Resolutions

Compiled by Rev. Dr. Lee B. Spitzer, BWA Historian

Welcome to the Baptist World Alliance Historical Archive!

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:

Further, it should be understood that an Alliance Congress, when adopting pronouncements, can speak for itself alone. The resolutions naturally carry great moral authority, coming as they do from a Congress so representative of Baptists in the entire world. But no union or convention has ever authorized a Baptist World Congress to speak on its behalf. The people who voted for the resolutions, did so on their own behalf, not on behalf of their churches or conventions. But these statements would never have been proposed, much less adopted, if they were not considered indicative of the trends of opinion within the Baptist world.

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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Projeto Cuidar

Lécio Dornas descreve o Projecto Cuidar (Projeto Cuidar) como uma resposta prática a uma questão espiritual: “Como podemos ajudar os brasileiros que vivem em nossa comunidade durante a pandemia?”

I was Hungry and You Fed Me

Pastors experience powerful response to their Food Ministry in Charlottesville, Virginia, in the wake of COVID-related job loss.

Are You Curious?

I wish you were more curious. I wish we were more curious. I wish I were more curious.  We desperately need churches and leaders that are curious. We need to be asking questions and exploring insights. To confess our ignorance, we need humility....

Back to Normal?

Drawing from biblical examples of people wishing to go “back to normal,” Victoria Aleksandravicene encourages Christians to seek transformation within the “new normal.”

Creativity in Lockdown

Paul Campion shares how Shirley Baptist Church used creativity within worship to help their community stay connected during lockdown.

The Great Omission

Roshan Mendis examines the ministry of Jesus and discusses the Great Commission and Great Commandment as they relate to integral mission.

Baptists Worldwide Called to Unite for Global Impact Month

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA - May 7, 2021) Baptists worldwide are invited to join together this month in celebrating Baptist World Alliance (BWA) Global Impact Month. Formerly known as BWA Day, this strategic time of prayer, celebration, and action...

Baptist World Alliance to Host Myanmar Solidarity Weekend

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA - April 24, 2021)  In response to the ongoing violence and unrest within the nation of Myanmar, the Baptist World Alliance (BWA) is calling Baptists worldwide to unite in prayer, reflection, and action during a...

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