August 10, 2020 | 2007 Resolutions, General Council Resolutions, Resolutions
BWA General Council Resolution 2007.4
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.
Citations
Original Source Bibliography: Callam, Neville, editor. Baptist World Alliance 2007 Yearbook: Minutes of the General Council Meeting and Directory. Falls Church, VA: Baptist World Alliance, 2007.
Original Source Footnote/Endnote: Neville Callam, ed., Baptist World Alliance 2007 Yearbook: Minutes of the General Council Meeting and Directory (Falls Church, VA: Baptist World Alliance, 2007), p. 96.
Online Document Full Citation: BWA General Council Resolution 2007.4 On Detention and Due Process; https://o7e.4a3.myftpupload.com/resolutions.
In-text Online Document Citation: (BWA General Council Resolution 2007.4).
August 10, 2020 | 2010 Congress Resolutions, Resolutions, World Congress Resolutions
The Baptist World Alliance is a global movement of Baptists sharing a common confession of faith in Jesus Christ bonded together by God’s love to support, encourage and strengthen one another while proclaiming and living the gospel of Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit before a lost and hurting world.
At the 20th Baptist World Congress, meeting July 28-August 1, 2010, in Honolulu, Hawai’i:
We came
- to hear what the Spirit is saying to the church
- to experience the fellowship of the global Baptist family
- to feel the security of being embraced by brothers and sisters from around the globe We heard
- the “Aloha” of the Hawaiian people and experienced their spirit of hospitality
- the vital importance of living and leading in the anointing of the Holy Spirit
- that we must reclaim the urgency of proclaiming a liberating gospel that brings about transformation
- the testimonies of brothers and sisters who have experienced persecution, oppression, marginalization, natural disasters and human-induced disaster
• the challenge to share the power of the gospel of Christ to rescue those living without the hope of Christ
We saw
- the beauty of God’s good creation
- diversity in cultural expression, dress and worship styles
- the unity of the global family and the joy of friendship in Christ Now, in step with the Spirit who gives and redeems life in Jesus Christ, we confess anew that all persons are created in the image of God and are therefore worthy of receiving his redemptive grace.
In step with the Spirit, we renew our commitment to:
- communicate, in the power of the Holy Spirit, the truth of God in Jesus Christ as the hope of the world. Because the Spirit of the Lord is upon us, we have been anointed to:
- develop greater familiarity with the teachings of Christ
- cultivate a rich prayer life
- bear witness to the Gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ
- provide examples of godly living reflecting the values taught by the Lord of the church
- support the values reflected in the UN Millennium Development Goals. Because the Spirit of the Lord is upon us, we have been anointed us to:
- remove the scourge of poverty and hunger
- support efforts to provide universal education
- work for environmental sustainability
- promote gender equality
- improve child health and maternal health
- combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases
- develop global partnerships Enabled by the Spirit, let us commit ourselves to create an environment in which God’s mercy and truth become evident. Let us shine the light of God’s love in every place of human need.
Keywords
BWA; Creation Care; Discipleship; Diversity; Education; Environment; Evangelism; Gender Equality; Hawai’i; Health; Hunger; Justice; Liberation; Liberty; Mission; Persecution; Poverty; Racism; Unity.
Citations
Original Source Bibliography: Callam, Neville, editor. Hear the Spirit: Official Report of the Twentieth Baptist World Congress, Honolulu, Hawai’i, July 28-August 1, 2010. McLean, VA: Baptist World Alliance, 2010.
Original Source Footnote/Endnote: Neville Callam, ed., Hear the Spirit: Official Report of the Twentieth Baptist World Congress, Honolulu, Hawai’i, July 28-August 1, 2010 (McLean, VA: Baptist World Alliance, 2010), pp. 23-24.
Online Document Full Citation: 2010 BWA World Congress Message; https://o7e.4a3.myftpupload.com/resolutions.
In-text Online Document Citation: (2010 BWA World Congress Message).
