By ABPnews/Herald staff
The Baptist World Alliance now numbers 231 member organizations in 121 countries following the recent addition of four church networks in Africa and North America.
The Chin Baptist Churches USA becomes the 19th Baptist convention in the United States to join the global organization. Formed in 2004, the group has 8,500 members in 63 churches with a Burmese heritage.
In Africa, two Baptist groups in the Democratic Republic of the Congo have joined the BWA, bringing to 13 the number of BWA members in that country. The Baptist Community of the Faithful in Africa was established in 1958 and has 30,146 members in 136 churches. The Baptist Evangelical Community in Central Africa was formed in 2009 and comprises 40,000 members in 150 churches.
Ethiopia now has three BWA affiliates with the addition of the Emmanuel Baptist Church of Ethiopia, which has 20,000 members in 49 churches. It was established in 1962.
In addition, the BWA accepted the Irish Baptist Networks as an associate membership.