2022-2023 BWA Ministry Update

STRENGTHEN LEAD RESPOND DEFEND ADVANCE

FOR CHRIST

A Word from the

GENERAL SECRETARY

We belong together because we belong to Jesus.

Page 4

STRENGTHENING Worship, Fellowship & Unity

Page 6

LEADING

Mission & Evangelism

Page 8

RESPONDING Aid, Relief, & Community Development

Page 10

SPECIAL REPORT Standing with Ukraine

Page 12

DEFENDING Religious Freedom, Human Rights & Justice

Page 14

ADVANCING

Theological Reflection & Transformational Leadership

Pages 16-17

BWA Women Ways to Connect

Page 18

PARTNERSHIP Fiscal Report

As a family united in the compassion of Jesus, the BWA passionately supports Baptists around the world as they sacrificially serve their communities in o ering shelter and care to refugees, food to the hungry, and hope in the midst of lonely isolation. As a family united in the crucifixion of Jesus, the BWA passionately shares the Gospel in a world where there are now 8 billion people, 35% of whom have yet to hear of Christ’s saving love. As a family united in the resurrection of Jesus, the BWA passionately stands with all who face war, persecution, and injustice at a time when one out of every four Baptists daily encounter these realities.

Because we belong to Jesus we are called, in the Holy Spirit, to God’s global mission.

We rejoice that the Lord is at work through our global partnership of Baptist sisters and brothers. With 51 million Baptists in 176,000 churches worldwide, together we can truly “impact the world for Christ.”

As you read through this Ministry Update, would you celebrate how God has been at work among us and through us this past year? United by Christ’s love and guided by the Holy Spirit, may we continue to work together with passionate faithfulness to God’s global mission.

Serving Together,

Rev. Elijah M. Brown, PhD General Secretary & CEO

UNIFIED MISSION 1

51,000,000 BAPTISTS WORLDWIDE

176,000

128 COUNTRIES & TERRITORIES

246 CONVENTIONS & UNIONS

117 YEARS OF HISTORY

BAPTIST CHURCHES

STRENGTHENING

Worship, Fellowship & Unity

CENTERED IN JESUS CHRIST AND ROOTED IN DEEP SPIRITUAL LIFE, we strengthen our worldwide family through ongoing gatherings, pastoral presence, mutual friendships, and the cultivation of worship, fellowship, and unity.

Celebrating a Growing Family in Christ

We are pleased to welcome our five newest Member Bodies from four BWA regions:

• Baptist Alliance of Barbados (Caribbean)

• Equatorial Guinea Baptist Church (Africa)

• Baptist Evangelical Churches Federation of Guadeloupe (Caribbean)

• Kawthoolei Karen Baptist Churches (Asia Pacific)

• Missionary Baptist Conference, USA (North America)

This represents 169 additional churches and 29,000 Baptist sisters and brothers.

Uniting People in Strategic Prayer

More than 10,000 BWA Baptists from around the globe unite in prayer each week, interceding for every country in the world over the course of each year. As part of our commitment to multilingual engagement for this prayer movement, we launched the weekly “One in Prayer” guide in Spanish in 2022. Subscribe at BaptistWorld.org/prayer and join our prayer team.

Gathering the Nations for Global Impact

“Together we are faithfully living out the convictions of our common Baptist faith and witness, proclaiming the good news of the Gospel in Jesus Christ, and fulfilling the Great Commission.”

• Annual Gathering was hosted at Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama, USA in July 2022

• Over 600 Baptist leaders from 66 countries attended

• Largest Annual Gathering in 20 Years

Continuing a legacy of advocacy, the 2022 Annual Gathering called the Baptist family to stand together against racism. Attendees dedicated themselves anew at a moving Service of Recommitment (pictured left) at the National Memorial for Peace and Justice in Montgomery, Alabama, and unanimously adopted a new racial justice statement entitled “Restorative Racial Justice: A Call to Live in Flourishing Freedom.”

- President John HarrisMissionary Baptist Conference, USA A Global Family Standing for RESTORATIVE

RACIAL JUSTICE

BaptistWorld.org/racial-justice

COMPELLED BY THE GREAT COMMISSION

we lead with a passionate commitment to Gospel witness in every context and people group, foster multidirectional partnerships that connect individuals and churches, and encourage global mission and evangelism.

EVANGELISM EMPHASIS MONTH

Of the eight billion people in the world, an estimated THREE BILLION are unreached with little to no access to the Gospel. The need is great, calling for every Baptist to be a witness. In May 2022, the BWA united the global family in a season of intentional evangelistic witness. BWA Baptists passionately prayed and engaged in individual outreach, door-to-door testimonies, street and bus ministry, online ministry, and jail visitation with direct participation from Baptists in 39 COUNTRIES.

22,000

churches shared the Gospel their lives to Jesus.

with 6 million people.

