LIVING WATER CONFERENCE
CHALLENGE AND HOPE IN SOUTHERN AFRICA
by Tony Cupit
The 19th BWA Living Water international conference was held at the Girassol Hotel in Maputo, the capital city of
Mozambique on Africa’s southeastern coast, from May 20‑23, 2010. It was the last in a series of conferences held for the
five-year period 2005-2010, which began with a launch at the Baptist World Congress in Birmingham, England, in 2005.
The Maputo conference brought 100 leaders together from countries throughout Southern Africa – Botswana, Malawi,
Mozambique, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Delegates were quick to acknowledge the importance for African people of the life-giving water that faith in Christ
guarantees, perhaps more so because Africa is a continent where water is such a vital and precious commodity.
There was rich fellowship between the 100 delegates throughout the three-day conference. It was joyous Christian
fellowship accompanied by singing in a variety of African languages and English.
At the Saturday evening rally in the city church, each national group sang praises to God in its own language. To be
present was to be inspired. Africans insist, “We cannot worship without movement,” and the singing, dance, energetic
movement and total joy was extremely infectious.
An important aspect of the conference was when each delegation reported on efforts to spread the Good News of Christ’s
love and grace in their own areas. Despite the enormous challenges facing church and community in Southern Africa,
there was a spirit of hope and optimism in what the Lord will continue to do through their outreach ministries. Individual
testimonies about significant ministries by individuals and churches reaching out into the community were a highlight.
There were several features concentrating on the water motif, such as the opening event where delegation leaders
poured water from cupped hands onto the African soil while declaring in their vernacular language, Jesus Christ: Living
Water; water pouring with accompanying liturgy as part of the worship service; and a foot-washing ceremony as part of
the communion service to emphasize servant leadership. These were very moving. Although performed at successive
Living Water conferences, these activities are new to every new set of leaders, and thus maintain their impact and power.
Speakers included Paul Msiza, president of the All Africa Baptist Fellowship (AABF) and general secretary for the South
Africa Baptist Convention; Harrison Olan’g, BWA regional secretary for Africa and general secretary of the AABF; George
Nganlama, of the Baptist Union of Southern Africa; and Harold Peasley, a Baptist evangelist from South Africa.
The BWA delegation comprised General Secretary Neville Callam; Fausto Vasconcelos, director of the Division of
Evangelism and Education (E&E); Emmett Dunn, BWA Youth Department director and director of conferences; Ronald
Bobo, a member of the BWA General Council and Executive Committee, and chair of the Executive Committee of E&E;
and Tony Cupit, BWA Living Water coordinator.
With Maputo concluding the series of Living Water conferences, we can give thanks to our loving God for all the blessings
of the Living Water conferences from St. Petersburg in Russia through to Maputo, from 2005 to the present. Almost 5,000
Baptists during the last five years have shared the Living Water experience as delegates to the Living Water conferences.
Our prayer is that the influence of these initiatives and the resolve of those who have participated will flow to our Baptist
people throughout the
world “like streams of living water.”
PHOTOS: Early morning devotions by the swimming pool during the BWA Living Water conference in Mozambique;
Delegates pictured standing before the Living Water banner

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