Current Baptist World Alliance (BWA) General Secretary Neville Callam has welcomed the election of Elijah Brown as his successor.
Brown will be the ninth BWA general secretary since its founding in 1905. He will assume the position on January 1, 2018, after Callam’s retirement in December this year.
“Elijah is the product of a home with deep roots in the Texas Baptist family,” Callam noted. “His parents named him Elijah Matthew as a sign of their own passionate Judeo-Christian commitment.”
Callam indicated that Brown is thoroughly suited for his new role, pointing to his scholastic preparation. “His early formation in Texas is supplemented by years of study in the United Kingdom and research experience in Kenya, Uganda and Sudan.”
Brown’s longstanding involvement in BWA life, covering a full decade, gives him deep insight into the international organization. “His years of association with BWA, which began with his appointment to the first group of young people forming the Emerging Leaders’ Network, have contributed to widening the horizons of his mind and equipping him for service within a multi-national, multi-cultural and multi-ethnic milieu.”
Callam said the newly elected leader “has been gifted by God,” and has “a passion for social justice, including religious liberty, which influenced him to serve in the 21st Century Wilberforce Initiative, a religious liberty advocacy agency, where he gained managerial experience.”
In expressing full confidence in his successor, Callam declared that he “expects Elijah’s service with the BWA to be marked by robust advocacy in the cause of social justice and enthusiastic engagement witnessing to the transformative power of the Gospel.”
Brown will be the fourth American to serve as BWA general secretary. Previous Americans were Walter Lewis from Missouri (1939-1948); Robert Denny from Kentucky (1969-1980); and Denton Lotz from New York (1988-2007).
Baptist World Alliance®
©July 7, 2017