BWA General Council Resolution 2019.1
The Baptist World Alliance (BWA) General Council, meeting in Nassau, Bahamas, July 7-12, 2019:
CELEBRATES the Baptist International Conference on Theological Education that met in Nassau, Bahamas, July 5-7, 2019, with the theme of “TOGETHER: Re-Imagining, Re-Reading HERstory in the Church,” with significant discussions of women in the church;
REAFFIRMS the resolution of the BWA entitled “Women” adopted in Nassau in 1988, which called for Baptists to “celebrate the multiple gifts and sensitivities women bring to the service of Jesus Christ and the work of the Baptist family around the world” and “commend Biblical and careful attention by our member bodies to the enabling of women and their gifts”; and
CALLS global Baptists to
REPENT from the teachings and practices through which we have prevented women from flourishing as human beings created in the image of God and full members of the body of Christ;
OPEN OURSELVES to the Holy Spirit to bring conviction, inspire discussion, and provoke transformation in individual lives and communities, affirming the God-given call of women for service in the church, so that their stories may take rightful place in the wider story of Christ’s body in the world;
LEARN and then use language that is affirming to both women and men in worship, communications, and publications, including Bible translations; and
WORK intentionally to create equal space for women in all leadership roles in the church, Baptist conventions and unions, and in the Baptist World Alliance.
Citations
Original Source Bibliography: Brown, Elijah M., editor. Baptist World Alliance 2019 Yearbook: General Council Minutes and Statistics. Falls Church, VA: Baptist World Alliance, 2019.
Original Source Footnote/Endnote: Elijah M. Brown, ed., Baptist World Alliance 2019 Yearbook: General Council Minutes and Statistics (Falls Church, VA: Baptist World Alliance, 2019), p. 148.
Online Document Full Citation: BWA General Council Resolution 2019.1 Resolution on Recognizing and Affirming the Calling of Women in the Church; https://baptistworld.org/resolutions.
In-text Online Document Citation: (BWA General Council Resolution 2019.1).