P r a g u e – The Baptist World Alliance (BWA) is changing its leadership structures in the hope of working more effectively. Four-hundred delegates from more than 60 countries gave a green light to the necessary steps at their meeting in the Czech capital (Prague) from 20 to 25 July. A BWA “Implementation Task Force” created in 2005 and led by the British theologian Keith Jones, Rector of Prague’s “International Baptist Theological Seminary”, had prepared an extensive catalogue of recommendations. The General Assembly remains unchanged according to recommendations, but the Executive Committee is to be reduced from 69 to 25 members in order to increase the committee’s power to carry on BWA business between annual gatherings. A new 17-member nomination committee is to ensure that all BWA regions are adequately represented in the executive and in the commissions. A proposal to develop formal covenants giving the BWA’s regional bodies – including the European Baptist Federation – greater autonomy, was withdrawn. The new statute is to be officially passed in 2010 at the next Baptist World Alliance conference in Hawaii.

A Baptist leader from Bangladesh, Dennis Datta, was bestowed with the Baptist World Alliance’s Denton and Janice Lotz Human Rights Award. The award is named after the BWA’s former General-Secretary and his spouse. Datta was forced out of Bangladesh in 1969 because of his advocacy for religious freedom and human rights in that Islamic-dominated country. He has since then returned to his country to struggle for the poor, women and ecology in the name of the Christians of Bangladesh.

Nine resolutions were passed at the conference, including resolutions on the importance of reconciliation, refugees and immigration. The Italian government was criticised for its behaviour towards the Roma people, who are forced against their will to be registered through fingerprinting. Even children are forced to do so. Baptists expressed their concern that: “History has taught us that such selection, isolation and branding of minorities can lay the groundwork for discriminating behaviour regarding culture, national identity and race, and can be used to justify violence against them.” Baptists noted that the Roma people were also persecuted and killed by the Nazis. Global Baptist Unions are being called on to request that their governments put a stop to this practice of fingerprinting. This resolution was introduced by Anna Maffei (Rome), General-Secretary of the Italian Baptists. She heads the EBF’s “Division of External Relations”.

One of the resolutions called baptists to commit pray for a solution to the crisis in Zimbabwe, to do more for its refugees and also to offer them sanctuary. A resolution on climate change called baptist leaders to help motivate congregations to take an active interest in the matter of climate change and protection of the environment.

In a conversation with EBPS, Regina Claas (Elstal near Berlin), General-Secretary of the German “Federation of Evangelical-Free Churches” reported that they have been working diligently on a response to an open letter published by 138 Muslim scholars in October 2007 and addressed to Christians. The letter had noted similarities in the Bible and the Koran, especially the double commandment to love God and one’s neighbour, and to foster understanding between Christians and Muslims. Baptist delegates from Muslim majority lands, regard this letter as an important gesture of understanding. The draft letter of response from Baptists is to be ready by the end of September.

Many participants were pleased that the worship services and meditations were multi-lingual for the first time. Song texts and liturgies were available not exclusively in English. General-Secretary of the BWA is the Jamaican Neville Callam (Falls Church near Washington), its President is Englishman David Coffey (Didcot near London). The Baptist World Alliance reports that it speaks for 36 million baptized members from 214 member unions. Its congregations support a community of roughly 103 million believers.