By Robert Dilday The North American Baptist Fellowship marked its 50th anniversary March 6-7 with a nod to the past while focusing on what the group’s general secretary called one of its greatest challenges — finding a mission and vision…
Declining attendance prompts call to merge BWA’s congress, youth conference
By Robert Dilday Dwindling attendance at both the Baptist World Alliance’s world congress and youth conference has prompted a proposal to merge the two international meetings, held every five years though not simultaneously. BWA general secretary Neville Callam told the…
BWA, CBF collaborate on UN work
By Bob Allen The Baptist World Alliance and Cooperative Baptist Fellowship have joined forces to enhance a Baptist presence at the United Nations, leaders of the two groups announced recently. BWA and CBF leaders finalized a partnership agreement in July…
Baptists and Catholics together–Twitter edition
What do Baptists and Catholics have in common? That sounds like the set-up for a joke of some sort–or at least for a very brief response, given the anti-Catholicism that has marked much of the Baptist tradition (even when we…
BWA aims to overcome barriers in talks with Methodists
By Robert Dilday They’ve engaged in dialog with Pentecostals, Catholics and the Orthodox. Now the Baptist World Alliance is launching a four-year conversation with Methodists as part of its assigned task of enhancing understanding among Christian communities. This Thursday, BWA…
Choose ye this day diversity
A strong, natural, cultural tendency among humankind—even those committed to loving all people—is to be in community with those considered to be “our kind of people”. The tendency is to swarm with people with whom there is the least diversity…
South African Baptists rebuke Westboro
This story was edited after posting to correct an error in the seventh paragraph. By Bob Allen Baptists in South Africa denounced Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kan., for comments reported around the world claiming the country’s recently deceased former…
Baptists admire, mourn Mandela
By Jeff Brumley Huge voices, including past and present world leaders, are flooding the web with praise for Nelson Mandela, saying he showed the world how love can overcome hate. Other voices are speaking up, too, turning to social media…
Global Baptists hold lessons for Bible Belt
By Bob Allen If they have ears to hear, Baptists in places like the United States’ Bible Belt, where Christianity is the norm, can learn lessons from Baptist minorities in other parts of the world, Baptist World Alliance leaders said…