RECOGNIZES the importance of the work of Baptists throughout the world, individually and collectively, to bring peace and justice to all of the people of God; The BWA celebrated its centennial and 19th congress in Birmingham, England in July, 2005. It has served as a collective voice for religious freedom in. It is neither within its power nor its function to direct, or rule on the internal affairs of the political or economic procedures of its constituent bodies or of their countries. Renews its decision made at the General Council in Seoul, Korea, 2004, to strengthen the capacity of aid and development agencies, such as Baptist World Aid, to make a biblically- shaped response to the needs of the poor and oppressed in line with the Micah Challenge campaign to support the UN initiative of 2000 on the Millennium Development Goals to halve the level of world poverty by 2015; AFFIRMS the role of theological education as essential for the development of pastors and church leaders who will bring servant leadership to the task of developing growing and vital churches to carry out the mission of the triune God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit; COMMENDS the leadership of USA President George W. Bush, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas as well as the roles of the USA, the European Union, the United Nations and Russia in putting forth The Road Map to Peace that provides an opportune moment for all parties involved in the Middle East conflict; On Detention and Due Process The Twelfth Baptist World Congress of 1970, held in Tokyo, Japan, resolves to offer its great appreciation to the Program Committee of the BWA, the Local Arrangements Committee of Japan Baptist Domai (Union), the Japan Baptist Renmai (Convention) and the Japan Baptist Church Association for the labor of love, in bringing this significant Baptist Congress, held on Asian soil for the first time, into great success. Stefana Dan Laing, associate professor of divinity, serves on the BWAs Commission on Baptist Heritage and offered a devotional on Ruth 2 called "Doing Justice and Loving hesed: Creating Flourishing Freedom" during one of the commissions sessions. Religious freedom and human rights are great concerns of the BWA. The BWA holds a world congress every five years. The General Council of the Baptist World Alliance wishes to express its appreciation of: They rejoice, however, in the assurance that his recovery now seems to be certain. Meeting in a predominately Buddhist nation, global Baptist leaders learned from Thai Baptists and offered encouragement to Baptists in the region. We remain optimistic that uncertainty will turn to certainty, as we continue to pray and to plan for an in-person gathering to be held Sept. 21-23 at the Westin Kansas City (Mo.) The following resolutions were passed on the recommendation of the Literature Committee: Rejoices in the work God is doing among his people in Zimbabwe and in particular through the Baptist churches in Zimbabwe; The General Council of the Baptist World Alliance meeting in Seville, Spain, July 8-13, 2002: The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship and Alliance of Baptists are among those who said they also plan to hold hybrid annual gatherings this year. BWA World Congress Resolution 1934.2 107. Maintains ongoing concern about the armed conflicts, contrived famines, destruction of communities, lack of transparent truth and accountability and other human rights violations in Sudan. 2007 BWA General Council Recommendation We express concern for nations and peoples who are caught in a terrible circle of hatred, violence, injustice, and suffering, who live in fear in police states where terrorist acts and military incursions are regular events. J. N. Prestridge, D.D., of Kentucky, and unanimously resolved to send the following message to His Majesty King Edward VII: 127. NOTES, with concern, the nuclear test carried out by the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK), the escalation of rhetoric involving the DPRK, Republic of Korea and the USA of America, and the fear that this can lead to armed conflict in the region; The General Council of the Baptist World Alliance meeting in Ocha Rios, Jamaica, July 1-6, 2013, in honor of the Human Rights Advocacy award winner for 2013, Glen Stassen: Rumania. Liberia Baptist Missionary and Educational Convention, Inc. Association of Bible Baptist Churches in Madagascar, Bengal Orissa Bihar Baptist Churches Association (India), Convention of Baptist Churches of the Northern Circars (India), Council of Baptist Churches in Northern India, North Bank Baptist Christian Association (India), Orissa Baptist Evangelical Crusade (India), Convention of Indonesian Baptist Churches, Fellowship of Baptist