The Baptist World Alliance is a fellowship of twenty-six million Baptists of many nations and widely differing cultures and ways of life and thought. It is neither within its power nor its function to direct, admonish, or rule on the internal affairs or the political or economic procedures of its constituent bodies or of their countries
Gerhard Claas presented this resolution. Considerable discussing arose regarding the use of various words and phrases. However, MOTION was made, seconded, and carried, that the resolution on religious liberty in Spain be approved as presented by the Resolutions Committee:
This statement was not in the form of a resolution. Copies of a suggested communication to the World Council of Churches were distributed. The Resolutions Committee suggested that a similar statement go also to the European Council of Churches, to be presented by Goulding, and that Tuller and Payne present the one to the World Council of Churches at the forthcoming meeting of its Central Committee in Crete.
The Executive Committee of the Baptist World Alliance meeting in Hamburg, Germany, August 17-21, 1964, has received with rejoicing and thanksgiving to God the report that our Baptist brethren in Spain now enjoy a greater degree of freedom than heretofore. The reopening of Evangelical churches, and other evidences, indicate considerable improvement in the situation in that nation. The authorities there are due our commendation for these progressive steps.
To give effect to the foregoing resolution (I), the Committee unanimously approved (after similar scrutiny
by the Sub-Committee) the following letter to the Minister-President of the Government of Rumania: —
The General Secretary reported at length on the situation in Rumania, and the possibilities of action by this Executive. Dr. Gill added a few words of confirmation und supplement. The Committee appreciated the gravity of the issue, and (having referred the precise terms for scrutiny by a Sub-Committee which
reported after the lunch interval) unanimously adopted the following three resolutions: —
A resolution on Religious Liberty, drawn up by Dr. Clifford, President Mullins and Dr. Truett, was passed in the following form:—
“It is the sense of this body that in this period of reconstruction and readjustment in the civil and religious life of the nations of the world, following the world-war, it is of the highest importance that full religious liberty should be granted to all peoples who do not now enjoy it.
THANKFUL to God for the positive changes that have taken place in Eastern Europe and the whole of the Soviet Union, including the increasing freedom experienced in many aspects of the life of these nations,
THANKFUL particularly for those places where greater freedom of religion has been evidenced and new opportunities for evangelization and theological education have been made possible,
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;
BWA General Council Resolution 1997.1 The General Council of the Baptist World Alliance meeting in Vancouver, Canada, July 3-9, 1997: RECOGNIZES with gratitude that 1998 will mark the 59th anniversary of the United Nations' Universal Declaration of Human Rights which...