TO ALL NATIONS

Through the Baptist Fund for World Evangelization and Discipleship (BFWED), the BWA supported additional evangelism and discipleship training in Cameroon, India, the Gambia, and South Sudan as well as the transport of Bibles across DR Congo.

97,674 people responded and gave

MISSION NETWORK

After two years of prayerful planning, the BWA will launch a new Global Baptist Mission Network at the 2023 SENT Mission Conference, bringing together mission agencies with more than 7,000 Baptist missionaries.

A TESTIMONY

“I have now changed my perspective on how I witness to others and have adopted a more holistic approach to Kingdom building as I apply the new learned principles to my life. I now embrace evangelism as a way of life, making it a lifestyle and not just an activity.”

– Lorna Clarke

–

Lilliput Baptist Church, Jamaica Participant in Inaugural BWA School of Evangelism

LEADING

Mission & Evangelism

In 2022, the BWA launched a virtual School of Evangelism initiative as a multilingual partnership with regions around the world to equip and release Baptists to serve on mission in every neighborhood and to every nation.

INAUGURAL BWA SCHOOL OF EVANGELISM IN THE CARIBBEAN

>>> 400 STUDENTS

>>> 50 CHURCHES

PLANTED IN VENEZUELA THROUGH BWA SUPPORT

INAUGURAL BWA SCHOOL OF EVANGELISM IN LATIN AMERICA

>>> 3000 STUDENTS

CHALLENGED TO GENEROUSLY LOVE OUR NEIGHBOR we respond to people in need, collaborate in times of crisis, network agencies, support sustainability and creation care, build capacity, empower local church engagement and resource aid, relief, and community development.

CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC

PROVIDING FOOD in Unprecedented Worldwide Hunger

CHILE • CUBA • INDIA

INDONESIA • PHILIPPINES

SOUTH AFRICA • SOUTH SUDAN

VENEZUELA • WEST PAPUA

RESPONDING IN HOPE to War and Extreme Economic Crisis

LEBANON • MYANMAR

SRI LANKA • UKRAINE

GIVING HELP in COVID and Health Crises

BANGLADESH • DEMOCRATIC

REPUBLIC OF CONGO • ETHIOPIA

GHANA • LIBERIA • KENYA •

SIERRA LEONE

FACILITATING TRAINING for Transformation

2 WEBINARS

2 IN-PERSON SESSIONS

275 TRAINED

RESPONDING

through Aid, Relief & Community Development

In 2022, BWAid supported 34 28 PROJECTS in COUNTRIES impacting more than 171, 000 PEOPLE $1,458,275 INVESTED WORLDWIDE

RELIEF EFFORTS

FOOD SECURITY COLLECTIVE CENTERS

$1,307,807

$150,470

10,000 UKRAINIAN BIBLES SENT BY BWA

Packed in the trunks of cars, Bibles were delivered across the country to churches for distribution to the thousands seeking physical and piritual support. Help us continue the work by donating at BaptistWorld.org/give.

TRANSFORMING Lives through the

Transforming Word

DEFENDING

Religious Freedom, Human Rights & Justice

After the collapse of Afghanistan, the 21Wilberforce Global Freedom Center and Baptists in Brazil partnered to stand with refugees of all backgrounds.

450

AFGHANISTAN

REFUGEES

were resettled and welcomed by Baptists in Brazil – the largest resettlement program in the country.

“Brazilian Baptists embraced the mission and, with 21Wilberforce, enabled a solution to save hundreds of persecuted Afghans. Now girls and boys attend schools, families are reunited, hope is renewed, and God's love is vivid among them.”

– ANDRÉ SIMÃO, 21Wilberforce Senior Fellow

COMMITTED TO A BIBLICAL UNDERSTANDING

of the image of God in every person, we defend an ethic of life, support religious freedom for all, stand in solidarity with the marginalized, advocate at every level, train and network proactively, and mobilize for religious freedom, human rights, and justice.

Partnering with the 21Wilberforce Global Freedom Center

ENGAGED in Myanmar Advocacy

• O ering pastoral presence in refugee camps in Thailand

• Providing humanitarian aid for refugees

• Presenting a video report to the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland

• Advocating for those unjustly imprisoned such as Pastor Samson Hkalam

• Mobilizing 10,000 people who urged their United States Congressional representatives to vote for and successfully pass United States human rights legislation on Myanmar

LAUNCHED the Global Defenders Network

A new network of legal defenders and human rights advocates that work together to defend victims of religious persecution and unjust laws with a pilot project in 2023 to provide training, mentoring, and professional development for young lawyers in Nigeria committed to defending human rights and religious freedom

TRAINED the Next Generation

• Provided workshop training and co-chaired both the Young Leaders and Religious Prisoner of Conscience Track for the 2022 Annual International Religious Freedom National Summit that had over 1,000 in attendance in Washington D.C.

