Baptist-Muslim Commission seeks to engage contemporary Islam

Kuala Lumpur (BWA)--The Executive Committee of the Baptist World Alliance (BWA) accepted a proposal that the special commission on Baptist-Muslim relations be made a standing commission of the Division of Freedom and Justice.

The commission, formed in 2009 and located within the office of the general secretary, seeks to engage with contemporary Islam on the basis of a mutual acknowledgement of the twin commands to love God and neighbor in order to develop mutual respect, and to promote security, peace and the common welfare.

In addition, the commission will explore and encourage expression of authentic Christian witness among Muslim neighbors, raise awareness, and provide tools and resources so that Baptists around the world can relate positively to their Muslim neighbors.

Nabil Costa, executive director of the Lebanese Society for Educational and Social Development, chairs the commission. He said "living in the Middle East has taught us that interfaith dialogue that is genuine, and initiated with the purpose of building relations that impact the world is not a compromise." Costa said that "it is a process that seeks to bring about positive transformation in thinking and practice."

Costa, a vice president of the BWA, insists that Baptists "need to open ourselves to be challenged by God's word if we are to effectively be light and salt in the communities God called us to be."

The commission held its first formal meeting on July 6 during the BWA Annual Gathering in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. A preliminary meeting had previously taken place in England in February 2011.

Participants in Kuala Lumpur shared stories based on their experiences of engaging Muslim neighbors in different parts of the world such as Bangladesh, India, Lebanon, Nigeria, England and the United States.

Christians and Muslims together make up approximately half of the world's population.

Costa stated that engaging our Muslim neighbors is no longer an alternative. Baptists and all Christians have a duty to learn how to live together with Muslims. Sharing his own experience as a "minority of minorities" living in Lebanon, a predominantly Muslim country, Costa said that for a long time he refused to get to know his Muslim neighbors. He insisted that we educate ourselves about Islam and engage Muslims to find ways to live in peace. A refusal to know Muslims leads to ignorance, hate, and even violence, Costa said. If we do not engage each other we end up killing each other.

More than 300 Baptist leaders and delegates are gathered in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, from July 4-9 for the BWA Annual Gathering. It involves yearly meetings of a number of BWA groups, including the General Council and the Executive Committee; executive sub-committees and divisional advisory committees; women's, men's, and youth departments; regional groupings; and commissions of the divisions of Freedom & Justice, and Mission, Evangelism & Theological Reflection, and others.

Callam calls for a celebration of multiculturalism

Kuala Lumpur (BWA)--The Baptist World Alliance (BWA) is a special space for the celebration of multiculturalism within the worldwide Baptist family, but it is important that this gift be handled with care.

This was the message delivered at the General Council meeting by BWA General Secretary Neville Callam on July 8.

In his annual report, Callam explained how the 2010 Baptist World Congress was organized to reflect the BWA rich cultural diversity. The attempt to accomplish this was evidenced not only in the various cultural backgrounds of the many presenters, but also in the way the congress program was crafted. The particular way linguistic, liturgical and musical elements were utilized, he said, characterized the blending of a diverse cultural heritage within a communion of love directed toward honoring the triune God.

In any attempt to celebrate this diversity, Callam said, one is in perpetual danger of presenting the variety that exists in parallel streams in such a way as to suggest that each is asserting a competing claim. By mixing the elements closely, without highlighting their geographical source, one was able to evince a mosaic that offered a panorama of riches. This was offered up to the glory of God without the participants imprisoning the cultural gifts within the bounds of what he referred to as "an earthly territoriality."

BWA, he said, needs to work toward the blending of the elements in its cultural heritage in such a way as not to privilege some elements over against others or to emphasize the distinctiveness of the cultural elements chosen by yoking them to their place of origin. Whether this aim was fully realized in the congress, which Callam said he doubted, he called on the BWA to celebrate what the rich cultural diversity its members have received as a gift rather than to engage in what he termed a "display of comparative riches."

In his presentation at the Gathering taking place in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, from July 4 - 9, Callam shared perspectives from his travels within the worldwide Baptist family since the conclusion of last year's congress, which was held July 28 to August 1. He referred to the wide range of challenges being faced by Baptists and other Christians in many parts of the world and identified some of the creative ways in which believers in Christ are responding to these challenges in the way they fulfill ministry.

Drawing on an insight from David Bebbington's Baptists through the Centuries: A History of a Global People, Callam highlighted some ways in which the BWA is acting as "a significant vehicle for mutual support and the exchange of ideas." This, he said, is part of the vocation of the BWA that must always trump the tendency to overemphasize individualism in all its diverse manifestations.

