BAPTISTS DISCUSS THEOLOGICAL, ETHICAL AND SOCIAL ISSUES
By Eron Henry
Sixteen focus groups exploring a variety of subjects provided ample opportunities for Baptists attending the Baptist
World Congress to discuss some of the pressing issues that are of concern to Baptists and other Christians.
Church leadership received special attention, such as the effective mentoring of younger and emerging
leaders. “The art of good leadership is defined by what happens when the current leadership moves on,” said
Brian Winslade, national director of the Baptist Union of Australia. “Effective ministry thinks beyond itself to those
who will come after it.” He cited examples from scripture – Moses mentored Joshua; Elijah mentored Elisha; Paul
mentored Timothy.
Other aspects of church leadership that were considered include how leadership may be exercised in the
midst of changing environments, such as ministering in cultures or situations where couples choose not to be
legally married; dealing with vulnerabilities of church leadership, particularly as these relate to a leader who gets
exhausted or whose faith becomes weak and the need for appropriate self-care; as well as other crises facing
church leaders, such as crises relating to unbelievers in the church leader’s family; and the role that worship
plays in healing broken people and communities.
Mission and relationships with persons of other faiths received significant attention, including how the
Christian may live and witness in a context where multiple faiths exist. One question examined how Christians
can “be authentic witnesses to Jesus Christ in communities and countries where different beliefs, practices, and
truth claims compete for the hearts and minds of people.”
It was stated, in one discussion, that innovative mission demands contextualized ministries shaped by local
churches – not one-size-fits-all imported strategies implemented by professionals. The idea that globalized
strategies work in all cultures and that professional experts are best equipped to implement those strategies is
no longer tenable. Mike Stroope, mission professor at Baylor University’s Truett Theological Seminary in Texas
in the United States, said that missionaries from the West produced uniform systems and strategies that often
violated local contexts. In addition, he said that reliance on professionals essentially gave lay people permission
to disengage from mission and ministry and to delegate those duties to credentialed experts.
The specific case of Christian-Muslim relationships was also explored, examining the factors that contribute
to the present tension between Muslims and Christians and a search for peaceful co-existence.
Nabil Costa from Lebanon who was elected as a vice president of the BWA said, in reference to Muslims, “If
they are our enemies, Jesus said we are to love them. If they are our neighbors, Jesus said we are to love them.
So, either we
PHOTO: Vladimir Ubeivolc of Moldova makes a presentation at the human anti-trafficking focus group
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