at the General Assembly Meeting of the West Australia Baptist in Perth, Australia, on October 20, 2018. Preached at Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church during their three services on October 21, 2018. 11. Invited to speak at the 50th Anniversary ‘Golden Jubilee’ of Chakhesang Baptist Youth, Kohima, from November 7-11, 2018. 12. Brought greetings on behalf of APBF at the Naga Mission Summit in Kohima on November 8th, 2018.
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ASIA PACIFIC BAPTIST FEDERATION (APBF) REPORT 13. It was an honour to be invited to a dinner hosted by former General Secretary Rev. Bonny Resu and to meet some Naga key leaders in Dimapur, Nagaland. APBF Officers Ministry Visits 1. President Rev. Edwin Lam and APBAid Chair Rev. Ronnie Chiu visited and met with Korean Baptist Convention leadership in April 23-26, 2018. 2. Rev. Edwin Lam represented APBF during the annual meeting of the Grace Baptist Church of Indonesia in Bali from July 17-21, 2018. 3. Dr. Tim Lee, Chair of Mission and Evangelism, conducted a Missions Training in Sri Lanka with the Sri Lanka Baptist leaders on July 24-Aug. 1, 2018. 4. Past President Dr. Ross Clifford, who is our co-opted member, led a leadership meeting in Fiji on Aug. 7-8, 2018. 5. Rev. Mark Wilson, Vice President of APBF, brought greetings from APBF to the TransTasmanian Baptist Conference in August 21-22, 2018. 6. Mr. Bijoy A. Sangma, Vice President APBF, represented the APBF as the speaker at the 6th General Assembly of the Association of the Telegu Baptist Churches on Aug. 22-23, 2018. 7. Rev. Edwin Lam was invited to be the speaker at the Revival Meeting of First Baptist Church, Bandung, Indonesia, from Nov. 15-18, 2018. APBF T.E.A.M. Consultation The challenges our region face are complicated and interrelated. Our region is the least evangelized, yet we are hopeful for the church is growing. Being the cradle of all of the world’s major religions, many of our member body churches face constant religious persecution and severe oppression. Our region also experiences serious and recurring natural disasters and human-made catastrophes and adversities. For this reason, the above three committees (Theological Edu-Aid-Mission and Evangelism) hold a joint consultation to explore together our problems and, moreover, to assist our member bodies to deal with them. The plenary sessions and workshop have helped empower one another with the necessary knowledge, skills, and experiences. The theme “Stronger Together” resounded very well throughout the sharing of thoughts, experiences, and resources. Altogether 172 registered (two of these were children). One of our plenary speakers, Mr. Scott Higgins, participated from Australia through Zoom taking in questions and comments from the floor. APBF visit to the Baptists in Manipur, Nagaland, and Assam From April 12-27, Rev. Ronnie Chiu, APBAid Chair; Rev. Kabi Gangmei, APBAid Director; and I got the opportunity to meet and engage with three major Baptist conventions in the North East of India, namely Evangelical Baptist Convention in Churachandpur, Manipur; Manipur Baptist Convention, Imphal, Manipur; and Nagaland Baptist Church Council in Kohima and Dimapur.
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ASIA PACIFIC BAPTIST FEDERATION (APBF) REPORT Evangelical Baptist Convention (EBC) EBC in Churachandpur, Manipur, is a member body of APBF with 216 local churches and mission points, with 53,000 baptized believers. A young convention that EBC is, it has stood up to the call of the Great Commission by sending and setting up mission points/stations in proper Manipur State, Karbi Anglong in Assam, Dhemaji in Assam, Himalayan Mission Field including Nepal, Sikkim. According to Rev. Chinkhengoupau Buansing (Pau), the EBC has a working partnership with OMF in Thailand, and WEC/IMM in Thailand, Vietnam, and China. Manipur Baptist Convention (MBC) Manipur Baptist Convention is a member of APBF. MBC is comprised of 29 associations, has 1,407 local churches with 2,06,342 baptized members. Rev. & Mrs. William Pettigrew first brought Christianity to Manipur in 1894. The Gospel spread through to the hill areas to the multi-tribe groups. The convention, which celebrated its 125th year jubilee on February 5-7, 2019, is passionate and continues in the outreach mission to the Meiteis of the plains of Manipur. Nagaland Baptist Church Council (NBCC) Nagaland first received the Gospel through the work of Rev. Dr. E.W. Clark, pioneer American missionary, and with the help of Godhula, an Assamese, in 1872. NBCC, a member body of APBF, has 1,661 local churches with a strength of 6,34,536 baptised believers. Twenty member associations and four associate members comes together into the organization of NBCC. According to Nagaland Missions Movement, the NBCC records around 700 missionaries being sent by Naga churches. Naga missionaries have been sent to the 27 states in India. God is also using NMM to send its missionaries to Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, China, Thailand, Mongolia, Sudan, Ethiopia, Krygyztan, Philippines, Estonia, Uzbekistan, East Timor, UK, USA, Singapore, and Japan. While Ronnie, Kabi, and I were able to cover only three conventions during the period of two weeks, towards the last week of April I had the privilege to attend the 69th Annual General Meeting of the Council of Baptist Churches in North East India, held from April 26-28, 2019, in Diphu Baptist Church, Karbi Anglong, Assam. The assembly was hosted by Nihang Karbi Baptist Association, Karbi Anglong Baptist Convention. All CBCNEI member bodies are members of APBF. The Council of Baptists in the North East of India, (CBCNEI) brings together six regional conventions, (minus Baptist Churches of Mizoram, Lairam Jesus Christ Baptist Churches, Lower Assam Baptist Union, and Boro Baptist Convention), and has 1.2 million baptized members in 7,516 congregations. During the 69th CBCNEI Council, CBCNEI bade farewell to the outgoing General Secretary, Rev. Dr. Solomom Rongpi and installed Rev. Dr. Akheto Sema as their new General Secretary. Due to time constraint and distance challenges, the APBF/APBAid team to North East India was not able to visit other member bodies of APBF (APBF hopes to visit them soon).
