BIRMINGHAM, England (ABP) — The Baptist World
Alliance marked its 100th anniversary by unveiling a new identity statement that BWA leaders hope will be
used to clarify Baptist beliefs for other Christians, as well as non-believers.
The “Message from the Centenary Congress” is the first statement of faith created by world Baptist leaders since
one adopted in Stockholm, Sweden, in 1923, according to Keith Jones, who chaired a committee of Baptist theologians and
scholars which formulated the statement.
“We, recognizing 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,” the statement says. “Because we have faith and trust in
him, so we resolve to proclaim and demonstrate that faith to all the world.”
“This is a strong message to send to our Baptist family in this [centennial] year,” said Jones, a Briton who is
rector of the International Baptist Theological Seminary in Prague, the Czech Republic. “We hope it will be used to
declare to the world who we are.”
Jones said the statement is Christocentric and “places the Trinity at its heart.” It also is evangelistic, Baptist
in ecclesiology, “puts the accent on mission and the coming reign of God” and stresses the need to be good stewards of
creation and to take strong stands for the poor and needy, and for religious liberty.
The statement was adopted July 27 by the BWA's General Council, the world fellowship's decision-making body. It was
“received” by the BWA's Congress on July 30, when a printed copy of the statement was distributed to delegates as
they entered Birmingham's International Conference Center for morning Bible study. In keeping with the BWA's
procedural guidelines, delegates did not vote on or discuss the statement during a plenary session.
However, Jones said the statement is the result of work by theologians from around the world, and that preliminary
copies were sent to leaders of each Baptist union during the past year.
The statement is structured around eight categories, each one representing an affirmation of “those assembled.” The
categories are eschatology, the Trinity, Scripture, the church and the kingdom, the work of Christ, stewardship of
creation, mission, and religious freedom and justice.
The statement describes Jesus Christ as “fully God and fully human,” confessing “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.”
The Scriptures “have supreme authority as the written Word of God and are fully trustworthy for faith and
conduct.”
The statement also affirms believers' baptism by immersion as “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 Savior.”
Although the statement comes not long after the withdrawal from the BWA of the Southern Baptist Convention, which
charged the world organization with liberal theology, leaders said it should not be regarded as a response to
allegations.
“This was on the stocks long before those recent events,” said David Coffey, a British Baptist leader who was
elected BWA president at this congress. “The time to present it was always to be at this centenary meeting. … I think
for historical reasons people felt this would be a good time to present it.”
“I'm glad it's there,” he added. “If someone wants to join, we have this statement to help them understand us.
We don't ask people to sign up for every item, but as a summary of Baptists, it is a good statement.
BWA General Secretary Denton Lotz said it is “not a response to anyone.”
“This is not a creedal statement,” he said. “It's a statement of who we are and where we are.”