On Sunday, February 1, Metropolitan Kirill was installed as the patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church following the death of Patriarch Alexy II who died this past December. The leadership of the Russian Union of Evangelical Christians-Baptists (RUECB) was invited to participate in the celebrations surrounding the enthronement of Patriarch Kirill.
According to William Yoder of the RUECB Department for External Relations, the election of Kirill on January 27 “can be interpreted as a clear vote for openness and dialogue. The Russian Orthodox Church - Moscow Patriarchate (ROC) has chosen as its new head the leader best-known – and most-criticised – for his openness to other confessions.”
In a statement released by the RUECB, Vitaly Vlasenko noted, “I am very optimistic. Kirill is the ROC’s most brilliant metropolitan. In our short personal meetings he has always been very kind and respectful. Most top-level Protestant contacts with the Moscow Patriarchate have occurred through him.”
The Associated Press also noted, “Kirill served for years as the church's external relations chief. He is seen as a modernizer more likely than his rivals to seek a measure of independence from the state and better relations with the Vatican.” (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090127/ap_on_re_eu/eu_russia_church_patriarch)
Although the RUECB is the largest unified Protestant Church in Russia, a membership of approximately 80,000 adult believers in a country of 142 million citizens underscores the reality that Baptist theology and ecclesiology remains a minority position within Russia.
February 5, 2009
February 4, 2009
Baptist delegation meets Azerbaijan leader
Eron Henry, Associate Director of Communications
Neville Callam, General Secretary
Baptist World Alliance
January 30, 2009
A delegation of Baptists met with the head of a government committee on religion in Azerbaijan in January.
The delegation, which included Tony Peck, Baptist World Alliance Regional Secretary for Europe, and Paul Montacute, Director of Baptist World Aid, was primarily concerned about recent human rights abuses and restrictions on religious liberty in the South Caucasus country, which gained its independence after the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991.
Also part of the Baptist delegation were Christer Daelander, religious freedom representative with the European Baptist Federation, one of six regional fellowships of the BWA, Parush Parushev, Academic Dean at the International Baptist Theological Seminary in Prague, Czech Republic, and Ebbe Holm, an attorney at law.
The group highlighted the situation in the town of Aliabad in the Zagatala region, where two Baptist pastors, Zaur Balaev and Hamid Shabanov, were arrested and imprisoned on what were regarded as trumped up charges. Balaev was released early from prison in March 2008, after being sentenced to two years in prison in August 2007. Shabanov’s case is still before the courts after his arrest on June 20 of last year. He is under house arrest.
In their meeting with Hidayat Orujov, chairman of the State Committee of Work with Religious Associations, the Baptists urged that there be an end in discrimination against Christians by the state, such as the practice of refusing or delaying the granting of birth certificates to the children of Christian parents, and the loss of jobs of Christians upon their conversion to the faith.
The delegation also brought concerns about the difficulties the Baptist union and its churches in Azerbaijan face in obtaining government registration. Even though the union and its churches have submitted all documents and met all requirements for registration, government officials have refused to complete the registration process.
The group, which visited Azerbaijan from January 12 and 16, also met with diplomatic representatives and leaders of other religious groups in the country, including the Norwegian ambassador, Jon Ramberg, and Declan Byrne, Political Secretary for the United Kingdom Embassy. Meetings were also held with leaders of the Jewish, Muslim, and Russian Orthodox Church communities.
Also participating in the meetings were Ilya Zenchenko, President of the Baptist Union of Azerbaijan, and Elnur Jabiyev, General Secretary. The delegation also met with Balaev and other pastors in the country.
There are 22 Baptist churches and 3,000 baptized believers in the country of 8.7 million people.
See: http://www.bwanet.org/default.aspx?pid=1003
Neville Callam, General Secretary
Baptist World Alliance
January 30, 2009
A delegation of Baptists met with the head of a government committee on religion in Azerbaijan in January.
The delegation, which included Tony Peck, Baptist World Alliance Regional Secretary for Europe, and Paul Montacute, Director of Baptist World Aid, was primarily concerned about recent human rights abuses and restrictions on religious liberty in the South Caucasus country, which gained its independence after the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991.