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ASIA PACIFIC BAPTIST FEDERATION (APBF) REPORT APB Youth Conference The 17th Asia Pacific Baptist Youth Conference was held at Philippines Baptist Theological Seminary, Baguio, Philippines, from May 21-24, 2019. Seven-hundred-fifteen delegates from 17 countries and 30 speakers (Almost 1,000 with walk-ins) registered to make the MD2, “Making and Multiplying Disciples,” a huge success. Asia Pacific Baptist Youth has elected a new team to serve from 2019-2024. Mr. Steve Dixon from Australia Baptist Churches, NSW; Mr. Jacob Cobtea from Baptist Churches of Mizoram, India; Ms. Ireina Ruth Serenia from Union of Baptist Churches in Indonesia; Ms. Lakna Premawardne from Baptist churches of Sri Lanka; Mr. Franco Ferrer from Luzon Convention of Southern Baptist Churches; and in absentia Mr. ZaUk Sang from Myanmar Baptist Convention. The 18th APB Youth Conference, scheduled in 2024, will be meeting in Malaysia. APBF T.E.A.M. Declaration Introduction Praise God the Father, Jesus our Lord, and the Holy Spirit. The 7th Asia Pacific Baptist Federation’s Collaborative Consultation was held in Melaka, Malaysia, during 22-24 January 2019. This consultation was entitled as T.E.A.M. (Theological Education, Aid and Development, and Missions). One hundred and seventy-two delegates from 22 countries and 40 Baptist conventions participated under the theme of “Stronger Together.” Listed here are some reminders of the perennial situations the Asia Pacific faces: Asia and the Pacific contain over 61% of the world population in the most vast and diverse and disaster-prone terrain. Inhabited by the world’s most diverse people groups, Asia Pacific people are also religiously diverse and deeply pious. Christians, however, are still a minority group and many are oppressed and persecuted. Political and economic challenges, including severe violations of human rights, are also rampant in our region. These conditions require a long-term holistic response by the church which engages effectively with diverse histories, ethnicities, and cultures to manifest God’s reign over the Asia Pacific region. These conditions create a context in which the church needs holistic ministries to manifest God’s reign over the region. The Purpose and Goal of the Consultation The purpose of holding a collaborative consultation was to train the church to produce an integrative and holistic understanding and performance of the Gospel. The foci of the plenary sessions were: 87
ASIA PACIFIC BAPTIST FEDERATION (APBF) REPORT Mission and Evangelism reminded us that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is holistic insofar as the salvation offered in the scripture is holistic. The Christian faith requires us not to separate proclamation and social justice but to do both. The Gospel is narrative, proclamation and a lived response to the call of God in Jesus Christ on our lives: this is beginning of our journey of faith and service. Mission must manifest God’s Kingdom in both word and deeds. Aid & Development called us to the vision of the New Creation eschatologically fulfilled through Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit. In Jesus the New Vision is bookended by Genesis and Revelation. Aid & Development activities are an expression of God’s restoration of his original vision for humanity and the establishment of God’s Kingdom on earth. We pray ‘Lord, your Kingdom come!’. Theological Education called the church to deepen the understanding of the Gospel as the body of Christ. Using the Gospel narrative of the woman who poured out oil on Jesus and Paul’s feet in Philippians, Romans, and 2 Timothy, the participants were reminded that the saving work of Jesus Christ as applied by the empowering presence of the Holy Spirit must reflect both the power of the cross and the power of the resurrection. In this, the “body” represents a genuine and realistic commitment to partake in the suffering of others in imitation of Jesus Christ that we might also partake eschatologically from the glory of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Work of the T.E.A.M. Consultation The work of the T.E.A.M. Consultation was carried through three streams of workshops: Mission. These workshops focused on holistic understanding of Gospel and holistic approach to Christian ministries: a call for collaboration. Theological Education. These workshops focused on Gospel, culture, and salvation. Aid, Development, and Peace. These workshops focused on the role of aid in the world of missions. CHALLENGES because we live in the Asia-Pacific Among an extremely diverse landscape of the Asia-Pacific in terms of faith, culture, and traditions we believe, as followers of the Lord Jesus Christ that, despite the great challenges of living here, there are many opportunities to serve God and the people we live and work among. We identified these challenges and listed them in Appendix 1. WAYS FORWARD TO FACE THE CHALLENGES Christians are in common humanity with all other peoples in the world. We will view, therefore, the world as full of fellow human beings, created in the image of God. Christianity is a way of peace. Christianity responds with compassion.
