A European Baptist Federation (EBF) anti-trafficking conference at Sabadell Baptist Church in Spain brought together Baptists involved in ministry with those who are exploited or are at risk of being exploited in the sex industry.

In all 50 people from 15 countries were represented, and one of the items at the gathering, entitled ‘Co-labourers with God’, was how to develop the EBF Anti-Trafficking Network. The goal of the network is to help churches with awareness raising and prevention.

There was a clear desire for increased co-operation, with ideas including making more use of a Facebook Group; updating the confidential list of contacts in the different countries; and using the different language skills in the network.

The conference featured speakers from Italy, Romania, Ukraine, Bulgaria and Spain, who gave insights into trafficking in each of their countries.

Those gathered heard how the financial crisis over Europe has affected trafficking. In Spain, for instance, where there is 25 per cent unemployment, rising numbers of women have become victims of prostitution and exploitation. It was described as the ‘brothel of Europe’, with 300,000 women in prostitution.

The plight and vulnerability to trafficking of the Roma people was singled out by two speakers, Kostya Voloshyn (Ukraine) and Didi Oprenova (Bulgaria).

Specific seminars looked at the situation of Nigerians in Europe, the situation in the East and how to develop cooperation between East and West.

The Bible studies were led by Marion Carson, a lecturer in New Testament and Pastoral Care, who focused on two sides of being in cooperation with God: Pride and Love. She explained they are in opposition with one another: pride leads us in the wrong direction, while love keeps us on the path of God.

She spoke of the growing emphasis of Christian leadership but there is not much in the Gospel about being leaders. Leaders can easily be caught in the pride and doing things for their own sake. Spiritual narcissism is based on the feeling of being specially elected. We are called to be disciples of Christ, and in the tradition of love the principle is “you first”. To be working with emphasis on love are not easy, but demands discipline, concentration, patience and faith. It is not a feeling but a practice.

Sven-Gunnar Lidén from Sweden, the coordinator of the EBF Anti-Trafficking Network, was encouraged by the gathering and the progress made. ‘The challenge for the conference was how to cooperate East and West and in the description of the countries there were signs of hope, of organisations working to change the situation, to help people in at risk situations and also ideas what can be done. I was so blessed to sit and listen and discuss together like this.’

Photos: Tommy Nyman, Finland