• Initiated a Timothy Program as a three-year immersive religious freedom training for a select group of young Baptist men and women from all six BWA regions

ADVOCATED at the United Nations

Supported human rights and religious freedom advocacy e orts on behalf of Algeria, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, and Ukraine

we advance multicultural and multilingual training, empower next generation leaders, encourage meaningful dialogue and praxis, and engage in relevant theological reflection and transformational leadership.

JENNY STEWART was appointed in July 2022 as the first BWA Director of Ministries and Chief Operating O cer and began service in January 2023 after relocating to the BWA o ce in Falls Church, Virginia, USA. Working closely with the General Secretary, this new position provides leadership to the five BWA ministry areas, collaborates together with each ministry’s personnel regarding strategy and finance, and ensures alignment with the BWA’s overall mission for meaningful impact.

Baptist leaders from around the world gathered in December 2022 in Rome, Italy, for the Baptist-Catholic International Dialogue. This was the fifth and final year in Phase III which focused on “THE DYNAMIC OF THE GOSPEL AND THE WITNESS OF THE CHURCH TODAY.”

Through our 14 COMMISSIONS, more than 350 GLOBAL BAPTIST LEADERS worked together to address the most critical issues today such as evangelism and mission, aid, religious freedom, peace building, racial justice, doctrine, leadership development, and creation care.

BWA PRESIDENT TOMÁS MACKEY traveled to France, Italy, Russia, South Korea, Spain, and the United States o ering pastoral presence, urging unity without uniformity, highlighting the challenge of extreme secularism, and encouraging Baptists to more proactively pursue a quality of discipleship that shapes the character of the next generation. President Mackey is also an integral part of our planning for the 23rd Baptist World Congress that will take place July 2025 in Brisbane, Australia.

ADVANCING

Theological Reflection and Transformational Leadership

“The beautiful thing about this program is that it provides a framework to approach youth ministry while allowing me to work out how I will apply what I am learning in my unique context of ministry.”

Ade Brown, Jamaica

Horizons Children and Youth Leaders Training

In 2022, Horizons added 222 28 STUDENTS COUNTRIES 985 PEOPLE expanding enrollment to from

A Sisterhood Spanning More than 150 Countries United in Our Mission to Impact the World for Christ

UPTICK LEADERSHIP TRAINING: Through a partnership with Baptist General Association of Virginia, BWA Women helped facilitate the first Uptick global leadership cohort in 2022. The cohort consisted of young women from across each of our seven continental unions who are called to ministry in a global setting. Members of the inaugural cohort included women from Armenia, Cameroon, Canada, Colombia, Guatemala, Guyana, India, Kenya, Lebanon, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Singapore, Trinidad and Tobago, and the United States.

BAPTIST WOMEN’S WORLD DAY OF PRAYER: The 2022 Baptist Women’s World Day of Prayer was an incredible event uniting women in strategic prayer and giving across 100+ countries and territories . We also o ered the first World Day of Prayer Global Worship Service in October 2022 with 3,000 people tuning in for a beautiful time of prayer, praise, and preaching. In addition, BWA Women was excited to double the number of funded ministry projects this year through the Day of Prayer O ering. Project focus areas included vocational skills training for girls in Cameroon, expansion of a crisis hotline ministry in Latin America, safe shelters in Jamaica and Azerbaijan for victims of abuse and tra cking, healthcare education in Myanmar, and a literacy training initiative in Papua New Guinea with a vision to ensure every Baptist woman in the country is literate within five years.

CONNECT WITH THE BWA

UNITE IN PRAYER – Pray through the countries of the world with insight from Baptists across the globe in this weekly prayer guide emailed directly to your inbox. Scan to subscribe or visit BaptistWorld.org/prayer to learn more about how you can join our global prayer team and other BWA prayer initiatives.

STAY CURRENT ON NEWS – Follow BWA on social media @BaptistWorld on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Subscribe to our YouTube channel at YouTube.com/baptistworldalliance.

SERVE ON A COMMISSION – Connect your passion and background with one of the 14 BWA Commissions that advance the ongoing ministry of the Baptist movement. Learn more at BaptistWorld.org/commissions.

MOBILIZE AS A GLOBAL IMPACT CHURCH – Help your church take a next step in engaging God’s mission around the world as a BWA Global Impact Church. Learn more at BaptistWorld.org/gic.

EXPERIENCE A LIFE-CHANGING CONGRESS – Join with 4,000 Baptists from 100+ countries in a powerful time of worship, celebration, and mission at the 23rd Baptist World Congress in Brisbane, Australia, in July 2025. Scan to learn more or register now at BWABrisbane.com.

GIVE WITH GOSPEL GENEROSITY TO IMPACT THE WORLD

Every gift invested in the BWA is multiplied through ministry around the world. Become a monthly Sustaining Partner to be a vital partner in our commitment to...