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ASIA PACIFIC BAPTIST FEDERATION (APBF) REPORT We commit to every opportunity to find ways to serve our communities even in contexts of overt hostility. We understand that Christianity is counter–cultural to many of the cultures and global trends that exist in our world today. We seek to understand the challenges and explore more deeply ways to overcome them, acknowledging that nothing is impossible in Christ Jesus in the following ways: Mission Ways Forward We will share with intentional mission that in Jesus the Kingdom of God entered into history. We understand the Gospel and Christian mission to be holistic. We will, therefore, preach and live according to the life and ministry modeled and taught by Jesus. We commit to review and evaluate our understanding of the Gospel as part of culture and its consequences for ministry. We renew our understanding that God uses all means within and outside the traditional church structure and leadership to carry out his holistic mission. We will collaborate in missionary endeavors and build a regional Asia Pacific network among Baptist to share God-given mission resources among the member bodies of APBF. Aid, Development, and Peace Ways Forward We seek to prepare for disasters more thoroughly through enhancing the capacity of the local churches to be ready to mobilize quickly to respond efficiently and adequately in their roles as first responders to disasters. We commit to carry out our aid and development work professionally. We commit to the understanding that relationships are more important than money when it comes to implementing aid and development programs.
We acknowledge the important role the Baptist Forum for Aid and Development (BFAD) will play in the coming season to assist Baptists across the globe to coordinate and collaborate in humanitarian responses. We acknowledge the important role the Micah Network has and is playing as a model of holistic mission. We acknowledge business can be mission and that it can be part of extending the Kingdom. We acknowledge the role of Christian peace missions which make specific valuable contributions to all our regions. 89
ASIA PACIFIC BAPTIST FEDERATION (APBF) REPORT We encourage churches and conventions to tackle social issues that devalue and abuse human beings in a non-sectarian way (e.g. human trafficking, refugee processing, internally displaced peoples, etc.). Theological Education Ways Forward We commit to provide ministry formation and theological education that supports this understanding of holistic understanding of mission deo to church leaders, as well as nonchurch secular and humanitarian workers.
We encourage the churches to live out more deeply the fact that ‘We are sojourners either as people of faith who accompany those who are in need or as the very people ourselves who are on a journey towards shalom.’ We seek to understand all the challenges and explore more deeply ways to overcome them, acknowledging that nothing is impossible in Christ Jesus: opportunities can always be found. We trust the Holy Spirit to lead us into the future. RECOMMENDATIONS We call upon: APBF Leadership to be proactive in mobilizing the whole of the APBF member bodies to enrich the lives of our peoples and equip them to better serve their local communities. APBF Leadership to be proactive in searching for future leaders to ensure the full range of conventions are included in the future directions of our movement. They should identify and nurture future leaders for our Mission, Theology, and Aid & Development Committees, particularly paying attention to gender balance and diversity within our federation. APBF Leadership to explore ways to integrate their ministries of Mission, Theology, and Aid & Development to gain synergies from integration. APBF Leadership to explore ways to contextualize the Gospel in each of the various conventions integrating the incarnational model of Jesus’ ministry. APBF Leadership to take all means possible to gain political and social respect for our churches and conventions by their links to the central body, especially drawing their attention to the value of our theological education and development programs for society. We request the APBF Leadership to take note of the substantive matters that have been raised in specific workshops and initiate actions to address these by paying special attention to the issues of:
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ASIA PACIFIC BAPTIST FEDERATION (APBF) REPORT The plight of refugees, especially those in detention camps or offshore processing (e.g. Australia) The Rohingya crisis, especially as it affects both Myanmar and Bangladesh Human trafficking taking place across many Asia Pacific nations and the region The economic failures in various countries that cause people to seek employment outside their own countries (e.g. The Filipinos, Nepalese, and Bengalis in Assam and Tripura, India)
We acknowledge and rejoice in the resources and gifting of those who have contributed to make the plenaries and workshops of the T.E.A.M. Consultation refreshing times of growth in understanding. We give thanks to those who have prepared for the Consultation and those who have prepared papers and workshop material to share. The workshops have given opportunities for learning and relationship building between workers and leaders from many countries. May God have all the glory. May Jesus our Lord be glorified.
May the Holy Spirit who leads us be glorified in our following his directions. Appendix 1 Identified Challenges Facing the Followers of Jesus 1. What is the role of APBF in our region and the leadership role of those we appoint as our leaders? 2. How do we present and live the holistic Gospel in our various contexts and environments? 3. How do we live effectively as minority status peoples? 4. How do we close ‘the separation gap’ which exists between our ministries of the Missions, Theological, and APBAid Committees which at present direct their work very separately? How do we increase our integration? 5. How do we talk into and serve our societies, our cultures, and states from the Christian perspective which we believe would enhance all our nations and cultures? 6. How do we overcome the label that Christianity is a Western religion and so an obstacle to mission and service? 7. How do we facilitate more effective, holistic disaster relief and aid & development? 8. How can Baptist churches more effectively work with other Christian churches and groups? 9. How can we, as part of Christianity, establish better relations with our neighbors who have different faith foundations or no faith at all?
