August 10, 2020 | 1994 Resolutions, General Council Resolutions, Resolutions
BWA General Council Resolution 1994.5
The General Council of the Baptist World Alliance meeting in Uppsala, Sweden from 18-24 July 1994:
REJOICES with the world community at recent political developments where negotiation has opened the way to peaceful resolution of long-term hostility or oppression, in particular:
• the September 1993 accords between the Israelis and Palestinians
• the birth of a non-racial and truly democratic society through the April 1994 elections in South Africa
• the peaceful transition to democracy in Malawi in 1994 where Baptists and other Christian leaders played a crucial and courageous role;
EXPRESSES its hopes for further reconciliation and its acceptance of responsibility for continued support, that these gains may be firmly established and extended;
ACKNOWLEDGES the call of God in Christ to his people to be a reconciled and reconciling community;
CONFESSES with shame that throughout the Baptist family walls of hostility and fear often divide us, impeding the effectiveness of our service and eroding the power of our witness;
CHALLENGES all Baptists to repentance, prayer and costly action as they engage in the ministry of reconciliation “that the world might believe.”
Citations
Original Source Bibliography: Lotz, Denton, editor. Baptist World Alliance 1994 Yearbook: Minutes of the General Council Meeting and Directory. McLean, VA: Baptist World Alliance, 1994.
Original Source Footnote/Endnote: Denton Lotz, ed., Baptist World Alliance 1994 Yearbook: Minutes of the General Council Meeting and Directory (McLean, VA: Baptist World Alliance, 1994), p. 118.
Online Document Full Citation: BWA General Council Resolution 1994.5 The Ministry of Reconciliation; https://o7e.4a3.myftpupload.com/resolutions.
In-text Online Document Citation: (BWA General Council Resolution 1994.5).
August 10, 2020 | 1998 Resolutions, General Council Resolutions, Resolutions
BWA General Council Resolution 1998.2
The General Council of the Baptist World Alliance meeting In Durban July 5-11, 1998
APPLAUDS the Truth and Reconciliation Commission that Is playing an active role in helping to bring healing following the end of apartheid and the establishment of democratic rule in South Africa;
COMMENDS the efforts of South African Baptists led by Desmond Hoffmeister, General Secretary of the Baptist Convention of South Africa, and Terry Rae, General Secretary of the Baptist Union of Southern Africa, and encourages their continuing resolve to work under God’s inspiration and guidance toward a Just reconciliation between these two communities;
EXPRESSES Its profound hope that similar efforts can be effective in restoring relationships between and among the peoples of Burundi and Rwanda;
RECOGNISES that the primary reconciliation with which we are concerned Is that of having individuals being reconciled with God through personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and His atoning work, and to such we dedicate ourselves along with other ministries of reconciliation; and
CHALLENGES Baptists everywhere to address differences and resolve conflict through the use of biblical principles of reconciliation.
Citations
Original Source Bibliography: Lotz, Denton, editor. Baptist World Alliance 1998 Yearbook: Minutes of the General Council Meeting and Directory. McLean, VA: Baptist World Alliance, 1998.
Original Source Footnote/Endnote: Denton Lotz, ed., Baptist World Alliance 1998 Yearbook: Minutes of the General Council Meeting and Directory (McLean, VA: Baptist World Alliance, 1998), pp. 110-111.
Online Document Full Citation: BWA General Council Resolution 1998.2 Reconciliation; https://o7e.4a3.myftpupload.com/resolutions.
In-text Online Document Citation: (BWA General Council Resolution 1998.2).
August 10, 2020 | 1998 Resolutions, General Council Resolutions, Resolutions
BWA General Council Resolution 1998.5
The General Council of the Baptist World Alliance meeting In Durban July 5-11,1998
OFFERS sincere thanks to the Baptist Convention of South Africa, the Baptist Union of Southern Africa, and the local congregations in Durban and vicinity for their warm welcome and generous hospitality;
ACKNOWLEDGES the gracious welcome to Durban given by Councilor Margaret Ambler-Moore, Durban City Council;
COMMENDS the Revd Rodney Ragwan and members of the local arrangements committee for their success in preparing for the 1998 annual sessions of the Baptist World Alliance General Council;
APPRECIATES the moving remarks by Bishop Desmond Tutu during the opening session of the General Council; and
EXPRESSES deep gratitude and loving thanks to its President, General Secretary, staff members, leaders of divisions, departments, committees, commissions, and others whose labor behind the scenes has contributed to the successful conduct of this Council.
Citations
Original Source Bibliography: Lotz, Denton, editor. Baptist World Alliance 1998 Yearbook: Minutes of the General Council Meeting and Directory. McLean, VA: Baptist World Alliance, 1998.
