Congress 2015 Reaffirmed by Neville Callam

The 21st Baptist World Congress will take place in Durban, South Africa, as planned from July 22-26, 2015. The meeting will be preceded by the Baptist Women’s Leadership Conference in Johannesburg, July 18-21, 2015. This decision was arrived at after the Baptist World Alliance

leadership conducted a broad canvass across the worldwide Baptist family. The need to review the scheduled date of the

2015 congress was based on a number of factors. The first was the damage being done by the Ebola virus especially in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea and the need to intensify our focus to aid the affected persons and communities that face the fury of Ebola.

Another concern was the fear that is being manifested in some

parts of the world as people consider the risks involved in travel to sections of the African continent today. Yet another concern was the fact that many persons already hold hotel reservations and are finalizing flight arrangements for their participation in the congress. These persons needed to know whether to proceed with their plans. In addition, while congress registration currently remains at accustomed levels, we are now approaching the period when persons planning to attend the congress are completing binding arrangements. We are grateful to the BWA regional secretaries and other leaders across the BWA family for their counsel in our deliberations. We are also indebted to Baptist leaders in Africa in (Continued on next page)

Speakers for International Baptist Congress Confirmed

The keynote speakers for the 21st Baptist World Congress to be held in Durban, South Africa, from July 22-26, 2015, have been confirmed.

Ndichafah is a vice president of the All Africa Baptist Fellowship, one of six regional fellowships of the Baptist World Alliance and was, from 2008-2012, general secretary of the Cameroon Baptist Convention. He was previously field pastor for the Yaounde Area in Cameroon. Ndichafah is a member of the BWA Commission on Baptist Worship and Spirituality.

Donald Ndichafah from Cameroon

Chin is senior pastor of the Global Mission Church in Bundang-Suji district in South Korea. He earned degrees from several schools in the United States – Fuller Theological Seminary, Midwestern Baptist Seminary, Trinity International University in Ministry and the University of Virginia. He previously pastored Baptist churches in the United States before going to Korea.

Oprenova is a vice president-elect

of the BWA, is associate pastor at First Baptist Church in Sofia, president of the Bulgarian Baptist Women’s Department and a member of the Executive Committee of the European Baptist Women’s Union. She has been engaged in ministry among women, children and youth. She earned degrees from Spurgeon’s College in the United Kingdom and the International Baptist Theological Seminary.

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Dimitrina Oprenova from Bulgaria

Peter Chin from South Korea