New member unions from Texas and Virginia in the United States, new staff and an increased budget headed the agenda of the Baptist World Alliance’s (BWA) General Council meeting July 27 in Birmingham, England.
The council also elected officers and welcomed President-elect David Coffey of Great Britain, who succeeds South Korean Billy Kim as leader of the worldwide Baptist organization.
The General Council meeting was held prior to the Baptist World Congress July 27–31, where more than 12,000 Baptist Christians from around the world celebrated BWA’s 100th anniversary.
The Baptist General Convention of Texas and the Baptist General Association of Virginia were welcomed as the newest members of the global body. Conditional acceptance was given to the Baptist Union of Churches in the Central African Republic, pending a report from Frank Adams, general secretary of the All Africa Baptist Fellowship. With these additions, the BWA is now comprised of 213 members.
Speaking to the BWA budget in light of the departure of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) and its $425,000, General Secretary Denton Lotz said North American churches have contributed $500,000 to the BWA this year.
Emboldened by the positive financial report, the General Council approved a 2006 budget of $2,345,275, an increase over 2005’s $1,974,773 budget
Also approved was about $2.5 million in disaster relief and development projects for Baptist World Aid (BWAid), a ministry of the BWA. The amounts represent goals for which BWAid will seek funding for the projects; they are not promises of funding.
The council also approved a statement of Baptist identity, which it will ask the congress to adopt.
“This is a strong message to send to our Baptist family in this [centennial] year,” said Keith Jones, who chaired a committee that formulated the statement. “We hope it will be used to declare to the world who we are.”
Jones, who is rector of the International Baptist Theological Seminary in Prague, Czech Republic, said the statement is Christocentric and “places the Trinity at its heart.” It also is evangelistic, Baptist in ecclesiology, “puts the accent on mission and the coming reign of God” and stresses the need to be good stewards of creation and take strong stands for the poor and needy and for religious liberty.
In other action, the General Council:
-Elected two new executive staff members. Fausto Vasconcelos, pastor of First Baptist Church, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, succeeds Tony Cupit, who is retiring as director of the evangelism department. Ron Harris, director of advancement for Bethel College in St. Paul, Minn., becomes director of the BWA’s new division of advancement, created by the merging of the old communications and development departments. Wendy Ryan, director of communications for 17 years, will retire this year.
Directors re-elected were Paul Montacute, BWAid; Ellen Teague, finance and administration; and Emmett Dunn, youth department and congress director.
The council also elected four new vice presidents. Secretaries for the BWA’s six regions were elected as well.
-Received a report from its 21st Century Committee, which is evaluating the BWA’s ministry structure. Over the next five years, an implementation task force likely will propose changes, which must be considered by the General Council before going into effect.
-Selected Hawaii as the site of the next BWA Congress, in 2010.
In related action, Dorothy Selebano of Kasigo, South Africa, was elected president of the BWA women’s department. She will serve 2005–2010.
Prior to the BWA Congress, more than 20 former SBC leaders expressed support and encouragement for BWA by distributing a celebratory flier about the 100th anniversary. The leaders’ photos, names and former positions accompanied the message.
“We pray for Baptist World Alliance as it enters a new century of service and continues to show the essential oneness of Baptist people in the Lord Jesus Christ,” the flier stated. “We are pleased that the Baptist World Alliance leads in evangelism, defends religious freedom, helps people in need through Baptist World Aid and unites Baptists around the world in the fellowship of Christ.”
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