(FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA, USA – April 29, 2022) Compelled by the Great Commission, the Baptist World Alliance (BWA) has a longstanding commitment to evangelism, rooted in the call to live out Gospel witness in every place and among all people groups in partnership with other believers. In response to this call and in collaboration with GoDecade, the BWA Executive Committee has declared the month of May as Evangelism Emphasis Month, guided by the axiom that “every Baptist is a witness.” Throughout the month, Baptists worldwide are urged to focus on united prayer and personal evangelism with a prayer for every Baptist to lead at least one person to Christ. Baptists are also encouraged to engage in community outreach with a long-term vision of ongoing discipleship.
“The call for increased evangelization is as urgent today as when Jesus issued the Great Commission to his disciples and – by extension – the church,” said Everton Jackson, Director of Integral Mission. “Evangelism is central to the mission of God, and it is the vocation of the Church to share the good news of Christ for the sake of the salvation of the world and the renewal of creation.”
To begin the strategic evangelism focus, the BWA is launching its inaugural School of Evangelism from April 29 through May 1 in partnership with Caribbean Baptist Fellowship. Offered virtually and guided by the theme “Making Disciples Together,” this initiative will be rolled out in the other five regions of the BWA by 2024. School of Evangelism objectives include:
Affirm the whole Church’s calling and gifting to bear witness to Jesus Christ.
Emphasize the whole Gospel of Christ as the power to transform lives and communities.
Highlight the whole world as the object of the triune God’s redemptive mission.
Create space for Baptists to learn from one another and to mobilize the global Baptist family for greater intentional holistic evangelism.
“We are proud to take the lead in this essential and relevant program, and we hope to set the tone and the pace for the other BWA regions,” said Anslem Warrick, Executive Secretary – Treasurer of Caribbean Baptist Fellowship. “The School of Evangelism is really a recognition of our mission as God’s people who have been recipients of God’s love and grace. This is a reflection of our commitment to respond to the call of God in Christ Jesus our Lord to reach the whole of humanity in the whole world with the whole Gospel.”
The event includes an opening and closing worship celebration featuring prayers, Scripture readings, and musical contributions from throughout the region as well as a series of keynote messages, Bible studies, and testimonies from Baptist leaders around the world.
“From Genesis to Revelation, God invites us to join him in his holistic mission around the world. We are invited to live with Gospel intentionality from our neighborhoods to the nations,” said Elijah Brown, BWA General Secretary & CEO. “In a world where there are still three billion people who are unreached with the good news of Jesus Christ, I encourage all Baptists to join us in this global commitment to Gospel witness.”
To learn more about the School of Evangelism initiative, visit BaptistWorld.org/soe.
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