B o n n – The focus was on leadership at the European Baptist Mission (EBM) Missions Council, held in Bonn from 26-29 April and attended by 132 delegates and guests. Voted in as successor to the Missions Director for South America, Dietrich Weiand, who is retiring next February, was the Brazilian Carlos Waldow (Curitiba). He will be moving to EBM headquarters in Elstal near Berlin. Waldow’s election is one result of developments within the mission society. Nations and federations which had once been “receiving” missionaries are to be represented equally on all programme levels. This intent is apparent in a resolution approved by the delegates entitled “Be strong and courageous!” (Joshua 1:9). It also describes the EBM as a mission society which “shares the vision of God's love for all nations” and aims to “enrich the cultural diversity and spiritual life of our common work”. European churches as well as those from abroad are invited to join the work of EBM.

The General-Secretary of the Baptist Union of Malawi, Fletcher Kaiya (Blantyre), was elected Regional Representative for Southern Africa. In this position, he will succeed Thomas Klammt (now in Einbeck, Germany) and Regina Claas, who has served as General-Secretary of Germany’s “Federation of Evangelical-Free Churches” (BEFG) since 2003. A leadership team consisting of Arne Holte (Oslo, Norway) and Dr. Timothée Bouba (Yaounde, Cameroon) will now be responsible for the mission work in Cameroon and Central Africa. Holte has been named Director for the next two years, Bouba will serve as his deputy and is scheduled to take over the director’s position after that. In addition, the Hungarian Szilvia Papp (Budapest) received a call as a new missionary to Mozambique. The Argentinian Arturo Köbernick (Obera/Missiones) was confirmed in his position as Regional Representative for Spanish-speaking South America. Volker Bohle (Elstal) received unanimous approval to serve four more years as Missions-Secretary for Africa and for Promotion.

The German Rainer Chrupala (Doula), who has served as a missionary in Cameroon for 26 years, was ceremoniously bid farewell. He will move back to Germany at the end of June. Wilfried Bohlen (Leichlingen), BEFG-Director of Mission, and Dr. Raimund Utsch (Marl) from the BEFG’s Presidium lauded Chrupala’s exceptional achievements. They claimed that Chrupala has written church history in Cameroon.

The annual budget of more than three million Euros for 2007 was passed. EBM-General-Secretary Hans Guderian (Elstal) reported that the Argentinian church is contributing to the budget for the first time.

Chrupala, Weiand and Elimar Brandt (Berlin), Director of the Immanuel Diakonie Group, as well Renato Gusso and Chris Dikana held meditations and Bible studies. Gusso is a lecturer at a theological seminary in Ijui, Brazil, and Dikana (South Africa) is presently serving in Germany under the auspices of the “Grenzenlos” (Without Borders) missions exchange programme. He appealed for greater joy when proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

The EBM is active primarily in Africa and South America with more than 100 workers, many of whom are locals. It was reported in Bonn that during this year 25 volunteers will be helping with EBM-missions work for a period of between three and 12 months.