Also part of the Baptist delegation were Christer Daelander, religious freedom representative with the European Baptist Federation, one of six regional fellowships of the BWA, Parush Parushev, Academic Dean at the International Baptist Theological Seminary in Prague, Czech Republic, and Ebbe Holm, an attorney at law.
The group highlighted the situation in the town of Aliabad in the Zagatala region, where two Baptist pastors, Zaur Balaev and Hamid Shabanov, were arrested and imprisoned on what were regarded as trumped up charges. Balaev was released early from prison in March 2008, after being sentenced to two years in prison in August 2007. Shabanov’s case is still before the courts after his arrest on June 20 of last year. He is under house arrest.
In their meeting with Hidayat Orujov, chairman of the State Committee of Work with Religious Associations, the Baptists urged that there be an end in discrimination against Christians by the state, such as the practice of refusing or delaying the granting of birth certificates to the children of Christian parents, and the loss of jobs of Christians upon their conversion to the faith.
The delegation also brought concerns about the difficulties the Baptist union and its churches in Azerbaijan face in obtaining government registration. Even though the union and its churches have submitted all documents and met all requirements for registration, government officials have refused to complete the registration process.
The group, which visited Azerbaijan from January 12 and 16, also met with diplomatic representatives and leaders of other religious groups in the country, including the Norwegian ambassador, Jon Ramberg, and Declan Byrne, Political Secretary for the United Kingdom Embassy. Meetings were also held with leaders of the Jewish, Muslim, and Russian Orthodox Church communities.
Also participating in the meetings were Ilya Zenchenko, President of the Baptist Union of Azerbaijan, and Elnur Jabiyev, General Secretary. The delegation also met with Balaev and other pastors in the country.
There are 22 Baptist churches and 3,000 baptized believers in the country of 8.7 million people.
See: http://www.bwanet.org/default.aspx?pid=1003
Emerging Leader Profile – Azure Covington
By Azure Covington
Currently, I am serving as an associate minister in my home church, University Park Baptist Church, in Charlotte, North Carolina with a primary ministry focus on Christian education. However, I view my full time career as a high school teacher and educator as my principal ministry and will continue to primarily serve in this capacity until the Lord sees fit to have me leave there. As a high school educator, I believe God has given me the opportunity to not only teach course content, but to also display love, compassion, and understanding.
Being part of an emerging global Baptist family has helped me feel further connected to my Baptist heritage and develop a greater understanding of what we as Baptists are doing in our communities globally. While I may not always be in constant contact with my fellow Emerging Leaders, it is always a blessing to receive emails in which they share their thoughts and struggles. I feel as if I have friends all over the world who understand my struggles and will help me celebrate the blessings of God.
**Azure Covington is a member of the BWA Emerging Leaders Network and was recognized by the BWA as an emerging global leader in 2007.
Currently, I am serving as an associate minister in my home church, University Park Baptist Church, in Charlotte, North Carolina with a primary ministry focus on Christian education. However, I view my full time career as a high school teacher and educator as my principal ministry and will continue to primarily serve in this capacity until the Lord sees fit to have me leave there. As a high school educator, I believe God has given me the opportunity to not only teach course content, but to also display love, compassion, and understanding.
Being part of an emerging global Baptist family has helped me feel further connected to my Baptist heritage and develop a greater understanding of what we as Baptists are doing in our communities globally. While I may not always be in constant contact with my fellow Emerging Leaders, it is always a blessing to receive emails in which they share their thoughts and struggles. I feel as if I have friends all over the world who understand my struggles and will help me celebrate the blessings of God.
**Azure Covington is a member of the BWA Emerging Leaders Network and was recognized by the BWA as an emerging global leader in 2007.
February 3, 2009
Emerging Leader Helps Distribute Mosquito Nets in Togo and Benin
By Brickson Sam
At the end of 2008, the All Africa Baptist Youth Fellowship (AABYF) partnered with the Baptist Unions of Benin and Togo and a United States ministry called HisNets, to distribute 4,000 mosquito nets from December 22-30.
Targeting areas susceptible to the danger of malaria, 2,000 mosquito nets were distributed in both Benin and Togo to orphanages, clinics, hospitals and to rural villages and communities that would otherwise be unable to afford to purchase these nets.
