August 15, 2011
Washington, DC (BWA)--The
Baptist World Alliance (BWA) has a formal voting membership of 222
conventions and unions in 120 countries, comprising approximately
180,000 churches. The BWA celebrates our member bodies and their local
churches, which are at the forefront of ministry, offering enriching
ministries of support.
Some of
the strongest churches in our Baptist family choose to relate directly
to the BWA in addition to the support they provide through their
conventions, unions, and associations. A church in North America that
chooses to be in direct relationship with the BWA is designated as a BWA
Global Impact Church® while BWA Global Partners has become the
designation for those churches, organizations, and persons that wish to
relate directly to the BWA, but who are situated outside North America.
Churches
that are a BWA Global Impact Church® or a Global Partner are usually
mission-focused. These churches are passionately committed to issues of
freedom of religion, human rights, and the cause of the poor, expressions
that are critical to the mission of Jesus Christ. They recognize that
no other international Baptist body provides the level of impact of an
international freedom and justice ministry as well as the BWA.
BWA
Global Impact Church® and Global Partner churches have an impressive
array of domestic and global mission activities. In addition to all
their other giving, each has a strong commitment to support Baptist
unity through the BWA. Together, donations from the more than 800 Global
Impact Churches and more than 50 Global Partners provide a substantial
percentage of the BWA's annual budget. These churches provide crucial
prayer support and volunteers for BWA ministries.
Churches
in partnership with the BWA receive regular reports and have access to
resources for prayer and cooperative efforts. The BWA also provides
churches with opportunities for hands-on ministry projects.
Church-to-church partnerships are encouraged between BWA Global Impact
Church®, Global Partner churches, and Baptists in other parts of the
world. BWA guests may be hosted by a BWA Global Impact Church® or a
Global Partner congregation.
Forms to enroll in both the Global Impact Church® and BWA Global Partners programs can be found on the BWA website at www.bwanet.org.