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ASIA PACIFIC BAPTIST FEDERATION (APBF) REPORT 10. How can we mobilize the resources of our 62 conventions and 33,000 churches in countries of APBF to more effectively do mission, contextual theology, and aid & development? 11. How can we, the Asian Pacific churches, be self-sustaining, especially in the provision of its own needs and the needs for mission? Reported by General Secretary for APBF! Yours Sincerely in Christ,
Vesekhoyi Tetseo (Vee) APBF General Secretary
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ALL AFRICA BAPTIST FELLOWSHIP (AABF) REPORT All Africa Baptist Fellowship Report to the BWA General Council July 9-11, 2019 Ernest Adu-Gyamfi, President DurosinJesu Ayanrinola, General Secretary
INTRODUCTION Between the time we last met in Zurich and this time we are meeting in the Bahamas, AABF has, through the grace of God, had the opportunity to organize leadership training programs, Writers’ Training Conference, Evangelism and Church Planting Conference, Student Ministry Awareness Program, Executive Committee Meeting, Ecumenical Synergy, and encouragement meetings. A book on Evangelism and Missions was also published during this period. Presented below are some of the highlights of the activities. BENIN ONE-DAY LEADERSHIP TRAINING PROGRAMME The AABF was in Benin Republic in February this year to conduct a one-day Leadership Training Programme. The programme was held at Temple De L’Etoile- Rouge of Eglise Baptiste Du Benin in Cotonou on February 5, 2019. Eighty-five people participated in the training. The topics considered were Discipleship Requirements for Jesus’ Workers, Setting up and Sustaining a Mission Board, and Awareness on Student Ministries. The training was facilitated by AABF GS, Dr. Duro Ayanrinola and Dr. Samuel Ojo, Global Missions Board (NBC) Missionary, serving in Benin Republic. At the end of the training, an offering was raised for the purchase of a motorbike for use in one of the remote mission areas in the country. AABF appreciates the President and GS of Benin Baptist Convention for making adequate preparations for the successful hosting of the programme. AABF LEADERSHIP TRAINING & EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING IN LIBERIA The AABF leadership was in Liberia from February 8 – 13 2019 at the Liberia Baptist Theological Seminary, Montserrado, Liberia, where a number of meetings and events were held. The leadership training program was organized for Baptist Pastors and leaders in Liberia Baptist Missionary and Educational Convention. The theme for the training was “That Whole World May Hear” (John 17:16-19). Topics bordering on Discipleship, Effective Leadership, Setting Up Children Ministries, Setting Up & Sustaining a Functional Mission Board, Student Ministries Emphasis, and Pension/Welfare Schemes for Pastors were taken. The facilitators were Dr. Ernest Adu-Gyamfi (AABF President), Dr. Dickson Madoghwe (Chairman, AABF Western Region), Dr. Femi Adewumi (NBC Global Missions Board Director), Dr. Foluke Olla (NBC Family Life Division Coordinator), Brother Dayo Akinola (Peace House Liberia), Brother Tope Akinola (AABF Office), and Dr. Duro Ayanrinola (AABF General Secretary). Thirty-five participants resolved to be Kingdom workers during the meeting.
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ALL AFRICA BAPTIST FELLOWSHIP (AABF) REPORT WORSHIP IN BAPTIST CHURCHES IN LIBERIA On Sunday, February 10, AABF Executive members attended different Baptist churches in Monrovia and designated preachers preached during the church service for the day. It was a great experience fellowshipping with the Baptist brethren in Liberia. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING The Executive Committee met on February 11 and 12 to deliberate on moving the work of God forward on the continent through the instrumentality of AABF and its member bodies. ECUMENICAL SYNERGY On February 13th, AABF Executive Committee met with the leadership of the Liberia Council of Churches (LCC) at their secretariat in Monrovia to sensitize them on the need for synergy among churches in Liberia in order to be able to address common challenges facing Christian bodies in the country, region, and on the continent at large. The LCC leaders appreciated the visit and called for collaboration with AABF in the area of evangelism in Liberia. We thank the leadership of the Liberia Baptist Missionary and Educational Convention for making adequate plans and preparation for the meetings held in Liberia. ENCOURAGEMENT MEETING & LEADERSHIP TRAINING IN N’DJAMENA, REPUBLIC OF CHAD AABF was in N’Djamena, Republic of Chad, for Encouragement Meeting and Leadership Training from April 4th to 5th, 2019. While in Chad, the Leadership Training was anchored by the Director of Global Mission Board and the General Secretary of AABF. Participants for the training came from two Conventions: Eglise Baptiste Evangelique Du TChad lead by Pastor Bekayo and the Mission Church of the Nigerian Baptist Convention in Chad, L’eglise Baptiste De La Foi. Some of the topics covered were - Combating Nominalism, Sexual Purity, and Essentials of Discipleship, etc. FOLLOW UP ON BAPTIST STUDENT MINISTRIES AWARENESS PROGRAMME IN SOUTH AFRICA In furtherance of our efforts to sensitize Baptist Conventions and Unions in South Africa on the need to mobilize for student ministries in the country, AABF made a follow-up trip to South Africa in October 2018 where we again spoke to the convention-in-session of Baptist Convention of South Africa and Baptist Union of Southern Africa respectively. Also, the visit enabled us to witness the formal retirement of Rev Angelo, the former General Scretary or the Baptist Union of South Africa and to witness the installation of the new officers of the Baptist Convention of South Africa. With the assistance of AABF Chairman for Southern Africa, AABF was able to organize an in-house training and sensitization programme for selected pastors and young people on Student Ministry. CHRISTIAN LITERATURE WRITERS TRAINING CONFERENCE - COTE D’IVOIRE AABF in the past six years has been training indigenous writers across the continent to write Christian literature in their own socio-cultural contexts. AABF found that this would be much more effective than the use of materials written (‘imported’) from other contexts.
