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From the General Secretary
Appeal to Baptists in USA
In his widely read book, The Cost of Discipleship, German theologian and Christian martyr, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, praised Martin Luther for rediscovering the gospel of pure grace. For his part, however, Bonhoeffer warned of the danger of cheap grace.
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A Special Appeal
The Baptist World Alliance continues its response to the various disasters: Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, Katia and Maria in the Caribbean and North America; earthquakes in Mexico;and flooding in Sierra Leone and Nepal.
Baptist World Aid, the relief and development arm of the BWA, provides assistance to all in need, regardless of nationality or creed.
We appeal to our Baptist global family, in the usual expression of Baptist compassion, based on the love we share in and through our Lord Jesus Christ, to provide assistance to those in need.
Baptist World Aid
c/o Baptist World Alliance
405 North Washington Street
Falls Church, VA 22046
USA
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Member Bodies in Action
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| Providence Baptist Church in Monrovia, Liberia |
July 26, 2017, marked the 170
th
anniversary of the establishment of Liberia as a sovereign nation.
Before the Republic, 1822 to 1847, there were strong Baptist influences. Lott Cary, a freed slave from Richmond, Virginia, in the United States, was the founding pastor of Providence Baptist Church (PBC) in Liberia. Cary emerged as the vice governor of the colony.
When the Liberian Declaration of Independence was signed on July 26, 1847, Baptists were prominent, including the drafter of the Declaration, Hilary Teague, as well as Samuel Benedict and John Day. The document was signed and celebrated at the Providence Baptist Church.
Baptists in Liberia held public offices while maintaining vigorous roles in the church. John Day, a freed black cabinetmaker from North Carolina in the US, migrated with his family to Liberia in 1830 and became superintendent of a Baptist mission in Liberia. Later, Day filled roles as pastor of PBC, signatory of the Declaration of Independence, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Liberia and was a self-taught physician.
William R. Tolbert, Jr., a local Baptist pastor and president of LBMEC (1948-1980), served simultaneously as Liberian vice president under William V. S. Tubman until 1971. After President Tubman's death, Vice President Tolbert ascended to the presidency of Liberia (1971-1980). Tolbert became the first Black president of the Baptist World Alliance in 1965 while he served as vice president of Liberia.
Richard A. Henries, chair of the Board of Deacons at PBC, served as Speaker of the House of Representative of the Republic of Liberia. Henries was one of the persons who signed the United Nations Charter in 1945 on behalf of Liberia in San Francisco, USA.
Baptists in Liberia established more than 50 schools (elementary, junior and senior high schools) throughout the country. Many did not survive political and economic crises over the years. Today, the schools in operation represent some of the best secondary schools in the nation.
The Liberia Baptist Theological Seminary, established in 1976, became the only accredited theological institution in Liberia to provide relevant theological education. To date, the seminary has trained more than 700 pastors and church leaders, regardless of denominational affiliations.
Baptists in Liberia were active participants in providing relief and development during crisis times. Two recent crises include the Liberian Civil War, which claimed the lives of more than 200,000 people and the destruction of noticeable infrastructure; and the deadly Ebola crisis in West Africa. Liberian Baptists, through partnerships, especially with the BWA, were visible and positive participants in the national goals to eradicate the Ebola virus.
A signature program during the Ebola crisis was the "Care for Hundred" that provided enormous relief to the Liberia Baptist Seminary and other institutions across the nation. This program provided needed food items for Liberians.
Written by Olu Menjay, a BWA vice president, 2010-2015; president, Liberia Baptist Missionary and Educational Convention; principal, Ricks Institute, Liberia; and assistant professor, Mercer University's Roberts Department of Religion, Georgia, USA. A full version of this article appears in the October/December issue of Baptist World
magazine.
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Church Spotlight
"Loving people, learning from Jesus, serving Springfield and the world" is the stated mission of
University Heights Baptist Church in Springfield, Missouri, in the United States.
Describing itself as "A different kind of Baptist," the church's core values are active caring, worship, freedom, diversity of thought, learning, authentic witness, mission and women in leadership.
"We gladly take seriously Jesus' challenge to 'make disciples of all nations' with hands-on missions and ministry projects and by supporting missions activities in our state, nation, and around the world," the church declares.
The congregation partners with Christian organizations in its ministry to the community, such as Crosslines to assist persons with low income or no income to receive food and clothing through the Council of Churches, the "Safe to Sleep" program for abused and homeless women to find shelter, the Greene County Baptist Association-sponsored food and clothing pantry at Grand Oaks Mission Center, and caring for the aged and infirm at the Baptist Home in Ozark.
They also provide foster care to residents at the Murrow Indian Children's Home in Oklahoma and the Missouri Baptist Children's Home, and assistance to children attending the neighboring elementary school.
The Baptist World Alliance Global Impact Church values the role the BWA's strong voice on the behalf of persecuted Christians and its work for victims of wars and disasters through Baptist World Aid.
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Memoriam
Violet Mosse-Brown, a longstanding Baptist and the oldest verified living person in the world, died on September 15 in Montego Bay, Jamaica, after being diagnosed with dehydration and irregular heartbeat. She was 117 years old.
Mosse-Brown lived in the small community of Duanvale, Trelawny, in northern Jamaica, and was, for much of her life, a member of the Tritonville Baptist Church in her community.
Known lovingly as Aunt V, she was born March 10, 1900.
Regarded as Jamaica's oldest person ever, her longevity brought attention to her small, rural community, drawing visits from Jamaica's governor general, prime minister and the president of the Jamaica Baptist Union.
Baptized at the age of 13, she was a music teacher and church organist at Tritonville Baptist Church for more than 80 years.
After her husband's death in 1997, she took over his responsibilities and became a record-keeper for the local cemetery, a job she continued well after her 100
th birthday.
Mosse-Brown became the world's oldest human on April 15 after the passing of Italian Emma Morano, who was born on November 29, 1899.
She is survived by four of her six children. Brown's first child, Harland Fairweather, died on April 19 this year, at 97 years and 4 days. Up to the time of his passing he was believed to be the world's oldest person with a living parent.
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BWA NEWS
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Congratulations
to former BWA President
Knud Wümpelmann (1990-1995) of Denmark, and his wife, Karen, on celebrating 70 years of marriage in August, and his 95th birthday.
to William Brackney, appointed Pioneer MacDonald Chair, Baptist Theology and Ethics, Carey Theological College, Vancouver, Canada
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UPCOMING EVENTS
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Downloads
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Baptist World Aid
The following are disbursements by Baptist World Aid during the month of September. Unless otherwise stated, amounts are in United States currency.
Africa
Ethiopia
Coffee Farmer Training $7,000
Caribbean
Haiti Hurricane Matthew Relief $15,000
Community Center Project $20,000
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*BWA Publications*
Engaging the Jubilee: Freedom and Justice Papers of the Baptist World Alliance (2010-2015)
Purchase at
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Jesus Christ, the Door: The Official Report of the Twenty-first Baptist World Congress
Purchase at
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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 45 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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