By Elijah M. Brown
I recently encountered a pointed question from Baptist pastor Bob Roberts: “How do we find our voice again?” This question struck me because I have recently found myself in the midst of a season of uncertainty. Uncertainty about my ministry, my future direction, next steps, and ongoing financial provision. In recent days, I have felt uncertain, and to be honest, a bit lost.
In his book Transformation: How Glocal Churches Transform Lives and the World, Roberts reminds us that it is possible for individuals, churches and even whole denominations to lose their voice, their passion, their purpose, their impact. In the midst of consumerism, size, success and megamania, intimacy all too often gives out to religion and we become lost in the midst of busyness and clamoring culture. How do we find our voice again?
Engage personal transformation. There is no substitute for intimacy with Christ; individual and corporate cries of prayer and listening that are honest, desperate and soulful; and authenticity to God’s Word. When I have lost my voice I know of no other substitute than regular and honest prayer that asks, “Lord, would you renew and transform my vision and passion?”
Pursue cultural transformation. As Roberts notes, “Converts grow a church, but disciples change the world.” Our divine commission is to begin building God’s Kingdom today in every structure, every government, every urban center, every location, every church. I hunger for a renewed corporate vision of millions of Christians living the Gospel in an approach that moves beyond information, condemnation, and even conversion. What is needed is transformation. What if our standard for measurement was the degree that individuals and cultures had been transformed?
Remember the Kingdom. The Kingdom of God is almost always bigger than we imagine. It is bigger than our own spirituality, bigger than our own churches, and, yes, even bigger than our own denomination. Millions of individuals are for the first time calling out to Christ. The Church is exponentially exploding in every corner of the globe. We are living in the midst of a great – some even say the greatest – revival in history and it’s not located in Europe or the United States. Today’s great revival leaders are primarily our brothers and sisters in Asia, Africa and Latin America. Whenever I feel lost I remember that the Kingdom of God is itself never lost. The Gospel is loosed and is sweeping across the geographies of Asia, Africa and Latin America. When I feel personally lost, I remember it’s a Kingdom, God is at work, and then with humility I ask for the privilege to join Him where He is moving.
(Bob Roberts, Jr. Transformation: How Glocal Churches Transform Lives and the World. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996)
March 26, 2009
March 24, 2009
Callam Endorses Turkey as a Christian Heritage Site
Eron Henry, Associate Director of Communications
Neville Callam, General Secretary
Baptist World Alliance
March 24, 2009
Turkey may become a heritage site for Christian pilgrims. These plans were announced at a press conference on Monday, March 23, in Izmir , which is modern day Smyrna .
The Association of Izmir, a group of persons from various faith traditions in Turkey, is petitioning the government of Turkey to endorse a program that would promote pilgrimage by Christians to Ephesus, Philadelphia, Laodicea, Pergamum, Sardis, Thyatira, and Smyrna (Izmir) – all of which are mentioned in Revelation chapters two and three and are located in what is modern western Turkey.
Baptist World Alliance General Secretary Neville Callam, who was invited to address the press conference, told journalists of his hope that “people in this part of the world will recognize the importance of these sites to Christians.”
Callam stated, “For Christians, this is a holy land, and being a heritage site would help Christians to connect with western Turkey.”
See: http://www.bwanet.org/default.aspx?pid=1036
Neville Callam, General Secretary
Baptist World Alliance
March 24, 2009
Turkey may become a heritage site for Christian pilgrims. These plans were announced at a press conference on Monday, March 23, in Izmir , which is modern day Smyrna .
The Association of Izmir, a group of persons from various faith traditions in Turkey, is petitioning the government of Turkey to endorse a program that would promote pilgrimage by Christians to Ephesus, Philadelphia, Laodicea, Pergamum, Sardis, Thyatira, and Smyrna (Izmir) – all of which are mentioned in Revelation chapters two and three and are located in what is modern western Turkey.
Baptist World Alliance General Secretary Neville Callam, who was invited to address the press conference, told journalists of his hope that “people in this part of the world will recognize the importance of these sites to Christians.”
