Baptist Union general secretary the Revd Jonathan Edwards reflects on the breadth of Baptist life world-wide, and what it teaches us

THE PALM-fringed Pacific island of Oahu in Hawaii might not seem the obvious choice for a meeting of Baptists from all over the world. Nevertheless, more than 4,000 people converged on this idyllic island for the five-yearly Baptist World Congress at the end of July. When I passed through passport control at Los Angeles Airport the official spotted that I was travelling to Hawaii ‘on business’. He gave a cheery smile and commented, ‘Gee, I wish I could find a job like that!’ I well understand the comment, and the many similar ones that I’ve received. Why on earth do Baptists need to travel halfway around the world to meet in this way? In days when we are all desperately concerned about the planet’s survival, what is the point of having vast meetings like this? The Congress gave me the answer.

The most striking thing about the Congress is the diversity – diversity over everything apart from our common love of the Lord Jesus Christ. We listened to Western expository preaching alongside fiery African preaching and a passionate sermon in the Black American style of Martin Luther King Jnr.

We heard choirs as varied as the carefully choreographed Korean children’s choirs, black gospel choirs and an energetic youth choir from Norway. At one moment the style of worship and preaching is familiar and congenial, and at another it is totally unfamiliar and unsettling – but that’s the richness of the church of Jesus Christ, and my own spirituality was stretched and strengthened by entering into it. But the diversity goes deeper. There is a massive diversity of resourcing. We often feel sorry for ourselves and wish that we had resources to do so much more, but on the world stage the Baptist Union of Great Britain has an embarrassment of riches. The way in which we accredit and support ministry; the existence of Home Mission grants; the support that we are able to give in property and financial matters; the care that we are able to give through the life of the Associations; the existence of so many excellent Baptist colleges – all these and more are riches that leave many other Unions and Conventions with their mouths open in disbelief.

This places upon us an enormous responsibility. The gospel is all about sharing, and we have no right to enjoy all these benefits without reflecting on the ways in which we can support and encourage others. Our Union has a wonderful record of giving that kind of help to other Unions and Conventions. Through BMS World Mission we have the privilege of working alongside many of them. There are also some very effective and important partnerships between churches, colleges and Associations and other Baptist Unions. I use the word partnership deliberately because the blessings always flow in two directions, and because they are dynamic relationships which need to be kept in good repair.

The Baptist Unions around the world live in an incredible diversity of contexts. Some, like us, work in situations where the majority religion is Christian, but many others minister in countries where Christians are a tiny minority. The pressure on the churches is often immense and constant. The Muslim world is a largely hostile environment for Baptist groups, and the authorities are often eager to disrupt and marginalise the churches. Recent problems in Pakistan, Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan illustrate this.

It is humbling to sit with those for whom the freedoms that we take for granted are just a dream and a longing. On the face of it there is little that we can do, but our brothers and sisters in these countries derive huge strength from the knowledge of our prayers and of our willingness to speak out on their behalf.

If I were asked for one word to describe the importance of the rest of the world Baptist family to me, it would be the word courage. The courage to stand up for a faith which is at odds with the prevailing culture. The courage to keep working in a Union that is small and under-resourced and where there are constant setbacks. The courage to keep going when the threat of imprisonment or physical violence is always present. The courage to minister consistently and faithfully even when there are no obvious signs of blessing. I see such courage in my Baptist brothers and sisters around the world, and their courage inspires me and strengthens my own faith.

Fellowship is not an optional extra. I believe every Christian is incomplete, and needs to open their lives to other Christians. Local church life can be immensely challenging and disturbing, but we need to open ourselves to the experiences of others, however painful that might be at times.

But it cannot rest there. For every local church needs to be aware of other churches. Churches are dangerous places when they are closed off from the rest of the Christian world. Arrogance and complacency can easily set in. It is vital for every local church to pray for other churches and to be aware of their needs and blessings. But we need to press further, for every Association of churches needs to be open to others.

Our thirteen Associations are wonderfully different from one another, reflecting the very different contexts within which they work. Each Association needs to listen carefully to the others and that’s exactly what we do within the life of our Union.

And so too every Union or Convention needs to look beyond its own life. An island mentality comes to us all too easily, and it requires energy, commitment and imagination to open our minds to the rest of the world – but that is our Christian calling.

I thank God for the Baptist World Alliance. It is far from perfect, but as we open ourselves to the lives of our Christian sisters and brothers around the world I believe that we are far more able to face the challenges and opportunities that God puts before us.