Speaking signs of hope at the 2022 Baptist Assembly

If there was theme to BMS World Mission’s presence at this year’s Baptist Assembly, which took place in Bournemouth last weekend, it wasn’t planned. And yet one made itself known on the lips of those who took part.

Those two words – “and yet” – marked many of the conversations that began on stage during the BMS presentation on Saturday and continued in the network zone and around the interactive Geoguessr game that formed the centrepiece of the BMS stand. The theme culminated in the words of Sarah Anthony, Communications Director, during the Sunday worship as she focused our gaze on higher things:

“We wake up each morning and we witness 24/7 despair on our news screens and yet, and yet, and yet, we celebrate an unchanging God who has raised up mission workers around the world to be his hands and his feet to take his good news and his fullness of life to people everywhere.”

Sarah spoke of the work of the Baptist churches in Ukraine and its neighbouring countries and yet, she told us, “We’re also starting to understand the wider collateral damage of this war. Those who weren’t born in Ukraine and have never been there, and yet find themselves at risk from the impact of rolling tanks and falling bombs in a whole new way.”

In a phrase that underlined the damage to the world caused by the conflict, Sarah reminded us that, “Russia and Ukraine between them supply a quarter of the world’s wheat.  And yet now instead of growing wheat they’re growing armies.”

It was at the 2021 Baptist Assembly that BMS launched a Covid relief campaign to combat vaccine inequality. For BMS General Director Kang-San Tan, the work on vaccine inequality that our supporters made possible “was a real highlight and demonstrated the reality of living in an interconnected world.”

Interviewed by Sarah on stage, Kang-San reflected that, “The experience of the challenges of Covid has given us a new connection of solidarity.” He shared that, “I lost my mum last year while I was away in Chad. I arrived there from Britain with three boosters into a country where less than one per cent of our fellow Chadian Christians are vaccinated.”

From vaccine inequality in 2021 to the disaster of war striking in 2022. BMS’ long-standing partnership with the European Baptist Federation (EBF) provided the platform for UK Baptist churches to respond immediately when Russia invaded Ukraine. As EBF General Secretary Alan Donaldson shared during an interview with BMS Director of Strategy Steve Sanderson, “There are about 2,500 Baptist churches in Ukraine. Within one day of the war starting, 600 of them had been designated places of refuge.”

Alan continued, “We’re in the middle of the largest Baptist response ever, and that is not a place you want to be alone. BMS came alongside us straight away, [BMS Overseas Team Leader for Relief] Rachel [Conway-Doel] was seconded to us… and I think we have a bit more of her time than BMS realises!”

Also making guest appearances on stage during the BMS presentation were Peter Oyugi, BMS Director of Intercultural Learning and Collaboration, and Ttendo Miller, BMS Gender Justice Co-ordinator. Earlier, Baptist Union of Great Britain (BUGB) General Secretary Lynn Green had asked the audience to consider what call God has put on their lives for this year and it was a question Sarah posed to Peter and Ttendo.

Peter answered, “My hope for this coming year is that God will enable us to see how we can come alongside our brothers and sisters in the majority world and learn from them – and what a journey and privilege it will be for BMS to play a small part in what God is doing.”

Ttendo’s response pointed in the direction of her new role, “I have been praying for the last few years since we came to the UK from Uganda that God would open a door, that he would show me how he is going to use my skills and experiences. What really excites me now in this new role as gender justice champion is that this door is opening. I strongly believe that God has called me into the justice mission to be the voice for the voiceless. This is not just a job; this is a calling.”

And speaking of calling, Kwame Adzam, Overseas Team Leader for Evangelism and Discipleship, was invited to deliver a PechaKucha presentation on the subject that makes up his job. As Steve Tinning, BUGB’s Public Issues Enabler, said while introducing Kwame, “The Baptist values have this phrase in them, ‘embracing adventure, being serious about discipleship, willing to take risks and pioneer, to move out of our comfort zones and familiar ways of doing things.’ Making disciples, evangelism, these are central to what it means to be part of the Baptist family.”

A PechaKucha gives you 20 seconds to talk to 20 slides, no more no less, and as Kwame reached his crescendo, he left the audience with this final thought, “Making disciples is not rocket science… neither is it a silver bullet for solving all church challenges. It is not a programme, neither is it a method. It is a missional lifestyle. And yet, it is a joyful, intentional re-positioning and re-purposing of Christ’s church, or followers of Christ, so that they can bear fruit that abides to the glory of God.”