Callam admitted that, as the BWA moves forward under the theme, In Step with the Spirit, the organization will not be able to attain perfection in the way it celebrates cultural diversity as a gift. He expressed the hope that, in the values that inform the BWA's efforts and the positive Christian motives reflected both in its vision and ministry, the quest for the richness in the cultural diversity of the worldwide Baptist family will be a sign of the way we understand the BWA's God-given vocation.

The crisis in Japan and the pain of God

Kuala Lumpur (BWA)--There is great need for post-traumatic care in the wake of the earthquake and tsunami that affected northeast Japan on March 11 of this year.

Hanae Igata, pastor of Nankodai Christ Church and a board member of the Japan Baptist Convention (JBC) said "what is required of religious leaders now is to share the sadness of the surviving family members through their bereavement, and to walk by their side as they accept that the dead are gone, in order for survivors to live the lives that they have been given."

Igata was addressing a forum at the Annual Gathering of the Baptist World Alliance (BWA) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, titled, "The Crisis in Japan and the Pain of God." The Baptist pastor stated that persons feel as if they are being torn apart. "The dead and the survivors are torn apart," she said. "Victims of the earthquake, victims of the tsunami, and those multiple-stricken as a result of the nuclear power plant disaster."

Hamano Michio, chair of the Research and Training Institute for Mission of the JBC, said "the Japan Baptist Convention has been supporting the stricken areas [using] the motto 'working toward reconciliation'.... We are trying to bridge the gaps between God and mankind, among mankind, and between God, mankind and all creation, and to reconcile them to each other."  The aim, Michio said, is "to help people to have trust in God again in the face of the question, 'Why does God allow all of this suffering to befall us?' 

"We must also reconnect people and have them reconcile to one another.  We must work on establishing relationships [with] God.  We continue our efforts to support the creation of a world in which people in stricken areas and those in unaffected areas can live together," Michio said.

Makoto Kato, executive secretary of JBC, provided details on the earthquake, the tsunami, and the subsequent nuclear crisis. He reported that persons in the affected areas "are gradually moving from shelters into temporary housing." But fishing and farming areas are still affected, including the Tōhoku Region, which produces 30 percent of the nation's rice. Much damage was inflicted along the east coast of this region because of the earthquake.

Kato said that while no Baptist life was lost in the earthquake and tsunami, some JBC and Japan Baptist Union buildings were badly damaged. Churches in the disaster zones served as shelters and Baptists mobilized relief supplies, such as gasoline, kerosene, blankets, winter clothes, heaters, rice, and vegetables. "Now that electricity, gas, and water are slowly recovering, we distribute hot meals to people in the shelters." Baptists are also engaged in clean up operations and repairs.

"We would like to thank all of our brothers and sisters around the world, especially those from BWAid (Baptist World Aid) for your prayers and offerings as you remember the people affected by the great disaster," Kato told the forum. "I pray that Jesus Christ, the Lord of reconciliation will bind us together ...and that we will work together as brothers and sisters for the kingdom of God and His righteousness. From the bottom of my heart, I thank you again, my Baptist brothers and sisters, for your prayers and support."

More than 300 Baptist leaders and delegates are gathered in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, from July 4-9 for the BWA Annual Gathering. It involves yearly meetings of a number of BWA groups, including the General Council and the Executive Committee; executive sub-committees and divisional advisory committees; women's, men's, and youth departments; regional groupings; and commissions of the divisions of Freedom & Justice, and Mission, Evangelism & Theological Reflection, and others.

BWA to explore talks with Orthodox and Pentecostals

Kuala Lumpur (BWA)--The Baptist World Alliance (BWA) is to engage in preparatory discussions aimed at formal dialogue with Pentecostals and the Orthodox Church.

BWA General Secretary Neville Callam made the announcement at a meeting of the Executive Committee which convened during the BWA Annual Gathering in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on July 7.

The Executive Committee, in its March 2011 meeting in Virginia in the United States, had authorized Callam to identify a small work team "to explore the commencement of BWA/Pentecostal bilateral dialogue."

Callam told the Executive Committee in Kuala Lumpur that the first meeting with the Pentecostals will take place in the city of Birmingham, Alabama, in the United States, from December 13-15.

The BWA team will comprise Timothy George, dean and professor of divinity, history and doctrine at Beeson Divinity School in Birmingham in the US, and chair of the BWA Commission on Doctrine & Christian Unity. Other members of the BWA team are William Brackney, director of the Acadia Centre for Baptist and Anabaptist Studies in Nova Scotia, Canada; Curtis Freeman, professor of theology and director of the Baptist House of Studies at Duke University in North Carolina in the US; Fausto Vasconcelos, director of the BWA Division of Mission, Evangelism and Theological Reflection; and Callam.

