ESS 2015 n CONGRESS 2015 n CONGRESS 2015 n CONGRESS 2015 n CONGRESS 2015 n CONGRESS 2015 n CONGRESS 201 Baptists Prepare

Green Plan for South African Congress

The Baptist World Alliance (BWA) has prepared a Green Plan to guide its environmental practices before and during the 21st

Baptist World Congress to be held in Durban, South Africa, from July 22-26, 2015. In a July 2012 resolution passed by

the BWA General Council in Santiago, Chile, the BWA was encouraged “to develop an equitable plan to offset the carbon footprint of the Annual Gathering and to recommend ways to reduce the carbon footprint of all Baptist World Alliance business meetings.” Also, the international umbrella

organization for Baptists aims to adhere to the standards outlined in the Green Event Guideline: Hosting Green Events in Durban, in order to

integrate sustainability BWA GREEN BAPTISTS of South Africa

HISTORY English Baptists settled in the Eastern Cape of South

RECYCLING practices

before, during and after the congress. These include waste minimization, environmental efficiency, water conservation, social development and local economic development. Main elements of the BWA plan

include recycling, transportation and digital technology. Name badges and lanyards (the rope or cord that comes with the name badge) issued during the congress will be collected at the end of the event and recycled. At the conclusion of the congress, receptacles will be provided for those who wish to recycle the thousands of program and report books that are being produced for the event.

TRANSPORTATION

Africa, and the first small Baptist group was started in Salem in 1819. Later the “Mother Church” was constituted in Grahamstown in 1822-23 by William Miller, a British immigrant. Moses Bixby, an American, formed a congregation in

Cape Town while on a stop on his way to Burma in the 1820s. In the late 1850s, German settlers, among who were

Baptists influenced by Baptist missionary Gerhard Oncken, emigrated to South Africa and formed several congregations. Oncken’s protégé, Carl Gutsce, arrived in 1867 and helped to form an association of German Baptist churches in 1870. The Baptist Union of Southern Africa was founded in 1877 by four English-speaking churches and one German-speaking church in the Eastern Cape.

DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY Immigrants from India first arrived

Top: Joyful singing at the Baptist World Congress in Hawaii in July 2010 (Continued on next page)

in South Africa in the 1860s. Baptist work among Indians later evolved into what are now the Baptist Association of South Africa and the Baptist Mission of South Africa.

Monetary and environmental costs of shipping will be reduced by the BWA by printing most of the congress materials, including the program and report books, as well as brochures, in South Africa. Transportation such as shipping by air or sea is generally regarded as one of the biggest causes of carbon emissions. The BWA is exploring the possibility of providing bicycles as

WATER

an alternative mode of transportation for conference participants to use from the venue to their accommodations. The chief means of registration for the South African meetings

is online through the BWA website at www.bwanet.org/congress. This results in reducing the use of paper and mailing. The program and report books will be available digitally in eBook and pdf formats in an attempt to reduce the number of printed copies. The BWA is forgoing the printing of a daily newspaper as has

been the custom in past congresses and will instead rely more heavily on the use of social media and electronic press releases to provide updates and inform participants attending the meetings. There will be simultaneous updates on the BWA Twitter account using #BaptistCongress15 as well as posting to its Facebook group page. Persons are encouraged to start following the BWA Twitter

handle @TheBWA and to utilize the hashtag #BaptistCongress15 when they share their own plans for the congress. In addition, the BWA will take advantage of opportunities

offered by the convention center, such as the use of biodegradable cutlery and food containers in its dining areas; move away from using tablecloths; and using tap water-filled jugs and water dispensers instead of bottled water.

JANUARY/MARCH 2015 15

Carl Gutsce arrived in 1867 and helped to form an association of German Baptist churches.