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From the General Secretary
October 31, 2017, will be a significant date in the calendar of the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD). Declared by the German parliament a nationwide public holiday, the day will bring to a close the EKD's celebration of the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther's posting his Ninety-five Theses on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany. The German celebration is dubbed "a festival of Christ that seeks to send the message of God's free gift of grace to all people."
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Member Bodies in Action
The
Baptist Union of Southern Africa
(BUSA) declares its mission "is to advance the cause of the Kingdom of God primarily in Southern Africa, to promote unity and brotherly love among its member churches and churches moving towards membership, to disseminate Baptist Principles and to maintain religious liberty, [and] to establish and assist Churches wherein Baptist Principles are practiced."
BUSA grew out of European immigration initially from the United Kingdom and later Germany, to what is now South Africa. The first congregation was planted in Grahamstown in 1823. BUSA was founded in 1877.
The union reports some 610 churches and more than 46,500 members.
Noting that "Baptists have a long, proud history in South Africa," BUSA declares that the Baptist Union Historical Society publishes stories of those "men and woman who have suffered for others, lived for others, contributed towards others, even died for others."
The union's two educational institutions are the Baptist Theological College of Southern Africa, created in 1951 in Randburg; and the Cape Town Baptist Seminary, organized in 1974.
BUSA's initiatives include the Christian Citizenship Network (CCN), which provides guidance on social and ethical issues. In recent times, it offered a response to a Commercialization Report of South Africa's Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities. CCN also gave a reaction to #FeesMustFall, an ongoing student-led protest movement that began in mid-October 2015 in response to an increase in fees at South African universities.
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Church Spotlight
First Baptist Church in Gainesville (FBCG), Georgia, in the Untied States, is engaged "locally and globally to play a part in God's redemptive mission for all people of all places."
Generosity is encouraged among its members "
to reach out to people in need, not only through our mission programs, but also one-on-one ministries where we can help and support individuals on a personal level."
The congregation pays keen attention to the formation of the young, with programs ranging from a day school for young children to Pathways, a ministry for young adults 18-26 years old.
Members are encouraged to adopt or foster care children who need a home within the Hall County area of Georgia.
FBCG's Family Life Center is "a multi-purpose fitness and activities center with facilities, equipment, and programs open to church members and the community."
The Baptist World Alliance Global Impact Church extends its mission outreach overseas, particularly to Guatemala through Amigos for Christ, which "coordinates hundreds of service workers to provide clean drinking water, education, health care, food and other essentials" in the Central American country.
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In Memoriam
John Wilkes, former director of Communications for the Baptist World Alliance, died on October 2 in Fredericksburg, Virginia, in the United States. He was 83 years old.
Wilkes served as BWA Communications director from 1986-1988. Prior to that, he worked with the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) and as a pastor of churches in the states of Tennessee, Mississippi and Missouri, all in the US.
Wilkes worked with SBC's Home Mission Board (now North American Mission Board) as Vacation Bible School and youth camp specialist and as a Foreign Mission Board (International Mission Board) missionary, pastoring churches in France and Germany.
After being director of News and Information for the European Baptist Federation, based in Switzerland, he became BWA Communications director.
Wilkes earned degrees and diplomas from Cameron University in Oklahoma, the University of Oklahoma, Midwestern University in Arizona and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Texas, all in the US; and the Institute of Touraine, in France.
A memorial service was held at Fredericksburg Baptist Church in Virginia, on October 18.
He is survived by wife, Jo-Anne; son, John; and daughter, Katia.
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Movements and changes
South Africa
Patrick Diba, elected president of the Baptist Union of Southern Africa
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Thanks
For gift to the BWA in memory of Kenneth Norquist by his wife, Elisabeth
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BWA NEWS
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UPCOMING EVENTS
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Take Action!
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Downloads
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*New BWA Publications*
Engaging the Jubilee
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Jesus Christ, the Door: The Official Report of the Twenty-first Baptist World Congress
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BWAID
The following are disbursements by Baptist World Aid during the month of October. Unless otherwise stated, amounts are in United States currency.
Africa
Uganda
IDP and Flood Relief - 1,000.00
Caribbean
Haiti
Hurricane Relief - 10,000.00
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About the Baptist World Alliance
The Baptist World Alliance, founded in 1905, is a fellowship of 235 conventions and unions in 122 countries and territories comprising 40 million members in 177,000 churches. Its priorities are nurturing the passion for mission and evangelism; promoting worship, fellowship and unity; responding to people in need; defending human rights and justice; and advancing relevant theological reflection.
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