BWA General Council Resolution 1988.4

The General Council of the Baptist World Alliance, meeting in Nassau, the Bahamas, July 1988:

Reaffirms its resolution dealing with apartheid adopted at its meeting in Los Angeles in 1985, and

Urges the Baptist Union and the Baptist Convention of Southern Africa to challenge the evil of apartheid by their own example of reconciliation and full equality within their own churches and the extended Christian family as well as their society.

Further, this Council urges all member bodies to:

Condemn the actions of the South African government in banning 18 humanitarian anti-apartheid organizations; detaining persons, especially children, arresting church leaders in Cape Town, and water-hosing a peaceful procession of Christian witnesses;

Deplore the intention of the South African government to legislate to prevent foreign funding of peaceful and humanitarian agencies at work in South Africa; and

Support the continuing representation being made to appropriate governments, urging them to reappraise economic policy towards South Africa and to condemn the South African government’s persistent attempts to discredit and silence the opposition of South African churches and Christian leaders.

And, further this General Council:

Requests its general secretary to convey the import of this resolution to the Baptist Union of Southern Africa, the Baptist Convention of Southern Africa and the South Africa Council of Churches to offer encouragement to these bodies in their striving for peace in their country, and

Recognizes the impact the suffering of the multicolored Baptist family in South Africa has on the worldwide body of Christ and therefore accepts responsibility to engage in every possible way in the process of establishing justice and equality within their troubled part of the world and, furthermore, urges Baptists everywhere to pray unceasingly for healing and reconciliation.

Citations

Original Source Bibliography: Lotz, Denton, editor. Baptist World Alliance 1988 Yearbook: Minutes of the General Council Meeting and Directory. McLean, VA: Baptist World Alliance, 1988.

Original Source Footnote/Endnote: Denton Lotz, ed., Baptist World Alliance 1988 Yearbook: Minutes of the General Council Meeting and Directory (McLean, VA: Baptist World Alliance, 1988), p. 71.

Online Document Full Citation: BWA General Council Resolution 1988.4 South Africa; https://baptistworld.org/resolutions.

In-text Online Document Citation: (BWA General Council Resolution 1988.4).