According to the United Nations Foundation’s Nothing But Nets, “use of insecticide-treated bed nets can reduce transmission as much as 90% in areas with high coverage areas.” (http://www.nothingbutnets.net/nets-save-lives/)
Brickson Sam, President of the AABYF and a BWA Emerging Leader, supervised the distribution of the nets which received full support from the Baptist Unions of Benin and Togo and was sponsored by HisNets with a sum of $30,000.
Each of the distributions was preceded with a launching ceremony witnessed by government officials and religious and traditional leaders, as well as a short drama presentation conducted by youth on the benefits of protection from mosquito bites. The political and traditional leaders of the two countries expressed their profound thanks and considered the distribution of nets a blessing and an opportunity.
In recognition of the vital importance of mosquito nets, BWAid maintains an ongoing project to help in the distribution of mosquito nets, particularly in the western Congo where malaria is the primary cause of death for children ages 0 – 5 and in pregnant women. Fifty to 80% of the cases received in emergency pediatric rooms in hospitals are due to malaria.
AABYF hopes to continue to work in additional distributions of these important, life-saving nets which can often be purchased for as little as $10 a piece.
For more on HisNets: http://www.hisnets.org
At the end of 2008, the All Africa Baptist Youth Fellowship (AABYF) partnered with the Baptist Unions of Benin and Togo and a United States ministry called HisNets, to distribute 4,000 mosquito nets from December 22-30.
Targeting areas susceptible to the danger of malaria, 2,000 mosquito nets were distributed in both Benin and Togo to orphanages, clinics, hospitals and to rural villages and communities that would otherwise be unable to afford to purchase these nets.
According to the United Nations Foundation’s Nothing But Nets, “use of insecticide-treated bed nets can reduce transmission as much as 90% in areas with high coverage areas.” (http://www.nothingbutnets.net/nets-save-lives/)
Brickson Sam, President of the AABYF and a BWA Emerging Leader, supervised the distribution of the nets which received full support from the Baptist Unions of Benin and Togo and was sponsored by HisNets with a sum of $30,000.
Each of the distributions was preceded with a launching ceremony witnessed by government officials and religious and traditional leaders, as well as a short drama presentation conducted by youth on the benefits of protection from mosquito bites. The political and traditional leaders of the two countries expressed their profound thanks and considered the distribution of nets a blessing and an opportunity.
In recognition of the vital importance of mosquito nets, BWAid maintains an ongoing project to help in the distribution of mosquito nets, particularly in the western Congo where malaria is the primary cause of death for children ages 0 – 5 and in pregnant women. Fifty to 80% of the cases received in emergency pediatric rooms in hospitals are due to malaria.
AABYF hopes to continue to work in additional distributions of these important, life-saving nets which can often be purchased for as little as $10 a piece.
For more on HisNets: http://www.hisnets.org
February 2, 2009
International Year of Human Rights Learning
By Elijah Brown
In recognition of the commemoration of the 60th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948), the United Nations designated 2009 as the International Year of Human Rights Learning.
The Universal Declaration enshrines a number of critical human rights ranging from the right to work and own property, the freedom for peaceful assembly and association, and the right of everyone to freedom of religion. (Article 18, full text: http://www.unhchr.ch/udhr/lang/eng.htm)
Freedom of religion, however, is more than an individual right to choice. It is also the recognition that religions, churches and faith-based organizations have an equally implied responsibility to contribute to the goals of peace, justice and friendship.
In God and the Constitution, Paul Marshall identifies two important Biblical rationales for the religious advancement of political human rights. The first stems from God’s first command, Genesis 1:28, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it.” Marshall notes, “Human beings are also part of creation. Stewardship [therefore] includes human life as well as the rest of nature.” (32)
In the reestablishment of the social order following the story of Noah, this stewardship in relation to human life is extended: “Whoever sheds the blood of man by man shall his blood be shed.” (Genesis 9:6) While this text is often used in relation to capital punishment, it is important to “emphasize not what the penalty was, but who was supposed to apply the penalty… Human beings were charged with the responsibility for dealing with injustice themselves.” (44)
Although this is but a thumbnail generalization, much of the Old Testament unfolds meanings of justice and exhorts individuals to take an active role in furthering justice and just human rights at every level of society as part of their theological witness and Biblical mandate.