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ALL AFRICA BAPTIST FELLOWSHIP (AABF) REPORT The Ivory Coast Writers’ Conference was organized with the French-speaking Ivorians, Eglise Baptiste Evangelique Meridionale en Cote d'Ivoire, at the Baptist Bible School, Tomoudi, near Yamoussoukro. Dr. Ebele Adioye, the Director of Baptist Bible School, Tomoudi hosted the conference. Twenty-five people participated in the training, including pastors, seminarians, and lay people. The training material was translated to French by the AABF Office Secretary and Translator, Ruth Olajumoke. The trainers who are English-speaking were assisted by French-speaking interpreters to communicate with the audience. The training incorporated practical sessions whereby participants wrote Sunday school and daily devotionals. The worksheets were accessed by Dr. Ebele Adioye. We are grateful to the BWA for the financial support we received which enabled us to impact the brethren for Kingdom growth. We believe that something great will happen following the training. EVANGELISM AND CHURCH PLANTING CONFERENCE IN MADAGASCAR (SEPTEMBER 19-28, 2018) The General Secretary, together with the AABF Chairman for Southern Africa region, Rev Chris Dikana, went to Madagascar on September 19 – 28, 2018 to conduct Evangelism and Church Planting Conference. Madagascar is a country with enormous needs. The country is not only poor physically, it is also poor spiritually. About 60 to 70% of the population are teenagers and youths and this constitutes a missiological need to target the age bracket of the population. Another challenge in the country is the growth of Islam and a weak Christian ministry. Hence the young people in the country are vulnerable to Islamic religion. The workshop was conducted in partnership with the Madagascar Baptist Convention and was held in Antananarivo, capital of Madagascar. Training programme includes practical steps towards evangelism and church planting. Forty-seven leaders attended the programme. ISLAMIZATION OF NIGERIA AND AFRICA Recently, Nigeria’s former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo spoke about the ‘Fulanization of West Africa and Islamization of Africa’. Obasanjo’s statement was re-echoed by Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka. This controversial subject has been highlighted for the past 5 years by leaders of the church in Nigeria, especially the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, our own Revd Dr. Supo Ayokunle. However, people often take their statements as mere religious sentiment. This issue has now moved from 'church view' to 'public view.' Though we know that not all Muslims and not all Fulani have engaged in these actions or perspectives, the situation is very serious. We appeal to the global Baptist body to join us in prayer and timely interventions that would avert further destabilisation in Nigeria and the whole of Africa.
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ALL AFRICA BAPTIST FELLOWSHIP (AABF) REPORT AFRICA BAPTIST IN MISSION AND EVANGELISM Almost all the conventions and Unions in Africa are involved in one form of mission and evangelism within their country. But a very small number are involved in cross-cultural mission. Among those who are reaching out to other countries and places outside Africa are Baptist Union of Southern Africa, Ghana Baptist Convention, and the Nigeria Baptist Convention. AABF is determined to create awareness for conventions and unions in Africa to be fully involved in spreading the Gospel. That is the reason why our theme for this year is “That the Whole World may Hear” – John 17:16-18. To this effect a small book has been written by AABF General Secretary for teaching, mobilizing, and creating awareness to meet the need. WOMEN’S MISSIONARY UNION (WMU) OF NIGERIAN BAPTIST CONVENTION (NBC) CENTENARY CELEBRATION The Women Missionary Union (WMU) of the Nigerian Baptist Convention celebrated its 100 years of existence, ministering to the Sunbeam, G.A., Lydia, and to the Women. Our prayer is that the Lord will give the Union a brighter vision for another 100 years. AFRICA IN DISTRESS For the past few years, western part of Cameroon has not known peace. The civil war seems to be escalating. Recently, Kenya was attacked by Al-Shabab forces at the Nairobi Dusit Hotel. The attack claimed the lives of 14 civilians. Let us continue to pray for peace in the countries of Africa. UPCOMING EVENTS For the remaining part of the year 2019, three continental meetings are coming up. The All Africa Baptist Youth Fellowship (AABYF) will be having their Conference in Lusaka, Zambia, from 28 – 31st August 2019. The All Africa Baptist Royal Ambassadors Conference will be held in Edo State, Nigeria, from September 4-7, 2019. The All Africa Baptist Men’s Fellowship (AABMF) will also be holding their first continental congress on October 8 – 11, 2019 at Ikoyi Baptist Church, Nigeria. COMING EVENT - YEAR 2020 AABF Executive & General Council Meeting in Zambia AABF Theological Conference Leadership Conference
Duro Ayanrinola AABF General Secretary
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UNION OF BAPTISTS OF LATIN AMERICA (UBLA) REPORT Union of Baptists in Latin America Report to the BWA General Council July 9-11, 2019 Alberto Prokopchuk, President Parrish Jácome Hernández, Executive Director
Hereby I put into consideration the most important aspects of our region. As Baptists, we have been challenged to understand our responsibility as agents of transformation on our continent, a reality that should show the preaching and demonstration of the Gospel. Social and Political situation of Venezuela The Venezuela crisis deepened in recent months and dramatically in recent weeks. The number of people who leave the country maintains a fast pace, heading for the countries on the borders. In the region, we have been able to witness, along with various national conventions and several Baptist institutions from the Southern Baptists, the dramatic reality that many families face. The Brazilian, Chilean, Mexican, Argentine, Colombian, and Ecuadorian Baptists, together with the support of the IMB, have developed projects to provide food, medicines, and sanitary supplies. This work has been functioning for more than a year. The BWA joined this work last year by providing economic support for projects implemented by the Venezuelan Baptist Convention. The humanitarian crisis, coupled with the social and political crisis, makes it hard to make out a possible solution. The intervention of international organizations has created an external pressure to find clear choices to benefit the population. The political situation was aggravated last week when several people were arrested, depriving them of their liberty. Gregory Pérez, Venezuelan Baptist Youth Leader, is one of the people who is being held in jail. Several efforts have been developed with the General Secretary of the BWA, looking for the way to put pressure on the authorities to demand the freedom of Gregory. We are still praying and making efforts to achieve justice in this case. From the region we call to our Baptist brethren from other parts of the world so you can join us in this situation. We consider that Venezuela will require support from our part for a period; it will not be easy to reconstruct the country, which once was rich and now lies in ruin. Amid this difficult situation, we thank the Lord for the work of Venezuelan Baptists who, making presence in neighborhoods and cities, have become an arm of support to the civilian population.
