Petition for Equitable Distribution of Vaccines

Equitable Global Access to COVID-19 Vaccinations

The Baptist World Alliance (BWA) is a worldwide Christian communion of 241 member bodies in 126 countries and territories representing 169,000 churches and 47 million direct members. This includes the BWA Forum on Aid and Development (BFAD), a network of aid agencies in every region of the world that invests millions of dollars (USD) annually in aid, relief, and community development.

Together, the Baptist World Alliance affirms that “in Jesus Christ all people are equal. We oppose all forms of slavery, racism, apartheid and ethnic cleansing and so will do all in our power to address and confront these sins.”

We acknowledge the solidarity shared by the millions of Baptists and non-Baptists alike in the face of the suffering caused by the COVID-19 global pandemic. As we move into 2021, we also recognize our responsibility to participate in the solution to this crisis. We do so by:

  • Calling for the cooperation of governments to support systems of coordinated mass vaccination and enhance access to vaccinations through aid and economic innovations;
  • Urging Baptists globally to participate in enabling global vaccination;
  • Repudiating unhelpful narratives associated with mass vaccination and asking Baptists and all people of goodwill to do so as well; and
  • Issuing a clarion call for just access to available COVID-19 vaccines globally including six specific steps of justice necessary for equitable global access and a shared solidarity in addressing a global pandemic.
Join the Movement
Already signed by global Baptist leaders from every region of the world, join this advocacy movement and sign by February 10, 2021.

Initial Signatures

Rev. Elijah M. Brown, PhD
General Secretary and CEO
Baptist World Alliance
USA

Karl Johnson
First Vice President, Baptist World Alliance
General Secretary, Jamaica Baptist Union
Jamaica

Duro Ayanrinola
General Secretary
All Africa Baptist Fellowship
Nigeria

Anslem Warrick
General Secretary
Caribbean Baptist Fellowship
Trinidad and Tobago

Helle Liht
Assistant General Secretary
European Baptist Federation
Estonia

Parrish Jácome Hernández
General Secretary
Unión Bautista Latino-Americana
Ecuador

Rachel Conway-Doel
Facilitator (outgoing)
Baptist World Alliance Forum for Aid and Development
United Kingdom

Jan Sæthre
Chair
BWA Commission on Baptist World Aid
Norway

Torben Anderson
General Secretary
Baptist Union of Denmark
Denmark

Katie Fruge
Associate Director
Texas Baptist Christian Life Commission
United States of America

Jennifer Lau
Executive Director
Canadian Baptist Ministries
Canada

R. Darrell Smith
Director
Global Environmental Relief
United States of America

Kang-San Tan
General Director
BMS World Mission
United Kingdom

Roshan Mendis
Chair, Global Baptist Taskforce for COVID Response
APBAid Director, Asia Pacific Baptist Federation
Sri Lanka

Rev. Tomás Mackey, PhD
President
Baptist World Alliance
Argentina

Moreen Sharp
Executive Director
Baptist World Alliance Women
Canada

Vesekhoyi Tetseo
General Secretary
Asia Pacific Baptist Federation
Japan

Tony Peck
General Secretary
European Baptist Federation
United Kingdom

Jeremy Bell
General Secretary
North American Baptist Fellowship
Canada

Marsha Scipio
Director
Baptist World Aid
Trinidad and Tobago / USA

John Hickey
Vice President, Baptist World Alliance
CEO, Transform Aid International / Baptist World Aid Australia
Australia

Euticauls Wambua
Vice Chair
BWA Commission on Baptist World Aid
Kenya

Per Beck
President
Baptist Union of Denmark
Denmark

Gus Reyes
Director
Texas Baptist Christian Life Commission
United States of America

Lynn Green
General Secretary
Baptist Union of Great Britain
United Kingdom

Christoph Stiba
General Secretary
Baptist Union of Germany
Germany

Karen Wilson
President
Baptist World Alliance Women
Australia