We are pleased to share with you the entire set of Resolutions, Manifestos, Messages and Proclamations approved by delegates attending the Baptist World Alliance World Congresses from 1905 through 2015 (the 2020 Congress was postponed to 2021 due to the global pandemic).
Additionally, we are offering the Resolutions and Manifestos approved by the BWA General Council, which meets yearly. The online collection includes the years 1976-2019. The BWA Executive Committee Resolutions are currently being compiled, and a limited number are already accessible. The collection will be expanded over time.
Each Resolution document is in PDF format and seeks to reproduce the original text as closely as possible. This means that language and punctuation may be archaic and not in accordance with contemporary standards of discourse. Spellings of words sometimes are in British English and have been preserved as they were originally published. I am solely responsible for any typographical errors in reproduction, and I would deeply appreciate it if you would share with me any that you may discover.
It is the BWA’s hope that this collection will be useful to scholars, historians, denominational leaders, and clergy. Each document now contains a unique identification number, topical keywords, and four types of citations for academic purposes.
The range of issues covered by the collection is comprehensive, and many of the Resolutions speak to contemporary concerns (such as racism, antisemitism, poverty and war) with multi-cultural wisdom, spiritual integrity, and intellectual depth. Readers seeking to learn how Baptists on a global scale and across time have addressed the human condition in all of its variations (moral, social, economic, political, etc.) will be rewarded as well as challenged.
In Baptist polity, Resolutions and other collective statements are not binding on Baptist individuals or churches. They intend to share wisdom and raise consciousness rather than to demand or coerce conformity or hinder the soul freedom and responsibility of people to follow God according to the dictates of their own Christ-led conscience. In the foreword to the 1955 Golden Jubilee World Congress Official Report (p. 6), BWA General Secretary Arnold T. Ohrn stated this principle well:
If you should need any further assistance in utilizing this online historical archive, please feel free to contact me.
Sincerely,
Rev. Dr. Lee B. Spitzer,
BWA Historian (Click here to contact)
For ease of reference, click one of the buttons below to see resolutions in that category.
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Against Terrorism
The General Council of the Baptist World Alliance meeting in Seville, Spain, July 8-13 2002:
NOTES with profound sadness the continuing suffering and destruction caused by various kinds of terrorism;
EXTENDS its sympathy to all victims of terrorism and encourages initiatives to offer relief to such victims;
World Methodist Council
The General Council of the Baptist World Alliance, meeting in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, July 7-12, 2003:
CELEBRATES with the World Methodist Council the 300th anniversary of the birth of John Wesley, founder of Methodism;
THANKS God for God’s blessings upon, and use of, the Methodist Church for God’s Kingdom work during these three centuries;
Congratulations to Former USA President, Jimmy Carter
The General Council of the Baptist World Alliance, meeting in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, July 7-12, 2003:
RECOGNIZES the importance of the work of Baptists throughout the world, individually and collectively, to bring peace and justice to all of the people of God;
ACKNOWLEDGES the tireless efforts of former President Jimmy Carter to bring about peace and justice in the world;
Upheaval in Africa
The General Council of the Baptist World Alliance, meeting in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, July 7-12, 2003:
COMMENDS the Christian churches and missions in Africa, especially the Baptist congregations, for their commitment to the Great Commission of Matthew 28, which has resulted in some of the most vibrant and fastest growing Christian communities in the world;
On Religious Liberty
The General Council of the Baptist World Alliance, meeting in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, July 7-12, 2003:
RECOGNIZES that every human being is of intrinsic worth, being created in the image of God and possessing the possibility of fellowship with the God of the universe;
AFFIRMS that one of the basic rights of each human being is the right to worship openly and freely according to the dictates of one’s own heart;
Middle East
COMMENDS the leadership of USA President George W. Bush, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas as well as the roles of the USA, the European Union, the United Nations and Russia in putting forth “The Road Map to Peace” that provides an opportune moment for all parties involved in the Middle East conflict;
Appreciation
The General Council of the Baptist World Alliance, meeting in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, July 7-12, 2003:
NOTES with appreciation the willingness of Korean Baptists to host the 2003 meeting of the General Council of the Baptist World Alliance and looks forward to meeting in Seoul in 2004;
Forthcoming World Congress, 2005
ANTICIPATES with joy the forthcoming Centenary Congress of the Baptist World Alliance in Birmingham, England, July 2005;
THANKS God for the many blessings experienced by the world Baptist family over the l00 years of the life and mission of the Baptist World Alliance;
Christ the Living Water
The General Council of the Baptist World Alliance, meeting in Seoul, South Korea, July 28-31, 2004:
REAFFIRMS its strong conviction that salvation is offered to the world through Jesus Christ alone by means of his life, death and resurrection and continuing mission;
EMPHASISES the crucial importance of personal conversion through the work of the Holy Spirit issuing in repentance, faith in Christ as saviour, baptism, incorporation into the church and the life of discipleship;
Baptist World Aid and the Micah Challenge
The General Council of the Baptist World Alliance, meeting in Seoul, South Korea, July 28-31, 2004:
COMMENDS the Micah network (Micah 6.8) in their desire to strengthen the capacity of aid and development agencies such as Baptist World Aid to make a biblically-shaped response to the needs of the poor and oppressed in line with the World Evangelical Alliance resolution of 2001 to support the UN initiative to halve current levels of world poverty by 2015;
Withdrawal of the Southern Baptist Convention from the Family of the Baptist World Alliance
NOTES that the Southern Baptist Convention, meeting in Indianapolis in June 2004 voted to approve a recommendation from its Executive Committee to withdraw from the family of the Baptist World Alliance;
ACKNOWLEDGES with gratitude the enormous contribution made by the Southern Baptist Convention in the formation of the Baptist World Alliance 100 years ago and in the continued development and effectiveness of the Baptist World Alliance since its inception;
The Korean Peninsula
The General Council of the Baptist World Alliance, meeting in Seoul, South Korea, July 28-31, 2004:
COMMENDS the Korean Baptist Convention for the faithful witness to the Gospel both within South Korea and in its mission work throughout the world.