Churches in Irian Jaya, Self Supporting Kayin Baptist Mission Society (Myanmar). The General Council of the Baptist World Alliance meeting in Havana July 5-8 2000, 2 PREFACE Baptists are an incredible group, now world wide and diverse in organization and style, and some groups They also wish to express their sympathy with him in his present affliction and with his poignant grief in not being able to be with them in their sessions. Notes again the great urgency of the HIV/AIDS crisis and laments that 65 million people have been infected and more than 25 million people have died of HIV/AIDS in the past 25 years. The preparation of munitions of war is a commercial interest. NOTES that the absence of peace for the Middle East contributes to suffering throughout the world; The General Council of the Baptist World Alliance, meeting in Mexico City, July 3-8, 2006: The Baptist World Alliance General Council, meeting in Bangkok, Thailand, July 5-7, 2017: ACKNOWLEDGES that General Council has regularly reminded the global family of Baptists about the evil practice of modern slavery; The Baptist World Alliance General Council, meeting in Zurich, Switzerland, July 2-6, 2018: MINDFUL of the tragic aftermath of such hostilities in terms not only of loss of life but also of the appalling social and economic conditions prevailing in the Gulf and the long-term threat to the environment caused by oil pollution in both sea and air. RECOGNIZES that every human being is of intrinsic worth, being created in the image of God and possessing the possibility of fellowship with the God of the universe; That this Baptist World Alliance, representing eight millions (8,000,000) of members, and now meeting in the City of Philadelphia, hereby expresses its joy in the accession of King George V. and Queen Mary to the throne of the British Empire, and begs most respectfully to offer its sincere and hearty congratulations on their coronation in Westminster Abbey, and prays that God will abundantly bless their reign, making it to issue in the increasing happiness and well-being of the people, in the widest sway of justice and purity, in the maintenance and extension of peace, and the promotion of brotherhood and good-will amongst all men. Resolves to commemorate in this historic setting the two hundredth anniversary of the beginning of the abolition of the slave trade. The Executive shall be authorized to take any further counsel which may be advisable with the Boards concerned. The President introduced Dr. Clifton Gray, who moved the following resolution, which was unanimously accepted: THE DIVORCE LAW. The royal welcome of our British Baptist brothers and sisters, whose thoughtful kindness has further endeared them to us. We hold the conviction that our ministry to people should be holistic, inclusive of the all important spiritual, and also of the physical and moral. The representatives of the Baptist World Alliance meeting in London, July 19th to 23rd, 1920, which Alliance has a constituency of eight million Church members, with an additional constituency of adherents several times that number, would submit this message to all the Peoples and Governments of the World. AWARE that for 15 years the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo has been embroiled in war, with an estimated 5,400,000 having died due to the war and its effects and with an estimated 45,000 dying each month in eastern Congo from disease and hunger resulting from the ongoing conflict; We express concern for nations and peoples who are caught in a terrible circle of hatred, violence, injustice, and suffering, who live in fear in police states where terrorist acts and military incursions are regular events. The founding of the society to promote overseas missions marked the point at which the missionary awakening stimulated by the evangelical revival of the eighteenth century first attained effective institutional expression alerting not only Baptist but the whole of evangelical Christendom to a world-wide vision; COMMENDS with appreciation the Baptist Heads of Denominations and its secretary, the Rev. It assures him of its grateful appreciation of the welcome which has been accorded to its members in America. We will take back to our homes their gift to remind us of these days while life shall last. 17 talking about this. Readers seeking to learn how Baptists on a global scale and across time have addressed the human condition in all of its variations (moral, social, economic, political, etc.) Harare, Zimbabwe August 6-9, 1993, Professor A.T. Ohrn, Norway, moved the following Resolution on Racialism This Council expresses its deepest appreciation: The General Council of the Baptist World Alliance {BWA), meeting in Izmir, Turkey, July 9-11, 2014: The Baptist World