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UNION OF BAPTISTS OF LATIN AMERICA (UBLA) REPORT UFBAL Baptist Women Congress In the city of Cartagena, Colombia, 14-17 August, took place the Congress of Baptist Women in our region. About 400 women from across the continent gathered to affirm the task they developed. At this time was held new elections; chosen was Liliana Fernandez of Argentina, who will be at the head of the organization for the next five years. "Jesús, Transformación y Vida" (Jesus, Transformation and Life) Movement Our movement is still on. Our goal is to develop a strategy to allow churches to be agents of change on our continent. We have constituted the Central Committee and it is already functioning, implementing the work in the six pillars we have been developing. Last year we started the first pillar: Planting Relevant Churches. This year we will do it with the second pillar: Global Missions Mobilization. The Continental Summit this year will have this emphasis, challenging other national conventions to a work that includes good news among other cultures and other nations. This is an effort to mobilize particularly the youth as an important mission force. We have designed a joint effort in Madrid, in October, with the goal to provide multicultural experience. Continental Summit of Baptist Leaders 2019 From June 4-7 our meeting took place in Bogotá, Colombia. One hundred sixty seven people from 14 different countries gathered together at our summit named: "Here, Now and to the uttermost part of the earth”. We were challenged by the word of God, establishing commitments for missionary sending. The four work groups of the movement, “Jesus, Transformation and Life”, were crucial to focus our actions on the six main pillars that the movement develops. Rev Elijah Brown, BWA General Secretary, participated in the summit, sharing an inspirational and challenge message. We seized the opportunity to visit and to get to know better the work being conducted with Venezuelan migrants in the border city of Cúcuta. There is a lot to be done in this work of love and solidarity to those who have been displaced from their homes.
Next Events The most important events in the region are: • UBLA General Council, June 4-7, Bogotá, Colombia • 100 Days of Prayer for the Families, June 9-September 17 • Continental Day of Prayer, August 4
Parrish Jacome UBLA Executive Director
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NORTH AMERICAN BAPTIST FELLOWSHIP (NABF) REPORT North American Baptist Fellowship Report to the BWA General Council July 9-11, 2019 Samuel C. Tolbert, Jr., President Jeremy Bell, General Secretary
We in the NABF seek to engage one another so that we might learn and experience what God is doing in each of our ministries. There is great variety and a rich depth of ministry in this community of churches. We seek to experience God’s story in our midst that we may be encouraged to learn from one another, pray for one another and seek ways that God might be calling us to collaborate in his work in the United States and Canada. We also understand that in reframing our NABF life together we must spend some initial time collating and reflecting on all the work that is currently underway before we can truly and thoughtfully collaborate.
