BWA CONGRESS 2010:
HAWAI‘I PREPARES TO HOST THOUSANDS OF BAPTISTS IN 2010
By Lauren Weaver

Hawai‘i Baptists are preparing to welcome the world to the islands for the 20th Baptist World Congress.
Rick Lazor, Baptist pastor in Honolulu and chair of the Local Arrangements Committee for the congress,
believes that Hawai‘i is a good venue for the event because of the diversity of cultures in the state of 1.3 million
people.
“A diverse experience is amplified when you get to attend one in a society that already relishes cultural and
ethnic diversity,” he said.
The congress, to be held July 28 to August 1, 2010, in Honolulu, will be international in scope, drawing music,
Bible study leaders, and plenary speakers from some of the 119 countries and various cultures represented in
the Baptist World Alliance (BWA).
Plenary speakers for the congress come from different regions of the BWA. President David Coffey from the
United Kingdom will speak on the opening night. Other speakers throughout the week include Karl Johnson,
general secretary of the Jamaica Baptist Union; Paul Msiza, president of the All Africa Baptist Fellowship and
general secretary of the Baptist Convention of South Africa; Alongla Aier, associate professor in English and
communication at the Oriental Theological Seminary in the Northeast Indian State of Nagaland; and Lance
Watson, senior pastor of St. Paul’s Baptist Church in Richmond, Virginia, in the United States.
“These are people the world needs to hear,” said Lazor. “If you haven’t heard their names before, you will
know their names afterwards.”
In addition to experiencing international worship and fellowship, Congress attendees will learn more about
Hawai‘i and about Polynesian culture. Several sessions will feature Polynesian music and dance.
On the opening night, Hawai‘i will welcome Baptists from around the world with a traditional protocol ceremony
that consists of “oli,” chants and music of praise, and “ho‘okupu,” the exchange of gifts.
The congress theme, “Hear the Spirit,” drawn from verses in Revelation 2 and 3, “Whoever has ears, let them
hear what the Spirit says to the churches,” has special significance for Christians of Hawai‘i.”
Ancient Hawaiian religion talks a lot about ‘mana,’ or spiritual power. This is similar to a pantheistic belief that
God is present in all things. “We need to show that the true Spirit is found in the person of Christ,” said Lazor.
In addition to sharing the culture of the islands with worldwide Baptists, Baptists in Hawai‘i, which number about
15,000, are eager to learn from their brothers and sisters from around the world, said Lazor. We want to “use our
ears more than our mouths” during the congress. “We want to hear how the world does ministry.”
Mission will be a strong emphasis of the congress. Lazor’s hope is that before, during and after the event, the
more than 10,000 Baptists expected to attend will be “on the streets blessing the city” of Honolulu.
“People usually breeze into Hawai‘i, enjoy themselves and leave. If the BWA could leave a lasting impression
on the city, that would be really helpful.”
There will be myriad opportunities for congress attendees to share their faith and serve the people of the state,
where perhaps only 10 percent of the population attends a church in which the message of Christ’s salvation is
clearly delivered, according to Lazor.
While details of the mission projects are still being finalized, potential activities include a weekend walkathon to
benefit the Hawai’i Food Bank – from which most churches draw supplies for their own food pantries; preparation
of meals at a food kitchen; home repairs for the elderly; spending time with the homeless population in Honolulu
parks; assisting with a furniture ministry for new immigrants, as well as other mission opportunities.
It is also possible to custom-design a mission project for a church group or individual. The BWA Congress
website, www.bwacongress2010.org, is equipped with a form that can be filled out for churches from around the
world to partner with churches in Hawai‘i. Visiting church groups can state the type of project they would like to
do, and Hawai‘i churches can state needs that they have.
There is also a volunteer application on the website which persons can submit if they would like to provide
assistance during the Congress. Volunteers are needed for a variety of ministry areas including office work,
worship and music assistance, hospitality, prayer ministry, and physical labor like loading and unloading.
Before the congress begins, Baptist women from around the world will gather for the BWA Women’s Leadership
Conference. The women’s meetings will be held July 24-27 at the Sheraton Waikiki Hotel, and will have as its
theme, “In Step with the Spirit.”
Information on the women’s conference can be found on the BWA Women’s department website, www.bwawd.
org.
“One year out,” said Lazor, “there is a lot of excitement” about the congress. To register to attend the congress,
visit www.bwacongress2010.org

PHOTO: The focus group, a subcommittee of the Congress Program Committee, meets during the Annual
Gathering

Lauren Weaver is a graduate student at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia, in the United
States and former assistant editor in the Communications division of the Baptist World Alliance.

BAPTIST WORLD MAGAZINE

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