NOTES with concern the continued division of families and communities in the north and south of Korea;
Appreciation
NOTES with appreciation the work of Korean Baptists in hosting this 2004 meeting of the General Council of the Baptist World Alliance;
OFFERS sincere thanks to the Baptist Convention of South Korea, its President, C. Y. Choi and General Secretary, S. S. Hong for their invitation to meet in Seoul;
Statement of Appreciation
The General Council of the Baptist World Alliance, meeting in Mexico City, July 3-8, 2006:
Offers sincere thanks to the Mexico Baptist Convention for the invitation to hold this Annual Gathering in this wonderful city.
Violence Against Women and Children
The General Council of the Baptist World Alliance, meeting in Mexico City, July 3-8, 2006:
Recognizes that women and children are victims of violence that include exploitation in the sex industry, which includes sexual trafficking, labor exploitation, domestic conflict, recruitment into military conflict, rape, many other forms of violence because of precarious and vulnerable situations.
HIV/AIDS Crisis
The General Council of the Baptist World Alliance, meeting in Mexico City, July 3-8, 2006:
Notes again the great urgency of the HIV/AIDS crisis and laments that 65 million people have been infected and more than 25 million people have died of HIV/AIDS in the past 25 years.
On Human Rights and Abuses in Myanmar
The General Council of the Baptist World Alliance, meeting in Mexico City, July 3-8, 2006:
Recognizes historic Baptists links with Burma [Myanmar] dating back to the work of Adoniram Judson and his colleagues in the nineteenth century.
On Sudan
Expresses concern about the ongoing armed conflicts which have resulted in more than 2,000,000 deaths and over 1,000,000 displaced persons and numerous other human rights violations. These violations are evident in Darfur, but exist throughout Sudan. Encourages further networking among Sudanese Baptist churches who are isolated by the effects of war.
Evangelism and Missions
The General Council of the Baptist World Alliance, meeting in Mexico City, July 3-8, 2006:
Reaffirms at the beginning of a new century of Baptist World Alliance life and witness our commitment to proclaim and demonstrate, through word and deed, our faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.
200th Anniversary of the Passing of the Act to Abolish the Slave Trade in the British Colonies
The General Council of the Baptist World Alliance Annual Gathering, meeting in Accra, Ghana, July 2-7, 2007:
Resolves to commemorate in this historic setting the two hundredth anniversary of the beginning of the abolition of the slave trade.
Admits a long history of human enslavement that has broken families, robbed identities, stripped dignity and inflicted deep and inexpressible pain.
On Darfur
The General Council of the Baptist World Alliance Annual Gathering, meeting in Accra, Ghana, July 2-7, 2007:
Maintains ongoing concern about the armed conflicts, contrived famines, destruction of communities, lack of transparent truth and accountability and other human rights violations in Sudan.
Baptist World Aid and the Poor in God’s World
The General Council of the Baptist World Alliance Annual Gathering, meeting in Accra, Ghana, July 2-7, 2007:
Renews its decision made at the General Council in Seoul, Korea, 2004, to strengthen the capacity of aid and development agencies, such as Baptist World Aid, to make a biblically- shaped response to the needs of the poor and oppressed in line with the Micah Challenge campaign to support the UN initiative of 2000 on the Millennium Development Goals to halve the level of world poverty by 2015;
On Detention and Due Process
On Detention and Due Process
The General Council of the Baptist World Alliance Annual Gathering, meeting in Accra, Ghana, July 2-7, 2007:
Urges all governments, enforcement agencies under their jurisdictions, and non-state actors to enforce and abide by the basic tenets of human rights as represented in international laws and conventions in the investigation, arrest, interrogation, detention, due process, trial, sentencing, and incarceration of all persons, regardless of race, religion, gender, national status, or political association.
Action on Corruption
The General Council of the Baptist World Alliance Annual Gathering, meeting in Accra, Ghana, July 2-7, 2007:
Laments the presence and power of corruption in many levels of society throughout the world and especially within government and corporate elites;
Emerging Leaders Network
The General Council of the Baptist World Alliance Annual Gathering, meeting in Accra, Ghana, July 2-7, 2007:
Commends the leadership of the Baptist World Alliance for initiating and facilitating the Emerging Leaders Network;
Celebrates the gifts and talents of those who are a part of the Emerging Leaders Network and who represent the future of the BWA;
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