A four-person team appointed by Callam will also meet with representatives of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople in Crete in November to discuss the possibility of future talks. Members of that team are George; Callam; Paul Fiddes, professor of systematic theology in the University of Oxford and formerly principal of Regents Park College in the United Kingdom; and Parush Parushev, academic dean, lecturer in applied theology, and director of the Institute of Systematic Studies of Contextual Theologies at the International Baptist Theological Seminary in Prague, Czech Republic.

More than 300 Baptist leaders and delegates are gathered in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, from July 4-9 for the BWA Annual Gathering. It involves yearly meetings of a number of BWA groups, including the General Council and the Executive Committee; executive sub-committees and divisional advisory committees; women's, men's, and youth departments; regional groupings; and commissions of the divisions of Freedom & Justice, and Mission, Evangelism & Theological Reflection, and others

Baptist regions discuss major plans

Kuala Lumpur (BWA)--The six regional fellowships of the Baptist World Alliance (BWA) met in Kuala Lumpur to discuss matters of particular interest to each region, a number of which are preparing to host major events or undertake major initiatives.

There were discussions on the final preparations for the All Africa Baptist Fellowship (AABF) congress in Lagos, Nigeria, in November of this year. The congress is held every five years and the last AABF congress took place in Nairobi, Kenya, in 2006. A new nominee for general secretary is expected to be presented at the congress for election.  Prospective candidates are currently being vetted. Harrison Olan'g, vice chancellor of Mount Meru University in Arusha, Tanzania, is the current general secretary. Proposed amendments to the constitution will also be voted on at the meetings in Lagos, and the congress will be asked to endorse a special mission initiative planned for Southern Sudan, which is expected to start in 2012.

Kuala Lumpur will host the next congress for the Asia Pacific Baptist Federation in May 2012, following on the last congress in Chiang Mai, Thailand, in 2007. The group also discussed some of the major disasters that have affected the region in recent times, such as the March 11 earthquake and tsunami in Japan and the subsequent nuclear crisis; earthquakes in New Zealand; and flooding and other disasters in Australia.

Leaders of the Caribbean Baptist Fellowship (CBF) are exploring ways in which the Caribbean can become a mission force. One presentation proposed that Baptists in the Caribbean grasp mission opportunities among Caribbean immigrants in Europe, North America, and elsewhere. Attempts will be made to increase attendance and participation at major meetings, such as the Assembly, which is held every five years. BWA General Secretary Neville Callam encouraged the region to help to revitalize dormant members of the BWA and the CBF in the region.

The European Baptist Federation (EBF), which includes churches in the Middle East and Egypt, received an update on the situation in the region where there has been widespread unrest in recent months. Participants discussed the problem of religious freedom in some member countries of the EBF, such as Uzbekistan, where there will be a joint BWA/EBF human rights visit in September. The future of the International Baptist Theological Seminary in Prague, Czech Republic, was also an issue of major concern. The seminary, which is facing financial constraints, reportedly had a good academic year, with a record 10 students being awarded PhD degrees. The seminary is exploring options on its financial future.

The North American Baptist Fellowship (NABF) discussed ways to deepen its relationship with the BWA. BWA President John Upton, General Secretary Neville Callam, Vice President Harry Gardner, and Randel Everett, chair of the Congress Committee, participated in the discussions. Don Sewell, an NABF vice president, will visit with the Mexican Baptist Convention in July to explore ways of deepening relationships with Baptists in Mexico. It was noted that the 50th anniversary of NABF will be observed in 2014. At least one joint celebratory event will be planned in collaboration with the BWA.

In July 2012, the  BWA Annual Gathering will be held in Santiago, Chile, and the Union of Baptists in Latin America (UBLA) discussed its role in encouraging Baptists from Latin America to attend the meetings. UBLA, which holds its congress every three years, the last in Lima, Peru, in 2009, will also host its next congress in 2012 in Asuncion, Paraguay.

More than 300 Baptist leaders and delegates are gathered in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, from July 4-9 for the BWA Annual Gathering. It involves yearly meetings of a number of BWA groups, including the General Council and the Executive Committee; executive sub-committees and divisional advisory committees; women's, men's, and youth departments; regional groupings; and commissions of the divisions of Freedom & Justice, and Mission, Evangelism & Theological Reflection, and others.

Lively communication seminar in Kuala Lumpur

Washington (BWA)--More than 40 participants attended a communication training seminar by the Baptist World Alliance (BWA) and the Asia Pacific Baptist Federation (APBF), in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

The seminar, planned as part of the BWA Annual Gathering, which runs July 4-9, was aimed at equipping congregations and denominational bodies in the Asia/Pacific region. Subjects covered included news and social media, developing a strategic communication plan, the effective use of audio visual media, and the preparation of news stories and newsletters.

Participants were informed that communication plays an important role in mission, the building up of community, information sharing, promotion, and fundraising, among other uses.  It was noted that the target audience, purpose, cultural mores, and the type of Christian entity, whether local congregation, denominational body, seminary, etc., help to determine a communication strategy.

