Baptists have had a long history in transforming lives and society. And that long history — specifically the 400th anniversary of Baptists — was celebrated during the Baptist World Alliance (BWA) Annual Gathering, held July 27–Aug. 1 in Ede, Netherlands.
Participating in the BWA event were about 400 Baptist leaders from more than 50 countries.
Throughout the event, forums were held detailing Baptists in different regions of the world during the past 400 years, while commissions and workgroups discussed various theological, doctrinal and social topics.
William Brackney, director of the Acadia Centre for Baptist and Anabaptist Studies in Nova Scotia, Canada, recounted the work of Baptists over the years, beginning with Baptist pioneers John Smyth and Thomas Helwys, founders of the first Baptist church in Amsterdam, Netherlands, in 1609.
Baptist missionaries such as Adoniram Judson to Burma, William Carey to India, Johann Gerhard Oncken to continental Europe and Lott Carey to Liberia, were also noted as having helped transform lives and societies in profound ways.
Baptists in opposition to slavery have also done transformative work through their involvement in the emancipation and abolitionist movements, Brackney said.
But, he added, Baptists still need to do more to counter the modern-day scourge of human trafficking, which includes the commerce of human beings for sex trade and forced labor and of which more than 12 million people are believed to be victims.
During the July 28 morning worship service, the ministries of outstanding Baptist preachers were highlighted.
Excerpts were read from a 1872 sermon by Charles Spurgeon of England, a 1917 sermon by George Truett of the United States, a 1970 sermon by William Tolbert of Liberia and a 1973 sermon by Rubens Lopes of Brazil.
BWA business items were also dealt with during the gathering and several key committees met.
Among them, the executive committee considered constitutional bylaw changes of BWA, personnel appointments and restructuring of several BWA divisions. Reports were also received from the congress program committee, which is helping plan the 20th Baptist World Congress set for July 28–Aug. 1, 2010, in Honolulu, at which more than 10,000 people are expected to attend.
Also during the gathering, John Upton, executive director of the Baptist General Association of Virginia, was nominated as BWA president.
If elected at the Baptist World Congress, then Upton will begin a five-year term to end in 2015. He will succeed David Coffey of Great Britain.
It was also announced that George Bullard, a ministry partner and strategic leadership coach with The Columbia Partnership, would become general secretary of the North American Baptist Fellowship (NABF) beginning Aug. 1.
He will succeed Alan Stanford, who had held the position for eight years.
Bullard was tapped for the position during a meeting in June, but the announcement was delayed until the BWA meeting.
Bullard was appointed to a three-year term.
The NABF is one of six global regions affiliated with BWA.
The NABF consists of more than 30 conventions and denominational organizations and represents more than 20 million Baptists in the United States and Canada. (BWA, ABP)
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