SHARE THE GOOD NEWS OF CHRIST •  STAND WITH THE PERSECUTED RESPOND WHEN DISASTER STRIKES •  TRAIN LEADERS FOR TODAY AND TOMORROW

GIVE TODAY ONLINE: BaptistWorld.org/give

GIVE TODAY WITH CHECK: 405 N. Washington Street, Falls Church, VA 22046 USA

PLANNED GIVING: BWAGift.org

GIVE STOCK TRANSFERS OR WIRES: fd-bwa@baptistworld.org

We praise God for the faithful and generous support of our ministry partners around the world. Together we are making a global impact!

We thank God for BWA – our one Baptist World body as it continues to keep all its member unions/conventions informed about the Lord’s workings around the world through BWA. The President, leadership, and our member churches are glad to be part of this world body. May God help us as we continue to join our voices in prayers to save our world.

SUPPORT & REVENUE

$2,180,267*

$614,835 Churches, Individuals & Others

$219,907 Meeting Income

$698,881 Miscellaneous Income

$383,911 Member Organizations

$262,732 Rental Income

EXPENSES

$2,177,276

$1,643,932 Program Services

$ 240,183 Administration

$ 152,246 Building

$ 140,915 Fundraising President

Tomás Mackey

General Secretary & CEO

Elijah M. Brown

First Vice President

Karl Johnson

Vice Presidents

Samson Ayokunle

Fernando Macedo Brandão

Otniel Ioan Bunaciu

Joel Dorsinville

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

John Hickey

Noemí Janson Lidak

Dave Kwok

Jennifer Lau

Elizabeth Mvula

Albert Reyes

Lina Mikhael Sawan

Rachael Tan

Samuel C. Tolbert

Elijah Wanje Treasurer

Carolyn Fossen

Immediate Past President

Ngwedla Paul Msiza

BWA Women President

Karen Wilson

Regional Representatives

Israel Akanji

Daniel Avila

Dominique Dick

Jan Sæthre

Mark Wilson

Global Representatives

Ernest Adu-Gyamfi

Paul Baxley

John Beasy

Lynn Green

David Hardage

Melvin Harris

Johnathan Hemmings

Thomas Klammt

Lone Møller-Hansen

Roy Medley

Adebola Samson-Fatokun

Kang-San Tan

Morris G. Siah General Secretary

Liberia Baptist Missionary & Educational Convention, Inc.

* Information is unaudited at the time of this report. Statement reports only Baptist World Alliance financial information. A liate information is not included in this statement.

* Support revenue totals do not include investment UR gains/losses or restricted donations

PARTNERING TOGETHER | FISCAL REPORT

• We believe in the importance of STEWARDSHIP , so we endeavor to prayerfully and wisely utilize the generous gifts of God’s people for the greatest kingdom impact around the world.

• We believe in the value of TRANSPARENCY and are committed to consistently sharing fiscal stewardship reports and results.

• We believe in the need for ACCOUNTABILITY and engage in fiscally responsible budget preparation and tracking processes in addition to annual external audits.

An overview of our financial position, including assets and investments, is outlined below.

SUMMARIZED STATEMENTS OF POSITION

Cash and Cash Equivalents

Receivables and Prepaid

Total Current Assets

Property and Equipment Net Investments

Endowment Fund Investments and Other Investments

Total Investments

Beneficial Interest in Perpetual Trusts

Total Other Assets

BWA’s influence around the globe is unmistakable. At the heart of the Christian faith is service to and alongside others. Being able to serve with BWA opens doors into communities where love is put into action which opens hearts and minds to the hope of Christ. To be part of expanding God’s Kingdom through its partners is a great joy as we minister to people after a disaster or help build communities and villages around the church.

Rand Jenkins, Commission on Baptist World Aid

ONLINE: BaptistWorld.org

MAIL: 405 N. Washington St • Falls Church, VA 22046 USA

PHONE: +1 (703) 790-8980

“I'M EXCITED BY A FORETASTE OF WHAT HEAVEN WILL BE LIKE WITH EVERY TONGUE, TRIBE, AND NATION PRAISING GOD TOGETHER.”

Past Congress Participant from Australia

“IT HAS BEEN A POWERFUL EXPERIENCE FOR ME TO BE REMINDED THAT I AM PART OF A WORLDWIDE COMMUNITY OF BAPTIST BELIEVERS DEDICATED TO SPREADING THE GOOD NEWS OF JESUS CHRIST.”

Past Congress Participant from USA

“PRAISE GOD! I HAVE BEEN BLESSED ABUNDANTLY. MY FAITH HAS BEEN RENEWED, MY HOPE RESTORED, AND MY PASSION FOR MISSION AND JUSTICE REINVIGORATED.”

Past Congress Participant from Trinidad and Tobago