The 16th Baptist Youth World Conference in Singapore ended with the call for youth to commit to a life of discipleship making.
Thembelani Jentile of South Africa, speaker at the closing celebration, said the church exists to make disciples. “Jesus sent out disciples so that they can make other disciples,” Jentile said.
Discipleship living and making are, however, not human endeavors, but come from God’s anointing and power. “It will take all power for the gospel to be preached, and for souls to be won, and for disciples to be made,” asserted Jentile.
Neither is discipleship making restricted. It is extended to all peoples, all nations. Within the context of scripture such as Mathew 28, “the nations we are going to disciple are neither geographical nor are they political countries, like China or Turkey, but they are people or ethnic groups of the world.” As this is the case, many nations are now within one’s national borders as there are many nationalities and ethnicities present within one’s country.
Jentile indicated that in South Africa, there are now “Germans, Chinese, Pakistanis, English, Americans, and other African nationals.” The question, he said, is, “what are we doing to ‘make disciples’ of all nations — those already coming to our countries, entering into our cities and communities?”
Scores of youth responded to the call to a life of dedicated discipleship as they went to the front of the stage to participate in a prayer of commitment.
A highlight of the closing event was the installation, presided over by Baptist World Alliance® (BWA) President John Upton, of the new leadership of the BWA Youth Department, to be led by Amanda Haines of the United States as president. Other leaders include vice presidents who are the presidents of each regional youth body. They are Koffi Soke Kpomgbe for Africa, Vesekhoyi Tetseo for Asia, Sharlene Cartwright-Robinson for the Caribbean, Andreas Hojmark Andersen for Europe and Jasses David Silva for Latin America. Haines is the youth president for North America.
Dale Stairs of Canada is the chair of the International Program Committee to plan the next youth conference.
The 16th Baptist Youth World Conference was held at the Suntec Singapore International Convention & Exhibition Centre from July 17-21.
Baptist World Alliance®
© July 21, 2013