"Church communication should not exist for its own sake," Eron Henry stated. "It is, or should be, deeply wedded to the mission of the church.  Mission is at the heart of communication," Henry emphasized.

The growing importance of digital technology to the communication process, such as social media and mobile technology was raised by most presenters. Amy Butler, senior pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in Washington, DC, in the United States, who made a joint presentation with Tony Cartledge, demonstrated how social media has been an important tool in ministry within her congregation.

Issues raised in the seminar included obstacles faced by Christians in different contexts that pose a challenge in the church communicating its message. These include government restrictions, lack of broadband Internet access, cultural and religious sensitivities, and countries, such as India and Indonesia, which are vast and with multiple languages and isolated rural populations.

Christians who live and minister within a context where they face hostility to their faith should be respectful of the religion and religious sensibilities of others and live exemplary lifestyles, participants concluded. Christians should be careful that they not send out messages that attack the faith of others, but rather share their faith and provide evidence of that faith in love.

Seminar presenters included Tony Cartledge, former editor of the Biblical Recorder, the Baptist state convention newspaper for North Carolina in the United States and a blogger with Baptists Today. He is associate professor of Old Testament at Campbell University Divinity School in North Carolina and chair of the BWA Communications Committee; Julie Belding, a freelance editor and writer who is former editor at DayStar Publications, a New Zealand  evangelical Christian magazine publisher, and past editor at New Zealand Baptist, the national Baptist magazine in New Zealand; and Gillian Francis, director and chief executive officer of Caribbean Christian Publications, publishers of Sunday School and Vacation Bible School materials for 26 countries in the Caribbean and Central America, and editor of the Jamaica Baptist Reporter.

Also presenting were Leo Thorne, associate general secretary for Mission Resource Development for American Baptist Churches USA; and Eron Henry, associate director for communications for the BWA.

"It's a great experience to bring Baptist leaders and communicators together to reflect on our use of media and communication," said Bijoy Sangma, chairman of the communication committee of the APBF. "The skills learned at this seminar will aid in promoting best practices among Baptists in the Asia/Pacific region in their use of media."

More than 300 Baptist leaders and delegates are gathered in Kuala Lumpur for the BWA Annual Gathering. It involves yearly meetings of a number of BWA groups, including the General Council and the Executive Committee; executive sub-committees and divisional advisory committees; women's, men's, and youth departments; regional groupings; and commissions of the divisions of Freedom & Justice, and Mission, Evangelism & Theological Reflection, and others.

Baptists travel to Malaysia for annual meeting

Washington (BWA)--More than 300 Baptist leaders and delegates from around the world are traveling to Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia, for the Annual Gathering of the Baptist World Alliance (BWA) from July 4-9.

The Annual Gathering involves the meetings of a number of BWA groups, including the General Council and the Executive Committee; executive sub-committees and divisional advisory committees; women's, men's, and youth departments; regional groupings; and commissions of the divisions of Freedom and Justice, and Mission, Evangelism and Theological Reflection, and others.

One of the first events will be a communication training seminar aimed at leaders and communicators from conventions and unions in the Asia/Pacific region and interested delegates who attend the Gathering. Topics include how-to skills -- writing press releases and news stories; producing a newsletter; news and social media; developing a strategic communication plan for conventions and churches; and using audio visual media for more effective communication.

Included also are three forums that highlight Baptist work and witness in the Asia-Pacific region; the recent crisis in Japan following the earthquake, tsunami and radiation leakage from a nuclear plant; and a discussion on the topic, "The Bible and Religious Pluralism."

Affinity groups for pastors, youth and youth ministry workers, missioners and mission leaders, and Baptists in higher education will also be held, as well as that of the Denominational Leaders Network.

The Denton and Janice Lotz Human Rights Award will be presented to Wati Aier, principal of the Oriental Theological Seminary in Dimapur in Nagaland state in Northeast India. Aier, who is convener of the Forum for Naga Reconciliation is being recognized for his efforts over nearly two decades in seeking to broker peace between various Naga factions. The conflicts, which began more than 50 years ago, have led to political instability and more than 2,300 insurgency-related fatalities between 1992 and 2009.

Among the commission topics are "The Nature of the Church" by David Wyman of Canada, "The Role of the Seminary in Promoting a Thoughtful Christianity" by Brian Harris of Australia, "Peace and the Mission of God" by Donald Berry of the United States, and a paper by Pablo Moreno of Colombia on the formation of Christian leaders.

Each day begins with worship. In addition, a "Celebration with Malaysian Baptists," a special worship service, is planned for the evening of July 8.

Persons may view updates of the meetings on the BWA website at www.bwanet.org, as well as follow the meetings on Twitter, Facebook and Flickr.