August 10, 2020 | 2000 Congress Resolutions, Resolutions, World Congress Resolutions
Message from the Centenary Congress
Birmingham,
United Kingdom July 2005
TO BAPTIST BELIEVERS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD with love and joy from those assembled together in Birmingham, UK, at the Centenary Congress of the BWA
Together those Assembled—
The Hope of a New Heaven and a New Earth
1. Renew our commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ, our God and Saviour, our guide and friend, in the power of the Holy Spirit and we affirm our life together as a community of faith looking forward in hope to Christ’s return and God’s New Heaven and a New Earth;
Our Triune God
2. Believe in the one eternal God who revealed Himself to us as Father, Son and Holy Spirit;
3. Rejoice that our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, revealed in the Scriptures as fully God and fully human, and whose life shows us the way of true discipleship, was crucified for us and was raised from the dead on the third day to save us from our sins;
Scripture
4. Declare that the divinely inspired Old and New Testament Scriptures have supreme authority as the written Word of God and are fully trustworthy for faith and conduct;
The Church and the Kingdom
5. Believe the Christian faith is best understood and experienced within the community of God’s people called to be priests to one another, as these Scriptures are read and studied together. We thank God for all
those who study God’s word and seek to put its teachings into practice individually and collectively through congregational polity;
6. Understand that our worship, mission, baptism and celebrating of the Lord’s Supper, joyously witnesses to God’s great purposes in creation and redemption;
7. Believe our gathering churches, with other true Christian churches, are called to be witnesses to the Kingdom of God. To that end we pray, work and hope for God’s Kingdom as we proclaim its present and coming reality;
8. Declare that through the Holy Spirit we experience interdependence with those who share this dynamic discipleship of the church as the people of God. As such, we affirm Christian marriage and family life;
9. Repent for not having prayed and worked hard enough to fulfil the prayer of Christ for the church’s unity. We commit ourselves to pray and work to further the unity of Christian believers;
10. Affirm that Believers’ Baptism by immersion is the biblical way to publicly declare discipleship for those who have repented of sin and come to personal faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour;
The Work of Christ: Atonement and Redemption
11. Affirm the dignity of all people, male and female, because they are created in God’s image and called to be holy. We acknowledge we are corrupted by sin, which incurs divine wrath and judgement;
12. Confess the atoning sacrifice of Christ on the cross, dying in our place, paying the price of sin and defeating evil, who by this love reconciles believers with our loving God;
Stewardship of God’s Creation
13. Proclaim our love of God’s created world and affirm our commitment to the stewardship of God’s creation.
Our Mission
14. Declare that God gives spiritual gifts to believers who are called to live a life of worship, service and mission. These gifts are discerned and confirmed by the believing community together;
15. Know that in the Great Commission, every believer, empowered by God, is called to be a missionary, learning and sharing more of Christ that the world might believe;
Religious Freedom and Justice
16. Confess that faith in Christ entails a passionate commitment to religious liberty, freedom, peace and justice;
17. Affirm that in Jesus Christ all people are equal. We oppose all forms of slavery, racism, apartheid and ethnic cleansing and so will do all in our power to address and confront these sins;
Now, at this centenary gathering these things we declare, affirm and covenant to the Lord Jesus Christ and to each other, believing the truth found in Him and revealed in the Scriptures. We, recognising that this is a partial and incomplete confession of faith, boldly declare that we believe the truth is found in Jesus Christ as revealed in the Holy Scriptures. Because we have faith and trust in Him so we resolve to proclaim and demonstrate that faith to all the world.
Amen and Amen. Maranatha, come, Lord Jesus, come.
Keywords
BWA; Apartheid; Baptism; Baptist Core Convictions; Baptist Doctrine; Creation Care; Discipleship; Environment; Evangelism; Justice; Liberty; Mission; Racism; Religious Freedom.
Citations
Original Source Bibliography: Ryan, Wendy E., editor. Jesus Christ Living Water: Official Report of the Centenary Baptist World Congress, Birmingham, England, July 27-31, 2005. McLean, VA: Baptist World Alliance, 2006.
Original Source Footnote/Endnote: Wendy E. Ryan, ed., Jesus Christ Living Water: Official Report of the Centenary Baptist World Congress, Birmingham, England, July 27-31, 2005 (McLean, VA: Baptist World Alliance, 2006), pp. 155-157.
Online Document Full Citation: 2005 BWA World Congress Message from the Centenary Congress; https://o7e.4a3.myftpupload.com/resolutions.
In-text Online Document Citation: (2005 BWA World Congress Message).
August 10, 2020 | 1977 Resolutions, General Council Resolutions, Resolutions
BWA General Council Resolution 1977.4
WHEREAS the Commission on Freedom, Justice, and Peace has for a number of years devoted some of its attention to the issues of human rights, we request the Commission to provide the 1978 BWA General Council such summary statement and guidelines as they deem appropriate.
Citations
Original Source Bibliography: Denny, Robert S., editor. Baptist World Alliance 1977 Yearbook: Minutes of the General Council Meeting and Directory. Washington, DC: Baptist World Alliance, 1977.