Original Source Footnote/Endnote: Denton Lotz, ed., Baptist World Alliance 1998 Yearbook: Minutes of the General Council Meeting and Directory (McLean, VA: Baptist World Alliance, 1998), p. 112.
Online Document Full Citation: BWA General Council Resolution 1998.5 Appreciation; https://o7e.4a3.myftpupload.com/resolutions.
In-text Online Document Citation: (BWA General Council Resolution 1998.5).
August 10, 2020 | 1983 Resolutions, General Council Resolutions, Resolutions
BWA General Council Resolution 1983.5
The General Council of the Baptist World Alliance, meeting in Buenos Aires, Argentina,
a) recognizes with thanksgiving to God its experience of the reconciling love of Christ, expressed in the united fellowship of Baptist people from North, South, East and West;
b) reaffirms its belief that God in Christ is able to bring people truly together across national, political, economic, language and cultural barriers;
c) calls upon all its members to pray unceasingly for reconciliation wherever there is human division and strife and to work continually to that end through maintaining and developing relationships with Christians of other lands, as a witness to the purpose of God for all humanity.
Citations
Original Source Bibliography: Claas, Gerhard, editor. Baptist World Alliance 1983 Yearbook: Minutes of the General Council Meeting and Directory. Washington, DC: Baptist World Alliance, 1983.
Original Source Footnote/Endnote: Gerhard Claas, ed., Baptist World Alliance 1983 Yearbook: Minutes of the General Council Meeting and Directory (Washington, DC: Baptist World Alliance, 1983), p. 63.
Online Document Full Citation: BWA General Council Resolution 1983.5 Reconciliation; https://o7e.4a3.myftpupload.com/resolutions.
In-text Online Document Citation: (BWA General Council Resolution 1983.5).
August 10, 2020 | 1980 Congress Resolutions, Resolutions, World Congress Resolutions
BWA World Congress Resolution 1985.2
The Baptist World Congress, meeting in Los Angeles, CA, July 2-7, 1985, declares its belief that racism and the Christian Gospel are incompatible. We ground this conviction biblically in the doctrine of creation whereby every human person is given dignity as made in the image of God (Genesis 1 :27) and in the doctrine of redemption whereby we proclaim salvation in Christ, crucified and risen, for people of all races and colors (Colossians 3:11), and the external purpose of God to unite all creation in him (Ephesians 1 and 2).
We therefore declare racism, wherever it is found, to be a crime against humanity and a sin against God.
We call upon Baptists everywhere to renounce racial discrimination and racist attitudes which may be openly or subconsciously expressed, and to show their solidarity with all victims of racism by speaking, working and praying for its removal from society.
In particular, we openly denounce the whole system of apartheid as practiced by the South African government. We note that the 1985 Assembly of the Baptist Union of South Africa welcomed the positive attempts which the Government has made to alleviate some of the injustices within their country; for example, the inclusion of Coloreds and Indians in the process of government and the repeal of the Mixed Marriages Act and certain sections of the Immorality Act.
We believe that the system of apartheid remains firmly entrenched inasmuch as 316 apartheid laws still exist. These include:
(a) forcible relocation of black populations and destruction of their homes by bulldozing; (b) prevention of black employees and their families from living near their places of work; (c) lack of freedom for black people to seek employment wherever they can find it;
(d) humiliating discrimination in many public places with rigid pass-laws;
(e) arbitrary arrest and detention indefinitely without trial; (f) Disenfranchisement of the black majority.
We believe it is our duty in the name of God to denounce this system and all who practice or support it. We wish to make this known to all who suffer and struggle for a reconciled and free South Africa.
We urge Baptists everywhere to call upon their Government to stand firmly against all forms of support for South Africa as long as apartheid remains on the statute book.
And finally, we pledge our prayers for our Christian brothers and sisters of many denominations in South Africa who faithfully proclaim the gospel of redeeming love and in the light of it, consistently oppose apartheid at great personal cost.
Citations
Original Source Bibliography: Kerstan, Reinhold J. And Burke, Ruby J., editors. Out of the Darkness Into the Light: Official Report of the Fifteenth Congress, Los Angeles, California, USA, July 2-7, 1985. McLean, VA: Baptist World Alliance, 1985.
Original Source Footnote/Endnote: Reinhold J. Kerstan and Ruby J. Burke, eds., Out of the Darkness Into the Light: Official Report of the Fifteenth Congress, Los Angeles, California, USA, July 2-7, 1985 (McLean, VA: Baptist World Alliance, 1985), pp. 218-219.
Online Document Full Citation: BWA World Congress Resolution 1985.2 Racism in General and Apartheid in Particular; https://o7e.4a3.myftpupload.com/resolutions.
In-text Online Document Citation: (BWA World Congress Resolution 1985.2).