Callam stated, “For Christians, this is a holy land, and being a heritage site would help Christians to connect with western Turkey.”
See: http://www.bwanet.org/default.aspx?pid=1036
More than 120 Baptists Baptized in Jordan
Eron Henry, Associate Director of Communications
Neville Callam, General Secretary
Baptist World Alliance
More than 120 persons were baptized in the Jordan River on Friday, March 20, by pastors from the Jordan Baptist Convention.
The baptism was the culmination of an afternoon of celebration in which the Baptism Center at Bethany beyond Jordan was dedicated for use by Baptists and other evangelical Christians.
Baptist World Alliance (BWA) General Secretary Neville Callam, who gave the main address, said, “Today, as we assemble by the Jordan … we unite to mark the opening and dedication of this Baptism Center – a place where people from all parts of the world may assemble for a journey and an experience.”
The BWA leader expressed the hope that “the waters of the Jordan extinguish the crippling fires of hopelessness that burn in the hearts of those who have no knowledge of God.”
Also speaking at the dedication ceremony was former British Prime Minister Tony Blair. Blair, who established a faith foundation upon demitting office as British Prime Minister, commended King Abdullah II bin Al Hussein and Prince Ghazi Bin Mohammed for exhibiting courage in the inauguration of the Baptism Center . The Center joins buildings of other churches, including the Orthodox Church, which have recently been constructed on the official Baptism Site of Jesus Christ. Blair stated, “In dedicating this site, let us renew our faith in our God, our Lord, and in His message.”
BWA President David Coffey and Fawaz Ameish, Jordan Baptist Convention president and BWA vice president, expressed gratitude to King Abdullah and Prince Ghazi for facilitating the construction and dedication of the center.
An estimated 1,700 persons attended the dedication and opening ceremony.
For the full release: http://www.bwanet.org/default.aspx?pid=1035
Neville Callam, General Secretary
Baptist World Alliance
More than 120 persons were baptized in the Jordan River on Friday, March 20, by pastors from the Jordan Baptist Convention.
The baptism was the culmination of an afternoon of celebration in which the Baptism Center at Bethany beyond Jordan was dedicated for use by Baptists and other evangelical Christians.
Baptist World Alliance (BWA) General Secretary Neville Callam, who gave the main address, said, “Today, as we assemble by the Jordan … we unite to mark the opening and dedication of this Baptism Center – a place where people from all parts of the world may assemble for a journey and an experience.”
The BWA leader expressed the hope that “the waters of the Jordan extinguish the crippling fires of hopelessness that burn in the hearts of those who have no knowledge of God.”
Also speaking at the dedication ceremony was former British Prime Minister Tony Blair. Blair, who established a faith foundation upon demitting office as British Prime Minister, commended King Abdullah II bin Al Hussein and Prince Ghazi Bin Mohammed for exhibiting courage in the inauguration of the Baptism Center . The Center joins buildings of other churches, including the Orthodox Church, which have recently been constructed on the official Baptism Site of Jesus Christ. Blair stated, “In dedicating this site, let us renew our faith in our God, our Lord, and in His message.”
BWA President David Coffey and Fawaz Ameish, Jordan Baptist Convention president and BWA vice president, expressed gratitude to King Abdullah and Prince Ghazi for facilitating the construction and dedication of the center.
An estimated 1,700 persons attended the dedication and opening ceremony.
For the full release: http://www.bwanet.org/default.aspx?pid=1035
March 4, 2009
New Director for Freedom and Justice to be Appointed
Eron Henry, Associate Director of Communications
Neville Callam, General Secretary
Baptist World Alliance
March 4, 2009
Raimundo César Barreto Jr. of Brazil is being recommended for the position of Director of the Division of Freedom and Justice (F&J) for the Baptist World Alliance (BWA).
The recommendation, which was made by the Executive Committee of the BWA on March 4, will be presented for a vote at the next meeting of the General Council (GC) in Ede , Netherlands , in July.
