FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA – July 12, 2025) The Baptist World Alliance (BWA) Global Council convened in Brisbane, Australia, on July 9, in advance of the 23rd Baptist World Congress and elected new leaders to serve the global Baptist family for the next five years.
Karl Johnson of Jamaica was elected as new BWA Chair, Lynn Green of the United Kingdom as BWA Vice Chair, and Jerry Carlisle of the United States as Chair of the Trustee Committee.
BWA Chair Johnson has a long history with the BWA having served as First Vice President of the BWA from 2020-2025 and Chair of the Membership Committee as well as member of the Executive, Budget & Finance, Nominations, Congress, and Governance Review committees. He served as General Secretary of the Jamaica Baptist Union from 2001-2021 and has also held roles in the Caribbean Baptist Fellowship and World Council of Churches.
“I am convinced that the BWA is a Christian body that embraces the precepts and principles of the Triune God. This has been our witness and testimony since 1905 and that has made us one of the more consistently credible voices in the world as it relates to issues of evangelism, justice, equity, religious freedom, human dignity and flourishing,” said Johnson. “My prayer is that God will enable me through this role to provide missional, inspirational and transformational leadership, especially in the interest of the most overlooked and marginalized in the world.”
BWA Vice Chair Green has served as General Secretary of the Baptist Union of Great Britain since 2013. She has been a part of the BWA General Council, Executive Committee, and Human Resources Committee, and was a minister at Wokingham Baptist Church for 16 years.
“A key aspect of the role as Vice Chair is to chair the meetings of the Leadership Council and I am looking forward to establishing Christ-centered, Spirit-filled, collaborative relationships together as we seek to mirror godliness and provide governance for the BWA mission, vision, and impact in the world,” said Green. “Whilst God’s mission will always be at the heart of the BWA, in this quinquennium I would particularly love to see greater numbers of women leaders and younger leaders flourishing and equipped to fulfill God’s call.”
The Global Council also thanked outgoing president Tomás Mackey of Argentina for his five years of service to the Baptist family. During his tenure, Mackey met with dozens of Baptist groups around the world to provide pastoral presence and encouragement.
With the beginning of the 2025-2030 quinquennium, the BWA is moving to a new leadership model. The BWA has moved from President and First Vice President roles to a Chair and Vice Chair elected by the Global Council as stewards of the organization. These new roles arose from the BWA’s four-year comprehensive review of its governance structures, resulting in a new BWA constitution and bylaws that were approved at the 2024 BWA Annual Gathering in Lagos, Nigeria.
This process also saw the creation of a new body, the Trustee Committee, overseeing BWA’s legal and fiduciary responsibilities. New Trustee Committee Chair Carlisle is current President of the Texas Baptist Missions Foundation and former President and First Vice President of the Baptist General Convention of Texas. He has served the BWA as a BWA Vice President, Global Council Member, Human Resources Committee Chair, and Chair of the 2020 Congress Committee.
“I believe the BWA pleases God as it strives to bring His children together to fulfill his redemptive purpose in his world,” said Carlisle. “The [Trustee] Committee is comprised of gifted, experienced, committed global leaders with strengths in each area of the committee’s scope of work. My hope is to significantly strengthen the BWA staff and grow BWA’s financial resources to impact the world for Christ.”
Following their election by the Global Council, a special time of commissioning was held at the 23rd Baptist World Congress. Each of the chairs will serve a five-year term concluding at the next Baptist World Congress.
