P r a g u e – At its annual council sessions, which took place in Prague from 22 - 25 September, the European Baptist Federation (EBF) accepted three new unions as members, making it larger than ever before. Unanimously, the largely Baptist Swedish missions movement Interact (Örebro) and the small union of Baptist congregations in Kosovo were accepted as full members. The Baptist congregation in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad became an associate member.

Interact was created in 1997 through merger of the Scandinavian Independent Baptist Union, the Holy Union Mission and the Örebro Mission. Three-hundred-twenty congregations with 30.000 members belong to this Union. According to information from Interact, these congregations have grown by 10% during the past five years, especially in larger cities. This free church has 120 missionaries in 42 countries. It was stated in Prague that these missionaries have always cooperated closely with national Baptist unions. Three small congregations belong to the Union of Baptist Congregations in Kosovo. The Baptist congregation in Baghdad has approximately 100 members and as many as 250 persons in attendance. This church has already founded mission stations or house groups in five different locations.

In accordance with the statutes, a new president for the coming two years was elected. It is the Estonian-born former EBF-Vice President Helari Puu (Tallinn). In his initial address, the new 44-year-old President stressed the necessity of close contact with God: „If we act according to his will, then everything is possible.“ But if we rely on our own strength, then our efforts in God’s kingdom will quickly founder. Puu replaces the Norwegian Billy Taranger (Drammen near Oslo). Unanimously elected as new Vice-President is the President of Croatia’s Baptist Union: Toma Magda (Zagreb).

The delegates also gave green light to the founding of a new company on the campus of Prague’s International Baptist Theological Seminary (IBTS). In early 2005, the three-star, 69-room hotel „Jeneralka“ was opened there. IBTS-Rector Keith Jones explained that this new company was necessary in order to qualify for certain tax breaks. The repayment of the Value Added Tax alone will pay the salary of one seminary lecturer. Hotel profits are to be used to cover seminary costs. One-hundred-thirty-seven students from 37 countries are studying at IBTS.