B u d a p e s t – In political conversations with heads-of-state and politicians in Lebanon, Jordan, Israel and the West Bank, David Coffey (Didcot/England), President of the Baptist World Alliance (BWA) has demanded greater rights and liberties for Middle-East Baptists. “It doesn’t suffice to respect or tolerate Baptists – they need true liberties.” Coffey used these words to describe the objective of his conversations when reporting at European Baptist Federation Council sessions held in Budapest from 26 to 29 September. His journey to the Middle East began on 20 September. He called for the world’s Baptists in their overwhelming love for Israel not to forget the Christians who also reside there. When Christians travel to Israel, they should always also visit the Baptists. Even a trip to Bethlehem is not risky.

In conversations with the Lebanese State President Emile Lahoud on 20 September, Coffey reminded him that Baptists have been in the country for 150 years and contributed to its academic and cultural development. Coffey also expressed his sorrow to the State President regarding the assassination of Parliament member Antoine Ghanem and a private person by a car bomb that same day.

When meeting with King Abdallah II of Jordan on 23 September, Coffey applauded the King’s efforts for long-term peace in the region as expressed in his speech for the US-Congress. Coffey stressed that he shares many of the values which the King had described in his speech. Coffey assured Abdallah that the world’s Baptists would also be praying for long-term, regional peace.

Coffey noted that same concern in a conversation with the Israeli State President Shimon Peres on 25 September. In the name of Israel’s Baptist Union, Coffey also appealed for Peres’ help in obtaining official recognition for Baptists as a Christian religious organisation. Peres gave his guests the names of government representatives who could help Baptists gain recognition through the Knesset. Coffey also mentioned the concerns for Palestinian Baptist pastors from the West Bank who cannot move freely within Israel. He stated: “I am disappointed that pastors from Bethlehem were unable to attend the opening of the new Centre for Christian Studies in Nazareth during the past week.” It’s also problematic for them to visit the location where Jesus was baptised in the Jordan, or to take part in spiritual conferences in Israel. Coffey asked Peres to supply these pastors with long-term travel permits.

On this Middle East tour Coffey also met on 26 September with Abdel Razak Al-Yahya, Interior Minister of the Palestinian Authority. During conversations Coffey was always accompanied by leading representatives of the Baptist Union in that country. These included the President of the Lebanese Baptist Union, Samuel Kharrat; the Director of the Lebanese Baptist Society, Nabil Costa; the President of Jordan’s Baptist Union, Dr. Nabeeh Abbassi; the President of the Israeli Baptist Union and the Evangelical Fellowship, Monther Naom; as well as the General-Secretary of the Israeli Baptist Union, Bader Mansour.

Lebanon has 27 Baptist congregations with roughly 2.000 members, Jordan, 20 congregations with 2.000 members. Israel and the West Bank have 20 congregations and 800 members.