Editorial for August 11, 2005
By Jim White
My first exposure to the Baptist World Alliance came during Vacation Bible School one summer morning as I assembled with other youngsters in the Junior Department. To me, it was an amazing thing to imagine that the folk in our little church were part of a worldwide Baptist family.
Through the years my awareness of the BWA grew, but until last week I had never actually attended a meeting. Now that I have, I must tell you what an exhilarating experience it was. The meeting was a five-day celebration!
We celebrated hearing how the kingdom is advancing! In the last century Baptists have grown in number from 7 million to more than 32 million believers from 214 countries across the world. In Moscow, where during the Soviet era one Baptist church had been allowed, 52 Baptist churches are now thriving. Baptists are sharing their faith and the lost are being won.
I spoke with a little group of Baptists from northern India who had brought with them a woman who had recently accepted Jesus as her personal Savior. She was awestruck to see so many Christians in one place!
We celebrated being reminded that evangelism is a priority-a five year emphasis called “Jesus Christ the Living Water” has begun. But we were also reminded that God demands that his people work to bring simple justice to a harsh and unforgiving world.
We celebrated bold new ministries begun in Jesus' name. In Great Britain with the government's blessing a visionary Baptist preacher is building a series of Christian schools designed to restore hope and self-respect in students from impoverished areas. In Calcutta, Prague, Budapest and Thailand, Baptists are delivering men, women and children from the bonds of slavery and prostitution.
We celebrated the truth of the Bible in our beliefs and practices. Denton Lotz, general secretary of the Baptist World Alliance, declared, “To accuse the Baptist World Alliance of not believing the Bible is like accusing a mother of not loving her child.”
And we celebrated that Christ calls us to do more than declare we believe the Bible-we must live it. “We must stand for a holy life. We cannot accept as true to a Christian lifestyle premarital sex, extramarital sex, or homosexuality,” Lotz continued, to rousing applause.
Rick Warren also affirmed living the Bible: “It's not about creeds. It's about deeds. It's not about belief, it's about behavior. It's time to quit criticizing and start cooperating.”
We celebrated the faithfulness of our fellow Baptists. In parts of the world churches are being burned, Christians are being deported and Baptists are paying a high price for their faith. Can you imagine spending everything you have to attend a Baptist meeting? For most of us, Baptist meetings are not in short supply. In many parts of the world, however, being a Baptist is to be misunderstood, viewed with suspicion or even disregarded as a member of an heretical sect. In such circumstances the chance to mingle with other Baptists from across the world beomes a high priority.
Nearly 700 people came with no place to stay and many without money for meals. We might judge them to be short sighted or even foolhardy, but for them, attending the World Congress was simply a matter of faith-or desperation. Some believed that if they could only get there, God would provide food and lodging. For others, desperate to alleviate the isolation and loneliness they feel, the opportunity to fellowship with other Baptists was worth any sacrifice whether or not they found food and lodging.
John and Deborah Upton met some of these folks in the Thursday evening worship service as we were asked to pray with those around us. As they prayed with a group of Africans next to them, the Uptons realized that these brothers and sisters had not eaten since Monday. Yet their prayers were not laments that their needs were not being met. Rather, they were praises that God allowed them to participate in this great meeting. As the offering was taken, one of these fellow Baptist believers produced one small coin and gave it joyfully. As soon as the service ended, the Uptons took the group to get something to eat! John and Deborah had been inspired by a wonderful worship service but even more by a little group of African Baptists who celebrated with sincere joy despite their sacrifice.
This is the value of the Baptist World Alliance! It is a family gathering in which we learn from one another, are challenged by one another, comfort one another, and are inspired by one another. On some points we will disagree. This is to be expected. But we are united in the essentials! While the BWA is a means of coordinating our efforts worldwide, it is even more a means of encouraging one another in the faith until the Lord comes. “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another-and all the more as you see the day approaching” (Hebrews 10:25, NIV).
Jim White is editor and business manager of the Religious Herald.