By the time of the New Testament, complex governments had crystallized with very real social implications. In this context, Christians are exerted to view governments as institutions entrusted with specific and needed tasks. However there is a subtle reminder that “government is under God’s just order and must give and receive only its due. It cannot claim everything; it is not the final authority.” (52)
In a context that demanded emperor worship and witnessed political claims of authority over every societal component, the recognition that worship and justice is standardized and centered in God implies that there are proper limits to the claims, authority and actions of governments. Christians are to respect and comply with the legitimate claims of government while actively working to ensure that the governments themselves embody and pursue a stewardship of justice.
As part of our Biblical mandate of stewardship we have been tasked with the responsibility of pursuing justice. It is a sacred and central component to Christian worship and is to be furthered at individual, communal and governmental levels.
In this 2009 “International Year of Human Rights Learning,” it is my hope that churches and individual Christians alike will play a more active role in this component of our worship.
Of course the above is but a limited sketch of several Biblical references related to the issue of human rights and political justice. There is much more, and I hope that this is but a starting point for an active conversation.
What are some of your favorite Biblical verses about justice?
Would you post some additional Biblical reflections about the nature of human rights?
Would you share how you have been involved in this area?
And most importantly, will you encourage the pursuit of justice?
**Paul Marshall, God and the Constitution: Christianity and American Politics, Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2002.
In recognition of the commemoration of the 60th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948), the United Nations designated 2009 as the International Year of Human Rights Learning.
The Universal Declaration enshrines a number of critical human rights ranging from the right to work and own property, the freedom for peaceful assembly and association, and the right of everyone to freedom of religion. (Article 18, full text: http://www.unhchr.ch/udhr/lang/eng.htm)
Freedom of religion, however, is more than an individual right to choice. It is also the recognition that religions, churches and faith-based organizations have an equally implied responsibility to contribute to the goals of peace, justice and friendship.
In God and the Constitution, Paul Marshall identifies two important Biblical rationales for the religious advancement of political human rights. The first stems from God’s first command, Genesis 1:28, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it.” Marshall notes, “Human beings are also part of creation. Stewardship [therefore] includes human life as well as the rest of nature.” (32)
In the reestablishment of the social order following the story of Noah, this stewardship in relation to human life is extended: “Whoever sheds the blood of man by man shall his blood be shed.” (Genesis 9:6) While this text is often used in relation to capital punishment, it is important to “emphasize not what the penalty was, but who was supposed to apply the penalty… Human beings were charged with the responsibility for dealing with injustice themselves.” (44)
Although this is but a thumbnail generalization, much of the Old Testament unfolds meanings of justice and exhorts individuals to take an active role in furthering justice and just human rights at every level of society as part of their theological witness and Biblical mandate.
By the time of the New Testament, complex governments had crystallized with very real social implications. In this context, Christians are exerted to view governments as institutions entrusted with specific and needed tasks. However there is a subtle reminder that “government is under God’s just order and must give and receive only its due. It cannot claim everything; it is not the final authority.” (52)
In a context that demanded emperor worship and witnessed political claims of authority over every societal component, the recognition that worship and justice is standardized and centered in God implies that there are proper limits to the claims, authority and actions of governments. Christians are to respect and comply with the legitimate claims of government while actively working to ensure that the governments themselves embody and pursue a stewardship of justice.
As part of our Biblical mandate of stewardship we have been tasked with the responsibility of pursuing justice. It is a sacred and central component to Christian worship and is to be furthered at individual, communal and governmental levels.
In this 2009 “International Year of Human Rights Learning,” it is my hope that churches and individual Christians alike will play a more active role in this component of our worship.
Of course the above is but a limited sketch of several Biblical references related to the issue of human rights and political justice. There is much more, and I hope that this is but a starting point for an active conversation.
What are some of your favorite Biblical verses about justice?
Would you post some additional Biblical reflections about the nature of human rights?
Would you share how you have been involved in this area?
And most importantly, will you encourage the pursuit of justice?
**Paul Marshall, God and the Constitution: Christianity and American Politics, Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2002.