Alliance, in session in Philadelphia, begs to express its respectful greetings to the President of the United States as the Chief Executive of the great Republic within whose borders the Alliance meets. RESOLVES to encourage member bodies to promote programmes to combat racism and ethnic violence around the world; The General Council of the Baptist World Alliance meeting in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada, July 2-7, 2001 Russian-Ukraine Evangelical Baptist Union, USA, Inc. Sign up to receive the latest news and prayer updates for our global Baptist family. We are grateful, not alone for new light and truth which have broken forth from the Word of God, but for the restatement of those things most surely believed among us. value to God and to the world (Genesis 1:26-27); The General Council of the Baptist World Alliance (BWA), meeting in Izmir, Turkey, July 9-11, 2014: WHEREAS the Baptist World Congress, held in Tokyo in 1970, called for International agreements for the limitation of both offensive and defensive strategic weapons and for immediate agreements to suspend the further deployment of all offensive and defensive nuclear strategic weapons systems, subject to national verification or such other measures of observation and inspection as may be appropriate,. F. W. Simoleit, of Germany, and was accepted. The quinquennial global gatherings of the Alliance have continued for more than a century. COMMENDS the Christian churches and missions in Africa, especially the Baptist congregations, for their commitment to the Great Commission of Matthew 28, which has resulted in some of the most vibrant and fastest growing Christian communities in the world; The General Council of the Baptist World Alliance Annual Gathering, meeting in Accra, Ghana, July 2-7, 2007: Registration opens Feb. 1. Converge, formerly the Baptist General Conference ( BGC) and Converge Worldwide, is an evangelical Baptist Christian denomination of the Swedish Baptist and Radical Pietist tradition in the United States that emerged out of Lutheranism. In 2023, the Baptist World Alliance is excited to collaborate with European Baptist Federation to offer an incredible global experience in Stavanger, Norway. The meeting was a strategic time for Baptists worldwide to gather for prayer, fellowship and learning. J. Clifford, M.A., D.D., of London, and carried unanimously: Upon the motion of the President, seconded by Mr. Herbert Marnham, of London, it was resolved: That the President is hereby authorised to nominate a Committee on future Congresses with Rev. Soul-Winning Seminar. But these statements would never have been proposed, much less adopted, if they were not considered indicative of the trends of opinion within the Baptist world. The Tenth Congress of the Baptist World Alliance reaffirms its belief in the separation of the church and its institutions from the state. And BWA isn't alone. J. N. Prestridge, D.D., and Rev. Timothy George, distinguished professor and former dean of Beeson Divinity School, presented on The Travail of Religious Freedom to 21 Wilberforce, a religious liberty advocacy group affiliated with the BWA. OFFERS sincere thanks to the Baptists of Cuba and the local congregations in Havana for their warm welcome and generous hospitality; The General Council of the Baptist World Alliance meeting in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada, July 2-7, 2001 Thank you to Phil Newman, Paul Oates and Peter Leau. Read our republishing, terms of use and privacy policies here. The BWA holds a world congress every five years. A global network of 51 million Baptists in 128 countries and territories unified by a mission to impact the world for Christ. We, the delegates of the Eleventh Baptist World Alliance Congress held at Miami Beach, Florida, June 25-30, 1965, offer thanks to our Heavenly Father for the privilege of fellowship with Baptists gathered from the nations of the world. This resolution endorsed the statement made by the Baptist Union of Sweden of the same year and drew attention to the Moscow Declaration. Recognizes historic Baptists links with Burma [Myanmar] dating back to the work of Adoniram Judson and his colleagues in the nineteenth century. (Billy Graham spoke at many.) Attendees stayed on campus and Dining Services provided meals. Formed in 1905, the Baptist World Alliance provides one of the few tenuous links between Baptist groups internationally. We pray for Gods blessing on your deliberations and on the work of your churches throughout the world. CONDEMNS the deliberate use within the former Republic of Yugoslavia of ethnic cleansing and the systematic use of rape as a weapon of war and extends its heart-felt sympathy to the hundreds of thousands of victims; The General Council