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)
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Middle East Situation
THANKFUL TO Almighty God for the cessation of open war in Kuwait and Iraq,
MINDFUL of the tragic aftermath of such hostilities in terms not only of loss of life but also of the appalling social and economic conditions prevailing in the Gulf and the long-term threat to the environment caused by oil pollution in both sea and air,
South Africa (1991)
RECALLING the prophetic stance taken by the Baptist World Alliance in its resolutions on South Africa at the World Congress in 1985 and at the General Council in 1986 and 1988,
REAFFIRMING its opposition to apartheid as a sin against the Gospel of God’s love for all people,
Appreciation to the Hosts and Officers
The Baptist World Alliance holding its annual meeting of the General Council and related groups in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, July 7-14, 1991, has brought together Baptists from around the world for worship, fellowship, mutual encouragement, study, and planning.
BMS Bicentenary
The founding of the society to promote overseas missions marked the point at which the missionary awakening stimulated by the evangelical revival of the eighteenth century first attained effective institutional expression alerting not only Baptist but the whole of evangelical Christendom to a world-wide vision;
Fifth Centennial of the Coming of Columbus and the Europeans to the Americas
THANKS the Union Bautista Latino Americana (UBLA) for the guidance they have provided the Council on what a Christian response should be to the Fifth Centennial of the coming of Columbus and the Europeans to the Americas, and the beginning of a different way of live and thought for the people of the hemisphere;
Stewardship of the Earth
BELIEVES that Baptists need to take seriously the implications of God’s creation of our world and the stewardship given to humankind within that creation;
ASSERTS that human sinfulness has developed an exploitative ethic which puts the sustaining of that creation in jeopardy evident in the ecological crises facing the world today;
The Former Yugoslav Federal Republic
The General Council of the Baptist World Alliance, meeting in Montego Bay, Jamaica, July 4-12, 1992;
MINDFUL of the devastation and loss of life wrought by the recent and continuing conflicts in the countries of the former Yugoslav Federal Republic, and in accordance with its belief that God in Christ wills reconciliation in place of enmity;
El Salvador
The General Council of the Baptist World Alliance, meeting in Montego Bay, Jamaica, July 4-12, 19922;
HAVING received a report from the Baptist World Alliance Human Rights Delegation to El Salvador in January, 1992, and also from our Baptist sisters and brothers in that troubled country;
Carribean
SURROUNDED by the beauty of this part of God’s creation and conscious of the lively heritage of its diverse peoples;
ECHOING the grave concern of the Caribbean Baptist Fellowship for the present economic and sociopolitical realities of the region;
World Evangelization
REALIZING that over four billion people in our world do not know Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour and that one-fourth of the world’s population has never heard the Gospel,
ACKNOWLEDGING the commitment that member bodies of the BWA have made through the Seoul Covenant to world evangelization.
Appreciation
BWA General Council Resolution 1992.8 The General Council of the Baptist World Alliance, meeting in Montego Bay, Jamaica, July 4-12, 1992; EXPRESSES to the Jamaica Baptist Union sincere appreciation and genuine gratitude for the splendid preparation and warm...
The Evangelization of the Peoples of Africa
The General Council of the Baptist World Alliance, meeting in Harare, Zimbabwe August 6-9, 1993,
ACKNOWLEDGES with gratitude to Almighty God the movement of the Holy Spirit seen in the dramatic expansion of the churches in the continent of Africa, and in particular the growth of BWA member churches of approximately 50% over the past five years;
Anniversary of William Carey’s Arrival in India
The General Council of the Baptist World Alliance, meeting in Harare, Zimbabwe August 6-9, 1993,
GIVES THANKS TO GOD for the missionary vision of William Carey and rejoices in the celebration of the 200th anniversary of his arrival in India;
Legacy of Martin Luther King Jr
The General Council of the Baptist World Alliance, meeting in. Harare, Zimbabwe August 6-9, 1993,
GIVES THANKS TO GOD for the life and witness of Martin Luther King Jr. in this 125th anniversary year of his tragic and untimely death;
Poverty and the Nations
EXPRESSES concern the effects of drought and patterns of international trade and aid have exacerbated conditions of famine, poverty and disease amongst the many poor and disadvantaged peoples of the nations of the South, not least in the continent of Africa.