January 29, 2009
The Challenges of Ministering to Baptist Youth in the Asia Pacific
By Jesse Ray Porras
The Asia Pacific Baptist Youth Fellowship (APBYF) is a loose organization of Baptist youth in various churches and groups under the Asia Pacific Baptist Federation. Once every four or five years, we come together for a gathering called the APBY Conference. Our aim is to promote fellowship, be inspired and instructed on issues relevant to us, and be challenged to respond to the various needs of young people in our region.
This coming December 27-30, 2009, we will again converge for the 15th APBY Conference. The Baptist Convention of Hong Kong has accepted the challenge to be our host and the theme we have chosen is “Soar Higher!” based on Isa. 40:30-31. Many of us in the executive committee feel that this conference will help us gain new inspiration and strength to face the various challenges that we encounter in our region.The Asia Pacific Region includes more than sixty-five percent, or two thirds, of the world’s population. Thus, our cultures are as varied as the geographical features of the Himalayas, the sand dunes of Mongolia, the reefs and atolls of the South Pacific isles, and the deserts of Australia. In addition to the global economic crisis and fluctuating currency exchange rates, we are also concerned about issues closer to home such as: alcohol and substance abuse, child labor, HIV, trafficking of women and children, civilian conflict, extreme poverty and hunger due to recurring natural calamities (earthquakes, floods, volcanic eruptions and tsunamis), and coup d' tats and other forms of social unrest.
Just how do Christian young people and youth ministers live in the midst these situations? Due to the vastness of our needs and the limits of our resources, we do best when we start with the needs in our immediate community, while at the same time praying for our fellow young people to “catch the vision” and do something in their own situation. As the saying goes, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” By tending to street children or orphans in our own neighborhoods, we can make our region and the world a better place in which to live in… feeding one hungry mouth, setting one captive free, healing one ailing body, one simple life at a time.
This is going to be a long and tiring journey. The only way we can cope is by holding on to God’s promises in Isaiah 40:30-31. Together, may we “Soar Higher” in serving Him!
**Jesse Ray Porras is the Vice President of the Asia Pacific Baptist Federation Youth Department.
The Asia Pacific Baptist Youth Fellowship (APBYF) is a loose organization of Baptist youth in various churches and groups under the Asia Pacific Baptist Federation. Once every four or five years, we come together for a gathering called the APBY Conference. Our aim is to promote fellowship, be inspired and instructed on issues relevant to us, and be challenged to respond to the various needs of young people in our region.
This coming December 27-30, 2009, we will again converge for the 15th APBY Conference. The Baptist Convention of Hong Kong has accepted the challenge to be our host and the theme we have chosen is “Soar Higher!” based on Isa. 40:30-31. Many of us in the executive committee feel that this conference will help us gain new inspiration and strength to face the various challenges that we encounter in our region.The Asia Pacific Region includes more than sixty-five percent, or two thirds, of the world’s population. Thus, our cultures are as varied as the geographical features of the Himalayas, the sand dunes of Mongolia, the reefs and atolls of the South Pacific isles, and the deserts of Australia. In addition to the global economic crisis and fluctuating currency exchange rates, we are also concerned about issues closer to home such as: alcohol and substance abuse, child labor, HIV, trafficking of women and children, civilian conflict, extreme poverty and hunger due to recurring natural calamities (earthquakes, floods, volcanic eruptions and tsunamis), and coup d' tats and other forms of social unrest.
Just how do Christian young people and youth ministers live in the midst these situations? Due to the vastness of our needs and the limits of our resources, we do best when we start with the needs in our immediate community, while at the same time praying for our fellow young people to “catch the vision” and do something in their own situation. As the saying goes, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” By tending to street children or orphans in our own neighborhoods, we can make our region and the world a better place in which to live in… feeding one hungry mouth, setting one captive free, healing one ailing body, one simple life at a time.
This is going to be a long and tiring journey. The only way we can cope is by holding on to God’s promises in Isaiah 40:30-31. Together, may we “Soar Higher” in serving Him!
**Jesse Ray Porras is the Vice President of the Asia Pacific Baptist Federation Youth Department.
January 28, 2009
Emerging Leader Profile – Euticauls Nzengu
Euticauls Nzengu is a Baptist pastor from Kenya who currently oversees the 70 Baptist congregations in Nairobi. Euticauls has been a member of the Emerging Leaders Network since 2007.
