Gathering with the Global Baptist Family
by Jim Hill, Executive Director
It was privilege to attend the Baptist World
Congress in Durban, South Africa, the last
part of July. The congress theme was “Jesus
Christ, the Door,” and the gathering was the
first Baptist World Congress in Africa in the
BWA’s 110 year history. While the General
Council meets every year, the World Congress
is only held every five years. The 2020
celebration will, for the first time, combine the
Baptist World Congress with the Baptist Youth
World Conference. It will be held in Rio de
Janeiro, Brazil. The World Congress is truly a
unique gathering of the global Baptist family
unlike any other Baptist gathering I have ever
attended.
The Baptist World Alliance consists of the
228 conventions and unions from 121
countries and territories that come together
to worship, plan, and learn together. It is a wonderful collaboration which comprises 42 million members in 177,000 churches. The regional fellowships include: All Africa Baptist Fellowship, Asia Pacific Baptist Federation, Caribbean Baptist Fellowship, European Baptist Federation, North American Baptist Fellowship, and Union of Baptists in Latin America.
Ngwedla Paul Msiza of South Africa was installed as the second African to be president of the Baptist World Alliance during the meeting. Msiza succeeds John Upton of the United States, and is the first African to hold the office since William Tolbert of Liberia served as president of the BWA from 1965-1970. Msiza has been actively involved in the BWA since 2000, serving on its governing bodies and several key committees and commissions. He just completed a term as one of our BWA vice-presidents. I believe he will do an outstanding job as our leader.
One of the highlights of the week was the presentation of the BWA's Human Rights Award to Rwandan Corneille Gato Munyamasoko, general secretary of the Association of Baptist Churches in Rwanda. Munyamasoko was recognized for his work in peace and reconciliation after the 1994 genocide in his country. The Rwandan Genocide was a mass slaughter of Tutsi and moderate Hutu in Rwanda by members of the Hutu majority during the approximate 100-day period from
Jim Hill speaking during
Baptist World Congress