BWA General Council Resolution 2014.1

The General Council of the Baptist World Alliance, meeting in Izmir, Turkey, July 9-11, 2014: RECOGNIZES the courage and faithfulness of the disciples of Christ in the nation of Turkey;

ACKNOWLEDGES the government’s efforts towards mutual respect and tolerance among different religious groups, which help promote peace and harmony among all of its peoples;

REJOICES in the steps taken to increase religious freedom for people of all faiths, and positively anticipates these freedoms becoming more comprehensive, in accordance with Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and also Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights;

EXPRESSES prayerful support for disciples in The Alliance of Baptist Churches in Turkey and in every other Christian group in Turkey, historic or more recent;

REPENTS of any failure to serve, support and prayerfully encourage Turkish Christians in more relevant and meaningful ways;

ENCOURAGES all Baptists in Turkey as they embrace their role and purpose in the redemptive work of God, and continue to courageously follow Jesus and to share the message of the Gospel in culturally relevant ways;

ASKS Baptists around the world to pray faithfully for fellow disciples of Christ Jesus in Turkey and to practically support them, as the Lord leads, that they may be encouraged in continuing to live out their faith in a way which blesses their Lord and their nation; and

URGES all Baptists to engage more actively in the redemptive work of God and to be more intentional in discovering ways of following Jesus that are relevant to their local circumstances.

Citations

Original Source Bibliography: Callam, Neville, editor. Baptist World Alliance 2014 Yearbook: Minutes of the General Council Meeting and Directory. Falls Church, VA: Baptist World Alliance, 2014.

Original Source Footnote/Endnote: Neville Callam, ed., Baptist World Alliance 2014 Yearbook: Minutes of the General Council Meeting and Directory (Falls Church, VA: Baptist World Alliance, 2014), p. 142.

Online Document Full Citation: BWA General Council Resolution 2014.5 Situation in Ukraine; https://baptistworld.org/resolutions.

In-text Online Document Citation: (BWA General Council Resolution 2014.5).