Q: What is your current ministry and what does it entail?
Euticauls: I am currently a pastor of a young and a growing church in Kenya called Baptist Chapel. I also direct a ministry in the slum areas of Korogocho where we minister to destitute children by providing them with formal education, vocational training, food, and by sharing the gospel of Christ with them. Korogocho Slum has an area of about 2 square miles with a population of 500,000 who live in shanties. My responsibility primarily involves counseling. This church ministry does not have a donor and so part of my job is to share with people about the ministry and to encourage them to support our ministry in the slum area.
I am also the overseer of more than 70 Baptist churches in the city of Nairobi. My role with the executive office is to share our vision with the churches, encourage them to be involved in evangelism and church planting, and help coordinate and oversee these endeavors. As a pastor, our church is involved in church planting and since 2005 we have already planted three mission churches and expect to plant a fourth this coming year.
Q: What are some of the unique challenges and/or opportunities that you face in your convention or context?
Euticauls: The challenges are many and include the lack of funds to support the ministry in the slums, people coming to you for answers and solutions, many needs that overwhelm, and insecurity. Within the Baptist association that I lead challenges include a shallow vision among some individuals, no passion for the lost, churches that are not stable and not growing, lack of commitment, and issues of autonomy. For the church, there is a lack of employment for many of my members, youth drop out from school due to lack of fees, church members sometimes conform more to the world than to Christ, low commitment level, a failure of some to see the Kingdom of God at work, and the acknowledgment that only a few are able to see beyond our church and see the world from Jesus’ perspective. In addition, our Baptist family is hurting as our local convention had some issues and broke into two.
Q: What does being an emerging Baptist mean to you?
Euticauls: It means being a Baptist who is prepared to serve the Lord and others in any part of the globe. It also means that while I have already been recognized in my own association and convention, there is a need for further training and equipping to continue the ministry more effectively.
Pictures from Euticauls' ministry in the Korogocho Slums have been posted on the BWA Emerging Leaders Facebook page. Use the link on the right to visit and join our new facebook group.
Q: What is your current ministry and what does it entail?
Euticauls: I am currently a pastor of a young and a growing church in Kenya called Baptist Chapel. I also direct a ministry in the slum areas of Korogocho where we minister to destitute children by providing them with formal education, vocational training, food, and by sharing the gospel of Christ with them. Korogocho Slum has an area of about 2 square miles with a population of 500,000 who live in shanties. My responsibility primarily involves counseling. This church ministry does not have a donor and so part of my job is to share with people about the ministry and to encourage them to support our ministry in the slum area.
I am also the overseer of more than 70 Baptist churches in the city of Nairobi. My role with the executive office is to share our vision with the churches, encourage them to be involved in evangelism and church planting, and help coordinate and oversee these endeavors. As a pastor, our church is involved in church planting and since 2005 we have already planted three mission churches and expect to plant a fourth this coming year.
Q: What are some of the unique challenges and/or opportunities that you face in your convention or context?
Euticauls: The challenges are many and include the lack of funds to support the ministry in the slums, people coming to you for answers and solutions, many needs that overwhelm, and insecurity. Within the Baptist association that I lead challenges include a shallow vision among some individuals, no passion for the lost, churches that are not stable and not growing, lack of commitment, and issues of autonomy. For the church, there is a lack of employment for many of my members, youth drop out from school due to lack of fees, church members sometimes conform more to the world than to Christ, low commitment level, a failure of some to see the Kingdom of God at work, and the acknowledgment that only a few are able to see beyond our church and see the world from Jesus’ perspective. In addition, our Baptist family is hurting as our local convention had some issues and broke into two.
Q: What does being an emerging Baptist mean to you?
Euticauls: It means being a Baptist who is prepared to serve the Lord and others in any part of the globe. It also means that while I have already been recognized in my own association and convention, there is a need for further training and equipping to continue the ministry more effectively.
Pictures from Euticauls' ministry in the Korogocho Slums have been posted on the BWA Emerging Leaders Facebook page. Use the link on the right to visit and join our new facebook group.
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