The Sanctity of Human Life
The General Council of the Baptist World Alliance, meeting in Harare, Zimbabwe August 6-9, 1993,
AFFIRMS that because all life is the gift of God and that every person is created in the image of God, human life is sacred;
The Continuing AIDS Crisis
The General Council of the Baptist World Alliance, meeting in Harare, Zimbabwe August 6-9, 1993,
NOTES with alarm that since its last resolution on AIDS in 1988 the number of those infected has reached epidemic proportions in many countries;
Bosnia
The General Council of the Baptist World Alliance, meeting in Harare, Zimbabwe August 6-9, 1993,
CONDEMNS the deliberate use within the former Republic of Yugoslavia of “ethnic cleansing” and the systematic use of rape as a weapon of war and extends its heart-felt sympathy to the hundreds of thousands of victims;
South Africa (1993)
The General Council of the Baptist World Alliance, meeting in Harare, Zimbabwe August 6-9, 1993,
SENDS greetings to our sisters and brothers in the Baptist and wider Christian community in South Africa;
APPLAUDS the decision to hold multi-racial elections with universal adult suffrage in 1994;
Appreciation
COMMENDS with appreciation the Baptist Heads of Denominations and its secretary, the Rev. Noah Pashapa, for the invaluable and gracious assistance given to the BWA staff in planning and organizing this first-ever BWA gathering in Southern Africa;
Crisis in the Near and Middle East
The General Council of the Baptist World Alliance wishes to state its concern and position regarding multiple but interrelated crises in the Near and Middle East in the following expressions:
1. We express our profound concern regarding the blatant disregard for human rights, civil liberties and national self-determination.
El Salvador
The Baptist World General Council, meeting in the Caribbean:
1. Has observed with profound concern and apprehension the continuing suffering and oppression of many in El Salvador;
2. Expresses its utmost sympathy with all those who are caught up in the present conflict.
The International Year of Disabled Persons
The General Council of the Baptist World Alliance:
1. Gives full support to the General Assembly of the United Nations in its proclaiming 1981 as the International Year of Disabled Persons with the keynote theme, “full participation and equality,” whose aim is to encourage the rehabilitation of an estimated 450 million people who suffer from some form of physical or mental impairment.
United Nations Declaration Concerning Religious “Intolerance and Discrimination”
Affirming the Baptist heritage of religious liberty which has, from its inception, upheld the right of all people to practice and propagate their religious faith without let or hindrance;
Resolution on Religious Liberty, Human Rights, World Peace and Public Morality
BWA World Congress Resolution 1975.1 Whereas, in the providence of God, religion and life are joined together, andWhereas, the Bible teaches that God is concerned and leads his people to be concerned about both individuals and society, and Whereas, during the past...
Appreciation for Committees and Program Personnel
The Twelfth Baptist World Congress of 1970, held in Tokyo, Japan, resolves to offer its great appreciation to the Program Committee of the BWA, the Local Arrangements Committee of Japan Baptist Domai (Union), the Japan Baptist Renmai (Convention) and the Japan Baptist Church Association for the labor of love, in bringing this significant Baptist Congress, held on Asian soil for the first time, into great success.
Man’s Stewardship and Survival on This Earth
The Twelfth Baptist World Congress, meeting in Tokyo, Japan, during July 12-18, 1970, notes with deep concern the continuing and increasing lack of economic self-sufficiency suffered by the majority of the inhabitants of the world, particularly those who are citizens of the developing countries.
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BWA Presents 2024 Human Rights Award and Special Citation
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (LAGOS, NIGERIA – July 17, 2024) In the closing General Council session of the 2024 Baptist World Alliance (BWA) Annual Gathering hosted in Lagos, Nigeria, the BWA presented the 2024 Denton and Janice Lotz Human Rights Award to Julie Mariama...
BWA General Council Approves Three Resolutions
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (LAGOS, NIGERIA – July 16, 2024) The Baptist World Alliance (BWA) General Council unanimously approved three resolutions during their final session of the 2024 Annual Gathering on Thursday, July 11, in Lagos, Nigeria. All member partners,...
BWA Welcomes 13 New Member Partners
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (LAGOS, NIGERIA – July 9, 2024) Meeting in Lagos, Nigeria, on July 8, the Baptist World Alliance (BWA) General Council unanimously approved 13 new members, bringing total membership of the BWA to 266 Baptist organizations across 134 countries and...
Peace in the Middle East (2024.3)
BWA General Council Resolution 2024.3 The Baptist World Alliance General Council, meeting in Lagos, Nigeria, July 7-12, 2024: REMEMBERS the biblical call to be peacemakers (Nahum 1:15; Matthew 5:9; Acts 10:36; Romans 12:18;James 3:18). As followers of Jesus Christ,...
World Hunger (2024.1)
BWA General Council Resolution 2024.1 The Baptist World Alliance General Council, meeting in Lagos, Nigeria, July 7-12, 2024: AFFIRMS as Christians, we are called to demonstrate our love for God by loving our neighbors, an ethicechoed throughout the scriptures...
Religious Nationalism (2024.2)
BWA General Council Resolution 2024.2 The Baptist World Alliance General Council, meeting in Lagos, Nigeria, July 7-12, 2024: LAMENTS the rise of religious nationalism around the world in all forms of government from totalitariansystems to democracies. Religious...