We were very grateful for the wonderful BWA meeting in Zürich that enabled those of us from the NABF to meet together with well over 60 people in attendance. By the time we had completed our session together over a third of the room had participated in prayer, a panel presentation, reporting, questioning or engaging with the whole group. There were several who were asked to share stories and we were deeply affected by some of the stories that were told. There were those who were serving unaccompanied minors who were crossing the southern US border in Texas. There were those who were seeking to ameliorate the immoral practice of high interest payday loans. Some told of offering shoes to those who are barefoot, over 3 million pairs so far. There were those who shared about providing blankets and there were some who shared in the encouraging work of fresh expressions, the reframing of how we “do church.” These stories are a few of the important acts of mercy and justice, renewal and evangelism that are part of God story in our midst. And a BF annual meeting in Orlando drew 17 different denominations and five affiliated organizations. The denominations present represented approximately 28,000 churches and approximately 8.9 million members out of an NABF total of 19.7 million people. Previous meetings have often focused on one particular theme. These meetings have been very significant in plumbing the deeper depths of a particular topic. During the search process for the NABF General Secretary it was made clear that it would be beneficial to engage several
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NORTH AMERICAN BAPTIST FELLOWSHIP (NABF) REPORT topics together at each meeting since we have so few opportunities to gather. This year’s meeting reflected that varied approach. We engaged in a variety of topics which can be seen on our website. These topics included but were not limited to evangelism, leadership development, disaster relief, grants, discussing a variety of conversion narratives from around the world and Fresh Expressions. Jerry Carlisle also shared with us the excitement of Rio in 2020. There was a lot more that occurred around tables and meals. We used the general format of a speaker that set the stage for a broader discussion and then engaged anywhere from two to four panel members who then responded to the speaker. This process enhanced our experience of each topic. There was a concern expressed by many that January was a bad time of the year to be conducting meetings. So there has been some extensive discussion as to when the best time for these meetings might be. For these BWA meetings in Nassau we will conduct business around two very particular issues: one is our individual incorporation from the BWA, and the other is how we approach the issue of membership in the NABF. We are also concerned that while so many denominations and organizations have been very generous over the years the suggested amount to be donated to the NABF has remained constant at approximately $1,000 -$1,500. Our present revenue streams do not enable effective ministry and the building of collaborative networks. All this is for ongoing discussion. After extensive consultation we are holding our annual NABF meetings in October for the foreseeable future. We will continue to rotate the site of these meetings from the southwest, the southeast and the Washington, DC, area. 2017 saw us in Dallas, January of this year saw us in Orlando and we felt that waiting until October 2020 was too long so we are gathering in Falls Church from noon October 1 to dinner time on October 2. We are very excited indeed to have Reverend Dr. David Emmanuel Goatley formerly of Lott Carey and now at Duke; and Reverend Dr. Anna Robbins, the new President elect of Acadia Divinity College, as our main presenters on the State of the Christian faith and Contemporary Culture in North America. Much more will come as we pray, encourage and seek God’s wisdom in what we are to do together. A whole host of topics, panels and robust discussion will be part of our Falls Church time together, just as they were in Orlando in January. We are encouraged at the growing interest and engagement in the NABF. We are entirely cognizant, prayerful and excited at the many wonderful things that are happening in other regions of the BWA. We look forward to hearing what God is doing around the world in these meetings. And we look forward by God’s grace to sharing the work that is renewing and deepening in North America.
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NORTH AMERICAN BAPTIST FELLOWSHIP (NABF) REPORT The loss of Denton Lotz is a clear reminder of his incredible contribution to Baptist life around the world, both to the BWA and the NABF. I am personally deeply grateful for his friendship and legacy. In closing I would like to give thanks for the encouragement, work and leadership of our President Samuel Tolbert and our Treasurer Robert Cochran. I am deeply grateful to both.
Jeremy Bell NABF General Secretary
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EUROPEAN BAPTIST FEDERATION (EBF) REPORT European Baptist Federation Report to the BWA General Council July 9-11, 2019 Jenni Entrican, President Meego Remmel, Vice President Tony Peck, General Secretary Helle Liht, Assistant General Secretary
RECONCILIATION IN CHRIST RECONCILIATION DECLARED Our EBF Council in Lviv, Ukraine, last September, met literally under a huge banner made by our Ukrainian hosts proclaiming ‘Reconciliation in Christ’. Elijah Brown was with us for the first time as BWA General Secretary and preached at the Opening Celebration being reconciled to God in Christ, which is the impetus for all our mission undertaken in his name. During the days of our Council we also thought about our calling to be agents of God’s reconciliation, and we were blessed and inspired to hear about: •
Truth and Reconciliation in South Africa from Paul Msiza, BWA President, bringing his personal and theological reflections in the struggle for justice in that nation.
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The witness of ‘good conflict’ in our churches, a Bible Study based on the story of the early church in the Book of Acts, by Dan Buttry, Global Consultant for Peace and Justice with American Baptist International Missions.
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Reconciliation in time of war, Elisey Pronin, an outstanding younger leader now based at the Baptist Seminary in Lviv, but whose church in east Ukraine was destroyed in the conflict there with Russian-backed forces. His book written about that experience, Chronicles of Undeclared War, tells not only of the suffering of himself and his family, but also the theological journey he had to undergo to understand it as a Christian leader.
