Pursuing God’s Justice Motivated by faith, Baptists have long been involved in seeking to create a more just world.
This edition of Baptists Together is, in one sense, a celebration/affirmation of that. In the following pages we catch a glimpse of how churches and individuals are using their gifts and determination to build a fairer world.
From the very beginning more than 400 years ago, our forebears were champions of religious freedom. The impassioned speeches and compelling But there is more. Each story, past and present, is united by evidence of Baptist missionary William Knibb contributed to the a shared desire to understand ending of slavery. The movement God’s character and be in step spearheaded by Martin Luther with his purposes. So there are King, a Baptist minister, did much articles looking at why pursuing to bring about greater freedom God’s justice is important (p5), and equality for millions of black what is meant by God’s justice people in the United States. Faced (p12), and how we might discern with soaring unemployment and our own role in working towards extreme poverty in east London it (p14). Image: Lorelyn Medina / istockphoto.com in the early 20th century, Baptist Lynn Green (p16) shares thoughts on daily living minister Rowntree Clifford and Sister Hettie – later to (and how she can no longer use a major online be his wife – gathered a team to provide food, shelter, retailer). There is a fresh look at what would make medical and social services under the guise of West the world a fairer place from the eyes of children Ham Central Mission. Among his many achievements and young people in our Baptist churches (p26). And in India, William Carey, the BMS World Mission talking of children, Linda Hopkins takes the horror of founder, played a significant role in the banning of Rotherham, Manchester and other recent revelations Sati, the Hindu custom which required widows to of abuse to highlight the never-more-pressing need burn themselves to death on their husband’s funeral to place the well-being of children at the heart of our pyre. shared life (p24). This long tradition of sharing a hunger for God’s Baptists have always had a heart for justice. As we coming kingdom continues today: whether it is in read and engage with the pages that follow, our hosting nightshelters for the homeless; setting up hope is that everybody who is part of a local Baptist foodbanks, jobs clubs or credit unions; welcoming church will be helped to better discern how we might asylum seekers and economic migrants; championing respond to God. fostering and adoption; providing great youth work; petitioning the Government or involvement in bigger advocacy campaigns such as Make Poverty History… Baptist Christians are there.
The Editorial Group
PRODUCTION TEAM: Ian Bunce Paul Hobson Mary Parker Tracey Vallance
Producer Writer and Editor Designer Production Coordinator
EDITORIAL GROUP: Geoffrey Colmer Stephen Keyworth Jonathan Somerville
Sarah Fegredo Michele Mahon Ruth Whiter
Baptists Together
is produced three times per year by:
Phil Jump Colin Norris
Contact media@baptist.org.uk for a plain text or braille version of any articles. LETTERS: We welcome your views and ideas for future editions of Baptists Together. Write to the Editorial Group at media@baptist.org.uk or using the Baptist House address.
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