23rd Baptist World Congress Will Highlight Global Creative Arts
The 23rd Baptist World Congress, scheduled to convene in Brisbane, Australia, from July 7-12, 2025, will feature global diversity and ingenuity expressed through creative arts.
Wissam al-Saliby Named President of 21Wilberforce Global Freedom Center
Wissam al-Saliby appointed as President of the 21Wilberforce Global Freedom Center, a Baptist World Alliance (BWA) partnering ministry that seeks to advance religious freedom awareness, training, support and advocacy.
Baptist World Alliance to Convene Annual Gathering in July
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA, USA - April 24, 2024) The Baptist World Alliance (BWA) will convene the 2024 BWA Annual Gathering in Lagos, Nigeria, from July 5-12, 2024. This annual event unites Baptists worldwide for a strategic time...
Pentecost Global Worship Service
Together at Pentecost | Worship with Us May 14: 8:00 pm | Eastern Daylight Time/Washington DC Time (Check Your Time Zone)May 15: 8:00 am | Eastern Daylight Time/Washington DC Time (Check Your Time Zone)Together we are part of a worldwide Pentecost movement of Baptist...
World Day of Prayer Unites Women Across the Globe
Baptist World Alliance Women (BWAW) is hosting the annual Baptist Women’s World Day of Prayer on Monday, November 6.
Baptist World Congress Registration Opens
Drawing from more than a century of history hosting the world’s largest gatherings of Baptists, the Baptist World Alliance will convene July 7-12, 2025, for the 23rd Baptist World Congress in Brisbane, Australia.
2024 Annual Gathering
2023 Annual Gathering & Mission SummitJuly 2-9, 2023 | Stavanger, Norway2024 Annual Gathering: July 7-12, 2024During this incredible annual event, Baptist leaders from across the globe will connect through worship, prayer, learning, relationship building, and...
BWA Launches Global Baptist Mission Network
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (STAVANGER, NORWAY – July 6, 2023) In pursuit of its mission to “Network the Baptist Family to Impact the World for Christ,” the Baptist World Alliance (BWA) launched the Global Baptist Mission Network (GBMN) this week at its annual...
Baptist World Alliance Welcomes New Members
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (STAVANGER, NORWAY – July 6, 2023) Meeting in Stavanger, Norway, this week, the Baptist World Alliance (BWA) General Council unanimously approved eight new members, bringing total membership of the BWA to 253 Baptist organizations in 130...
Dignity and Justice for Indigenous Peoples (2023.1)
BWA General Council Resolution 2022.3 The Baptist World Alliance General Council, meeting in Stavanger, Norway, July 2-5, 2023: ACKNOWLEDGES the Sámi people of the Sápmi region, some of which overlaps with themodern nation in which we gather. CELEBRATES the rich...
BWA Presents 2023 Human Rights Award
Mona Khauli of Lebanon is the 2023 recipient of the Baptist World Alliance’s (BWA) Denton and Janice Lotz Human Rights Award.
Pentecost Prayer Initiative
In response to the many challenges facing our world today, the BWA is issuing an invitation to Baptists worldwide for a Pentecost Prayer Initiative.
BFAD Webinar Series The Church’s Response in Times of Crisis
What is the role of the Baptist Church in times of crisis? Through our BFAD webinar series, discover new ways to respond, coordinate, fundraise, and make an impact as a Baptist family.
2023 Global Impact Day
Global Impact Day Celebrating the Lord's Work through the Baptist World Alliance2023 Global Impact DayWhat a joy it is to serve alongside faithful Baptist brothers and sisters around the world! We greatly value your prayers and faithful partnership with us, and we...
2023 Annual Gathering
The 2023 Annual Gathering global Baptist experience is a collaboration of Baptist World Alliance and the European Baptist Federation.
Baptist World Congress Logo Unveiled
In partnership with Australian Baptist Ministries and Queensland Baptists, the BWA is pleased to unveil the 2025 Congress logo designed by a First Nations artist.
BWA Holistic Mission Guide Webinar Registration (Part 3)
Holistic Mission Webinar: Part Three Baptist World Alliance Webinar SeriesBWA Commission on MissionIn response to the global impact of COVID-19 on the mission of the church, the Baptist World Alliance developed and released a Holistic Mission Guide earlier this year...
Baptist World Alliance Appoints Director of Ministries
The Baptist World Alliance selected Jenny Stewart of Australia/United Kingdom as its first Director of Ministries and Chief Operating Officer.
BWA Women to Host Global Day of Prayer Service
(FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA - October 14, 2022) For more than 70 years, Baptist women around the world have united every November for Baptist Women’s World Day of Prayer. This year a new tradition will be added to the historic event as Baptist World Alliance Women (BWA...
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