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EUROPEAN BAPTIST FEDERATION (EBF) REPORT THE NEED FOR RECONCILIATION EXPERIENCED At our Council we had the Baptist leaders of Ukraine and Russia present and whilst the situation between them and their countries needs much more prayer and work towards reconciliation, there were clear signs of these leaders reaching out to one another ‘in Christ’ who stand above all that would divide us and keep us from one another. In the days after the Council a delegation from the EBF and BWA visited eastern Ukraine right up to the conflict line with the Russian-backed ‘people’s republics’ of Donetsk and Luhansk. Here we found voices crying out for peace and an end to violent conflict and economic hardship. And we experienced the committed and courageous witness of the churches there, and of the pastors from inside these occupied zones that we met. We were able to see the direct positive results of the commitment of our aid partners through European Baptist Aid on the lives of individuals. RECONCILIATION IN OUR CHURCH COMMUNITIES In the life of the EBF we are grateful to God when we experience his precious gift of reconciled unity among us, even across national, cultural, linguistic and theological boundaries. It is a joy when that happens, for instance when we meet year by year as leaders. But our Baptist way of being the church is vulnerable to conflict which often has much more to do with personalities, issues of finance and power, perceived rather than actual theological differences and the inability to distinguish our bedrock beliefs from secondary issues or the pressures of the culture around us. In some of our EBF unions at the moment we have several such conflicts and we pray for God’s wisdom and reconciling grace when we are asked to walk alongside these groups and try to discern a better and more united way forward. RECONCILIATION IN SOCIETY Later this year our Theology and Education Commission plans to hold a Consultation on Baptist Attitudes to Church and State, especially addressing issues of nationalism in our EBF region today. Post-Brexit there will be a critical work of healing and reconciliation to be done in a very divided Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and we want to support our four member bodies in the UK as they encourage and empower and our churches to indeed be ‘agents of reconciliation’. How can we be truly prophetic as churches, standing for the values of the Gospel even when they conflict with the powers that be or the status quo? Towards the end the Bulgarian Baptists took a leading role in opposing proposed new laws, ostensibly in the name of antiterrorism, which would discriminate against and greatly restrict the life of many of the
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EUROPEAN BAPTIST FEDERATION (EBF) REPORT churches. Their peaceful demonstrations outside Parliament Sunday after Sunday in the freezing cold were supported by advocacy on their behalf by the international Christian community including the EBF and BWA. We rejoiced with our Bulgarian brothers and sisters in Christ when, just before Christmas, the offending proposed laws were withdrawn by the government. HOPE OF RECONCILIATION IN ISRAEL AND PALESTINE As I write this I am returning on a visit to both Palestine (West Bank) and Israel, visiting our leaders and some of our churches there (though I did not visit it, I had also in mind the situation of our Baptist Church in Gaza). I have been there several times before, but this time I felt I learned much that was new to me about the sheer complexity of the situation of Palestinians both on the West Bank and in Israel ‘proper’, and our churches there. To visit the West Bank is on one level frankly a depressing experience. At the present time there seems no hopeful outlook for peace between Palestinians and Jews living there. Reconcilers and peacemakers on both sides are lacking in the political sphere. Meanwhile conditions of daily life seem to have worsened for many Palestinians. All our member churches in both Palestine and Israel are Arabic-speaking Palestinian communities and as the EBF we stand in solidarity with them. In the midst of this there is the outstanding work of the Bethlehem Bible College, with several Baptists as staff members, that continues to reach out to the Palestinian community in educational, spiritual and practical ministries. In Israel ‘proper’ there are differing attitudes among the Baptists to their situation vis-a-vis Israel and its politics. But there is some excellent contextual Palestinian evangelical theology emerging from the Nazareth Evangelical College and outstanding Baptist theologians such as Yohanna Katanacho. The College has a programme by way of an invitation to ‘come and see’ Nazareth and the Holy Land, open to all of us around the Baptist world. Baptists are also involved in the organisation Musalaha (Reconciliation), that has as its aim working for reconciliation between Palestinian Christians and Messianic Jews based on the reconciliation at the cross of Christ that Paul expounds in Ephesians 2. Musalaha also desires to be a Christian sign to the wider society of a future hope based on reconciliation and peace. As the worldwide Baptist family we need to take care how we speak about Israel and Palestine. RECONCILIATION IN CHRIST AT THE HEART OF MISSION I return at the end of this report based on our Council theme and what it means for our witness and mission. EBF member churches and unions are in many cases being challenged to have a wider perspective on sharing in God’s mission to the world, being willing to support those who pioneer news ways of mission and being church among us.
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EUROPEAN BAPTIST FEDERATION (EBF) REPORT In June the theme of the EBF Mission Conference in Stockholm, Sweden, will be on ‘Arts and Mission,’ recognising the visual and performing arts as media that can convey the Gospel to many who are outside the church today. And the EBF Council resolved to hold a Mission Summit for 1,700 participants in Stavanger, Norway, in July 2021 based on John 20:21 asking what mission in the way of Christ looks like in our various contexts and seeking to share our experience of mission in the various contexts of the EBF, and together seeking God’s way forward for our life together as those ‘reconciled in Christ’.
Addendum Last year we said farewell to Jeff and Deann Carter who had ministered in the EBF in youth worker training and in many other ways for the past 16 years, supported by Canadian Baptist Ministries. We are delighted that Jeff is now the means of taking the HORIZONS Youth Training Programme worldwide. We have made a part-time appointment of Roald Zeiffert from Norway to co-ordinate youth worker training for the EBF. We have also appointed Kieryn Wurts (USA and Germany) as a part-time Researcher in Religious Freedom. This is to help provide solid research to support our actions on behalf of those of our Baptist brothers and sisters suffering a lack of religious freedom. Our President, Jenni Entrican, suffered a bad fall at home in November and her recovery is taking much longer than expected, so she has had to cancel several EBF visits. We continue to pray for Jenni that she will soon be restored to full health.
Tony Peck EBF General Secretary
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UPCOMING BWA MEETINGS Projected Dates 2020 March 2-4
Executive Committee & Related Meetings
July 21-22
Executive Committee/General Council
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
July 22-26
Baptist World Alliance Celebration 2020
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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Falls Church, Virginia, USA
TOGETHER
2020
BAPTIST WORLD ALLIANCE CELEBRATION
July 22-26, 2020 RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL
bwa2020.org WORSHIP • FELLOWSHIP • PRAY • NETWORK • SERVE