Original Source Footnote/Endnote: Robert S. Denny, ed., Baptist World Alliance 1977 Yearbook: Minutes of the General Council Meeting and Directory (Washington, DC: Baptist World Alliance, 1977), p. 45.
Online Document Full Citation: BWA General Council Resolution 1977.4 Human Rights; https://o7e.4a3.myftpupload.com/resolutions.
In-text Online Document Citation: (BWA General Council Resolution 1977.4).
August 10, 2020 | 1977 Resolutions, General Council Resolutions, Resolutions
BWA General Council Resolution 1977.6
The Baptist World Alliance is a fellowship of almost 29 of the 33 million Baptists in the world. They represent many nations and widely differing cultures and ways of life and thought. It is neither within its power nor its function to direct, or rule on the internal affairs of the political or economic procedures of its constituent bodies or of their countries.
However, it is the duty as well as the privilege of its members to speak out on religious liberty and other matters of common spiritual and moral concern. Our primary purpose is to bring persons everywhere into a redemptive and transforming relationship with Christ, but we believe also that we are to seek to involve all Christians individually and collectively, in bringing the Christian gospel in all its fullness to bear on every aspect of human society. We are not only to give the Gospel to all the world, but we are to relate it to all of life.
We reaffirm that war is an unChristian way of seeking to settle international problems and disputes. We rejoice in the good reports from the World Conference of Religious Workers for Lasting Peace, Disarmament, and Just Relations Among All Nations, held in Moscow in June 1977. We support the ideals and stated purposes of such conferences wherever held and encourage our Christian brothers and sisters to participate and provide leadership to the end that tensions may be relaxed and peace established.
We believe in dignity and justice for every individual. We express good wishes to the Helsinki Final Act n Conference being held in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, and urge the delegates to that conference to promote further the fulfillment of all the articles of the Helsinki Final Act.
We hold that prejudice, intolerance, and discrimination on the grounds of sex, race, or color are inconsistent with the Gospel and wrong in the sight of God.
We deplore and condemn violence, torture, looting, rioting and the taking of hostages, and voice our sympathy with all victims of these disorders.
We affirm our commitment to religious liberty. We deplore the persecution of Christians and others by government agencies or religious bodies wherever it occurs. The Baptist World Alliance General Council voices grave concern and charges its officers to give all possible aid and support to persecuted brothers and sisters in Christ.
We believe that it is not God’s will that people should live in poverty and wretched conditions and die of hunger or neglect.
We admonish our fellow Christians to strengthen the church which is the body of Christ to serve those who are in need.
In our churches we must give sound instruction in Christian faith, and practice, encouraging self- discipline and responsible conduct. We must foster also the patient study of the complex causes of disorder in society and conflict between communities and nations.
By spiritual, dynamic, and earnest effort, we must strive for peace and the binding up and healing of wounds. We, therefore, urge all Baptists to work toward the elimination of sinful inequalities and injustices in society, seeking in their common service for Christ to secure for every person the opportunity to grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and to enjoy the spiritual and material blessings our Heavenly Father has made possible.
To this end we would commend the various agencies and means of relief of hunger and want, especially those of our constituent bodies and of the Alliance.
We appeal to our people in every nation to seek through their own governments and through the United Nations to give effective expression to their concern, and to lake through proper channels all possible steps for achieving just and lasting peace. We call upon them, and indeed upon all people of goodwill, to work and pray individually and collectively for justice, freedom, stability and peace, realizing that over us all hangs the awesome threat of nuclear war.
It is our firm conviction that our Lord Jesus Christ alone is our hope of justice, reconciliation, and peace; therefore, we welcome and commend all efforts to make the Gospel known to all.
Citations
Original Source Bibliography: Denny, Robert S., editor. Baptist World Alliance 1977 Yearbook: Minutes of the General Council Meeting and Directory. Washington, DC: Baptist World Alliance, 1977.
Original Source Footnote/Endnote: Robert S. Denny, ed., Baptist World Alliance 1977 Yearbook: Minutes of the General Council Meeting and Directory (Washington, DC: Baptist World Alliance, 1977), pp. 46- 48.
Online Document Full Citation: BWA General Council Resolution 1977.6 Message to Baptist Churches Throughout the World; https://o7e.4a3.myftpupload.com/resolutions.
In-text Online Document Citation: (BWA General Council Resolution 1977.6).