If appointed by the GC, Barreto would be the first person to become director of the F&J Division, which was established on September 1, 2008, following the decision of the GC in July 2008 to create the newest division of the international Baptist organization.
An ordained Baptist pastor since 1993, Barreto holds a doctoral degree in Christian Social Ethics from Princeton Theological Seminary in New Jersey in the United States , as well as degrees from the M cAfee School of Theology at Mercer University in Atlanta , Georgia , also in the US , and from the North Brazil Baptist Theological Seminary in Recife . He also studied at the International Baptist Theological Seminary in Prague , Czech Republic .
He has worked extensively in academia in Brazil and in the US , including at the North Brazil Baptist Theological Seminary, the Northeast Baptist Theological Seminary in Feira de Santana , the Christian Education Seminary in Recife , Lancaster Theological Seminary in Pennsylvania , and at Princeton Theological Seminary.
Barreto has conducted research on Christian and social justice issues in Latin America . He has special interest in working with organizations in human rights, and in advocating for those who have special needs.
Currently the pastor of Igreja Batista Esperança ( Hope Baptist Church ) in Salvador , Bahia state, he worked as General Coordinator for the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Social Ethics in Brazil , among several other appointments in church and community organizations.
The F&J Division addresses issues of human rights and religious freedom, and will coordinate the relationship between the BWA and the United Nations, with which the BWA holds membership in several UN agencies.
Barreto is married to Eliã, a nurse working in public health, and is the father of two sons, Caio, 14, and Cauã, 2.
See: http://www.bwanet.org/default.aspx?pid=1025
Neville Callam, General Secretary
Baptist World Alliance
March 4, 2009
Raimundo César Barreto Jr. of Brazil is being recommended for the position of Director of the Division of Freedom and Justice (F&J) for the Baptist World Alliance (BWA).
The recommendation, which was made by the Executive Committee of the BWA on March 4, will be presented for a vote at the next meeting of the General Council (GC) in Ede , Netherlands , in July.
If appointed by the GC, Barreto would be the first person to become director of the F&J Division, which was established on September 1, 2008, following the decision of the GC in July 2008 to create the newest division of the international Baptist organization.
An ordained Baptist pastor since 1993, Barreto holds a doctoral degree in Christian Social Ethics from Princeton Theological Seminary in New Jersey in the United States , as well as degrees from the M cAfee School of Theology at Mercer University in Atlanta , Georgia , also in the US , and from the North Brazil Baptist Theological Seminary in Recife . He also studied at the International Baptist Theological Seminary in Prague , Czech Republic .
He has worked extensively in academia in Brazil and in the US , including at the North Brazil Baptist Theological Seminary, the Northeast Baptist Theological Seminary in Feira de Santana , the Christian Education Seminary in Recife , Lancaster Theological Seminary in Pennsylvania , and at Princeton Theological Seminary.
Barreto has conducted research on Christian and social justice issues in Latin America . He has special interest in working with organizations in human rights, and in advocating for those who have special needs.
Currently the pastor of Igreja Batista Esperança ( Hope Baptist Church ) in Salvador , Bahia state, he worked as General Coordinator for the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Social Ethics in Brazil , among several other appointments in church and community organizations.
The F&J Division addresses issues of human rights and religious freedom, and will coordinate the relationship between the BWA and the United Nations, with which the BWA holds membership in several UN agencies.
Barreto is married to Eliã, a nurse working in public health, and is the father of two sons, Caio, 14, and Cauã, 2.
See: http://www.bwanet.org/default.aspx?pid=1025
Leena Lavanya to Receive BWA Human Rights Award
Eron Henry, Associate Director of Communications
Neville Callam, General Secretary
Baptist World Alliance
March 4, 2009
Leena Lavanya of India is the 2009 recipient of the Baptist World Alliance (BWA) Denton and Janice Lotz Human Rights Award.
