Baptists Trust in God Despite Terrorist Scare

Baptist leaders encouraged the 12,000 expected attendants of next week's BWA Centenary Congress next week in England to overcome the fear of terrorism and ''trust in God.''

By Pauline J. Chang, Christian Post Reporter Friday, July 22, 2005

Four more bombs hit London on Thursday, exactly two weeks after “terrorist attacks” killed 56 and wounded hundreds on July 7, raising fear levels among those planning to attend next week’s Baptist World Alliance Centenary Congress in Birmingham.

“I assure those about to travel that the Police are doing everything possible to strengthen security in our major cities,” said David Coffey, the incoming BWA president and the General Secretary of the Baptist Union of Great Britain.

A Congress is an international celebration of the 200-plus BWA member bodies that is held every five years. This year’s congress is possibly the Alliance's largest event because it marks the 100th year anniversary for the BWA.

Since the last congress in 2000, the BWA experienced several pitfalls, including the loss of its largest member – the Southern Baptist Convention.

Last year, the SBC, which at one point contributed a quarter of the BWA’s annual funds, broke relations with the BWA over “theological disputes.” The Convention charged the Alliance of drifting leftward and broke all financial and membership relations with the organization it once helped establish.

Prior to the crippling severance last year, the BWA had to make several last-minute conference changes between 2000 and 2005 because of the SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) scare in parts of Asia.

The 2003 General Council sessions, slated for Seoul, was moved to Brazil. In addition, the 2003 14th Baptist Youth World Conference shifted from 2003 to 2004, forcing organizers to apologize and encourage youth to “leave their deposits” anyways. The youth conference was held in 2004, but it is unknown how many attendants were lost in the scare.

According to organizers of this year’s Congress, the 7/7 bombings did not force too many to cancel their plans to attend. Nonetheless, officials sent out a email notice to its members, encouraging them to “trust in God” and come out to Birmingham.

“I encourage all those planning to attend the Congress to come to Birmingham as a witness to our solidarity with a suffering world and a persecuted Church,” Coffey wrote. “Many believers face threats to life on a regular basis. The current climate in the UK provides a context for God to speak to us in a deep way as a gathering of global Baptists.

“ The Congress proceeds as planned and our watchword is 'In God we trust.’

To date, some 12,000 Baptists worldwide have registered for the July 27-31 event. Birmingham is Great Britain’s second largest city, and is located about 130 miles Northwest of London.