SOUTH AFRICA TO HOST 2015 BAPTIST WORLD CONGRESS
"The 21st Baptist World Congress will be held in Durban, South Africa, in July 2015."
This announcement was made by Baptist World Alliance General Secretary Neville Callam during the
Baptist World Congress in Hawai´i.
Paul Msiza, president of the All Africa Baptist Fellowship (AABF), general secretary of the Baptist
Convention of South Africa, and a newly elected vice president of the BWA, expressed great delight that South
Africa has been chosen to host the next meeting of the largest international gathering of Baptist Christians.
“It will be an honor to the Baptists of South Africa and to Africa to host the Baptist World Congress,” Msiza
said. He indicated that hosting the recent FIFA World Cup, the most widely viewed sporting event in the world
which was held in South Africa from June 11 to July 11, provided South Africa with good experience to host
Baptists from around the world.
“You will enjoy South African hospitality,” Msiza said. He noted that traveling to South Africa will be
affordable and much easier as, with the World Cup, more airlines have opened up routes to the country.
Roy Musasiwa, former general secretary of the Baptist Union of Zimbabwe, said, “I can only say how very
excited we are with this announcement. We can start to prepare early to ensure that we will be there.”
An Angolan who did not get to attend the congress in Honolulu informed the BWA that “it was the African
prayer that we would have a world meeting on our continent. Now God has opened the door and we say
thanks to God our Lord.”
“This is wonderful news for African Baptists! The AABF must start mobilization as soon as possible. We
praise God for the opportunity to host the BWA on African soil,” another African correspondent said.
“The congress being in Africa will give African Baptists all over Africa and the world the opportunity to come
and join in,” said another African Baptist. “My United Baptist Youth are coming – it’s a rare opportunity,” said
one African Baptist youth leader.
Durban is the third largest city in South Africa with a population of 3.5 million people. It has the busiest
container port in Africa and a thriving tourism industry with modern convention and meeting facilities.
There are four BWA member bodies in South Africa with more than 80,000 baptized believers in
approximately 900 churches.
PHOTOS: Paul Msiza, general secretary of the Baptist Convention of South Africa, president of the All Africa
Baptist Fellowship and vice president of the BWA, and Dorothy Selebano of South Africa, immediate past
president of the BWA Women’s Department, react to the announcement that the 21st Baptist World Congress
will be held in South Africa in July 2015; The coast off Durban, South Africa, where the next Baptist World
Congress will be held in 2015

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