Lavanya, referred to by some as the “Baptist Mother Teresa,” is being recognized for her work among the poor and dispossessed of India . Her “Serve Trust” organization operates several ministries, including homes for the aged, lepers, and adults and children living with HIV/AIDS.
Serve Trust operates a school for children in one of the most depressed areas of Narasaraopet, a town of approximately 100,000 in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. In another town, Chilakaluripet, Lavanya operates training programs for female sex workers and their daughters with the hope that these women and their daughters would break the cycle of prostitution.
Chilakaluripet reportedly means “the place where prostitutes live,” and is populated by descendants of women who were once concubines of kings, who have since evolved into a caste where their role and function is prostitution. HIV/AIDS infection is high among this population, where many men depend on the earnings of the women by being pimps or part of the mafia.
In addition to operating a free HIV/AIDS counseling center, Lavanya distributes rice and lentils to female sex workers and blankets to Hindu beggars, many of whom live on the streets or in depressed communities.
Lavanya is the granddaughter of B.R. Moses, a former BWA vice president and seminary professor, who raised her until she was 18 years old, in keeping with a Telugu tradition of grandparents raising the first grandchild. The Telugus are a people group that lives in several states, mostly in Southern India , among whom Baptists have a significant presence. Her maternal uncle, Bontha Moses Sudheer, is a pastor and a member of the BWA Commission on Freedom and Justice.
Lavanya began her ministry after attending the Baptist Youth World Conference in Harare , Zimbabwe , in 1993, in response to a challenge by noted speaker Tony Campolo for youth to fully surrender their lives to Christ.
The Denton and Janice Lotz Human Rights Award will be presented during the meeting of the BWA General Council in Ede , Netherlands , in July.
See: http://www.bwanet.org/default.aspx?pid=1024
Neville Callam, General Secretary
Baptist World Alliance
March 4, 2009
Leena Lavanya of India is the 2009 recipient of the Baptist World Alliance (BWA) Denton and Janice Lotz Human Rights Award.
Lavanya, referred to by some as the “Baptist Mother Teresa,” is being recognized for her work among the poor and dispossessed of India . Her “Serve Trust” organization operates several ministries, including homes for the aged, lepers, and adults and children living with HIV/AIDS.
Serve Trust operates a school for children in one of the most depressed areas of Narasaraopet, a town of approximately 100,000 in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. In another town, Chilakaluripet, Lavanya operates training programs for female sex workers and their daughters with the hope that these women and their daughters would break the cycle of prostitution.
Chilakaluripet reportedly means “the place where prostitutes live,” and is populated by descendants of women who were once concubines of kings, who have since evolved into a caste where their role and function is prostitution. HIV/AIDS infection is high among this population, where many men depend on the earnings of the women by being pimps or part of the mafia.
In addition to operating a free HIV/AIDS counseling center, Lavanya distributes rice and lentils to female sex workers and blankets to Hindu beggars, many of whom live on the streets or in depressed communities.
Lavanya is the granddaughter of B.R. Moses, a former BWA vice president and seminary professor, who raised her until she was 18 years old, in keeping with a Telugu tradition of grandparents raising the first grandchild. The Telugus are a people group that lives in several states, mostly in Southern India , among whom Baptists have a significant presence. Her maternal uncle, Bontha Moses Sudheer, is a pastor and a member of the BWA Commission on Freedom and Justice.
Lavanya began her ministry after attending the Baptist Youth World Conference in Harare , Zimbabwe , in 1993, in response to a challenge by noted speaker Tony Campolo for youth to fully surrender their lives to Christ.
The Denton and Janice Lotz Human Rights Award will be presented during the meeting of the BWA General Council in Ede , Netherlands , in July.
See: http://www.bwanet.org/default.aspx?pid=1024
March 2, 2009
BWA Executive Committee Meets
More than 100 individuals from around the world are meeting in Falls Church, Virginia for the Executive Committee Meeting of the Baptist World Alliance.
For news and photos see: http://bwaexecutive2009.blogspot.com/
For news and photos see: http://bwaexecutive2009.blogspot.com/
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