NEW BWA LEADERS ELECTED
John Upton, executive director of the Baptist General Association of Virginia (BGAV) and of the Virginia
Baptist Mission Board (VBMB) in the United States, was elected president of the Baptist World Alliance during
the 20th Baptist World Congress held in Honolulu, Hawai´i, from July 28 to August 1.
Upton succeeds David Coffey of the United Kingdom and will serve as BWA president for the period 2010-
2015.
The new president of the global Baptist organization has had a long association with the BWA. He served
as a member of the BWA General Council and the Executive Committee, the two governing bodies of the BWA.
He was a member of the Baptist World Aid Committee, the Commission on Christian Ethics, and the Executive
Committee of the North American Baptist Fellowship, one of six regional fellowships of the BWA. For the past
five years, he was chair of the Congress Program Committee, which played a significant role in planning the
Baptist World Congress in Honolulu.
BWA General Secretary Neville Callam gave his full endorsement of Upton’s election at a press conference
where Upton was introduced to the media. “God has prepared John for this role, having led Virginia Baptists
since 2001, a period during which Virginia Baptists have been on the cutting edge of Christian witness and
mission,” Callam said. “Without a doubt, he is eminently suited to fill the position as BWA president.”
Declaring that he believes in and supports the values of the BWA, Upton, in response to his election,
stated that he is honored to serve the international Baptist organization “because of the opportunity to build on
the legacy and foundation of all those who served the Baptist World Alliance.” The new BWA head noted that
Baptist Christians serve and give witness to Christ “in a world in need and in much despair,” and that “we try
together to be in the world what Christ in his human body did in the world.”
Prior to being elected as executive director of the BGAV and the VBMB in 2001, Upton served as group
leader of the Mission Mobilization Group of the BGAV, beginning in 1995. Earlier, he was pastor of Urbanna
Baptist Church in Urbanna, Virginia, from 1984-1986 and 1991-1995. Between 1986 and 1991 he and his wife,
Deborah, served as missionaries in Taiwan through the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist
Convention.
The new president attended the Baptist-affiliated Averett College (now Averett University) in Danville,
Virginia; the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, in the US; and the Taiwan
Language Institute. He received a Doctor of Divinity degree from the International Baptist Theological Seminary
in Kerrala, India.
Twelve vice presidents, two from each of the six regions of the BWA, were also elected during the morning
session on Saturday, July 31. The 12 vice presidents are Daniel Carro of Argentina and Joel Sierra from
Mexico; Regina Claas of Germany and Nabil Costa of Lebanon; Harry Gardner of Canada and William Epps
from the United States; Olu Menjay of Liberia and Paul Msiza from South Africa; Victor Samuel Gonzalez from
Cuba and Burchell Taylor from Jamaica; and John Kok of Malaysia and Ross Clifford of Australia.
Carro, an Argentinean living in the US, will serve as first vice president.
Other persons were also elected or confirmed at meetings before and during the congress.
Raquel Contreras of Chile was elected president of the BWA Women’s Department during the BWA
Women’s Leadership Conference, held in Honolulu just days before the congress, from July 24-27. Contreras,
who is president of the Union of Evangelical Baptist Churches
PHOTOS: BWA General Secretary Neville Callam and newly elected president John Upton speak during
a news conference; The installation of and presentation of the new vice presidents to the congregation on
Saturday morning, July 31
(Continued on next page)

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