of the Baptist World Alliance in Vancouver, Canada, July 3-9, 1997. The purpose of the event was to provide a meaningful time of fellowship and prayer for the female attendees and to discuss how God is at work through women living on mission around the world. MOTION by W. A. Criswell was seconded, and carried 33GC76 that the following resolution be adopted: 28:18- 20); Ever since the Baptist World Congress in Atlanta in 1939 the Baptist World Alliance has spoken out with regularity on behalf of religious freedom for all persons, and in more recent years on behalf of civil liberties generally. "Lessons From 400 Years of the Baptist Experience," DC Baptist Convention Committee meeting (June 20) 400th Birthday Celebration, European Baptist Federation (July 24-26, RAI Congress Center, Amsterdam) 400th Celebration Party at the Baptist World Alliance Annual Meeting (July 27-August 1, Ede, Netherlands) The first Baptist world congress was held in London in 1905. INDIANAPOLIS (ABP) Southern Baptist Convention messengers voted overwhelmingly June 15 to end the denomination's 99-year relationship with the Baptist World Alliance. The General Council of the Baptist World Alliance, meeting in Prague, Czech Republic, July 20-25, 2008; The General Council of the Baptist World Alliance, meeting in West Berlin, sends warm Christian greetings to the Lutheran World Federation meeting at the same time in Budapest. Offers sincere thanks to the Ghana Baptist Convention for its invitation to hold the Annual Gathering in the city of Accra; WE REAFFIRM our faith that the gospel of Gods free salvation in His Son, Jesus Christ, the Way, the Truth, and the Life, is for all men, without distinction, and that today as in previous generations it speaks to mans every need, convicting, redeeming, transforming, guarding the human spirit and requiring the ending of exploitation and tyranny, and the provision of full opportunities for its free acceptance and for worship, witness, and service. RICHMOND, Va. (BP)-The Baptist General Association of Virginia will seek membership in the Baptist World Alliance and significantly increase financial support for the global organization following a pair of votes during the Nov. 9-10 BGAV annual meeting in Roanoke. The BWA offices are in Falls Church, Virginia, a suburb of Washington, DC. The BWA meeting will offer plenaries on racial justice, Bible studies, regional ministry reports and small-group sessions. Thank you for your patience and for your prayers on behalf of the many lives currently impacted by this disease. It is the sense of this body that in this period of reconstruction and readjustment in the civil and religious life of the nations of the world, following the world-war, it is of the highest importance that full religious liberty should be granted to all peoples who do not now enjoy it. The General Council of the Baptist World Alliance, meeting in Prague, Czech Republic, July 20- 25, 2008; Remembering that the Apostle Paul declares that, God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ has given us the ministry of reconciliation (2 Cor. OFFERS sincere thanks to the Union of Evangelical Free Churches in Germany and the local congregations of Dresden and vicinity for their warm welcome and generous hospitality; 1. 2. Religious Education of Children in the U.S.S.R. God is the creator, sustainer, and Lord of all, delights in creation, and is committed to its care and renewal; There is through-out the World a growing sense of insecurity because of the failure thus far to establish an effective commonwealth of nations possessing the authority and the means for redressing and preventing international injustice. We express our grave disappointment over the breaches of international peace which have occurred in the past twelve months, especially but not limited to, the situation in the Falkland Islands-Islas Malvinas, and in Lebanon, Somalia, El Salvador and Afghanistan, among others. Canton, OH 44705. Gilbert Laws, England, moved the following Resolution on Church and State: Click to learn more about our Standing Together Global Response to COVID-19. The collection will be expanded over time. It feels that the situation is now more favourable for the carrying out of the original purpose of the College Fund, and it refers the whole matter, including Dr. Crees proposals, for the careful consideration of the Executive Committee. Skip to content. THANKS God for the many blessings experienced by the world Baptist family over the l00 years of the life and mission of the Baptist World Alliance; The General Council of the Baptist World Alliance Annual Gathering, meeting in Accra, Ghana, July 2-7, 2007: 32GC76 that the following resolution be adopted: The BWA holds a world congress every five years.