BRISBANE—Bruce Webb, pastor of The Woodlands First Baptist Church, recounted the history of Baptist advocacy for freedom of religion during a breakout session at the Baptist World Congress focused on the persecution of Christians.

Webb started with Thomas Helwys and John Smyth becoming the first Baptists in direct response to the lack of complete religious freedom in England.

He traced Baptist championing of religious freedom through the American colonies, noting persecution of dissenting Christians by the official state churches—during that period.

“Using political power to achieve spiritual gains … is always short-sighted,” Webb said, alluding to Christian nationalism.

“If we give Congress or any political leader the power to give Christianity an advantage, then we also give them the power to remove it and grant that advantage to another ideology we oppose.”

“Baptist Christians have historically believed, if put on equal footing, Christianity will win because it is true,” Webb continued.

“We have never asked for an advantage, have never supported coercion, but have passionately advocated for the freedom to worship, serve God and share the good news of Jesus Christ with everyone everywhere.”

Samson Aderinto Adedokun, pastor of New Dawn Baptist Church in Lagos, Nigeria, described the situation for Christians in his country. He and his family have experienced religious persecution firsthand by what he called “Islamic fundamentalists.”

Adedokun described the positive results of persecution. Persecution scatters the church, but for a purpose.

“When you cannot escape the fire, carry the flame where you land,” he said.

Persecutors also need God’s love, Adedokun said. So, persecuted Christians need to act in love. This love can be demonstrated in kindness toward persecutors. “Your kindness may be someone’s miracle,” he said.

“Persecution is temporary. Kingdom joy is permanent,” Adedokun concluded. “Joy flows from obedience [to God], not comfort.”

Lessons for churches from areas of conflict

Igor Bandura, vice president for international affairs with the Union of Ukrainian Baptists, participated in a breakout session focused on lessons learned from churches facing war, violence and terror.

Bandura began by  pointing to Psalm 46:1—“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.”

“This promise anchors us,” he said.

Bandura shared four lessons—“practical wisdom for any church facing trials”—Ukrainian Baptists have learned in the current war.

• “Plan for the worst. Act in faith.”

Even though their prayers expecting God to stop the war were not answered, “not one pastor said God failed us,” Bandura said. “War became our call to serve.”

• “Pace yourselves for the long haul.”

Likening war to a marathon, Bandura said: “The finish line is unknown. … Be sure you’re not alone. … Never face trials alone.”

• “Adapt your theology to war’s challenges.”

Bandura made clear he was not speaking of core theology, but theology of concepts like peace and evil.

“Peace-time theology often crumbles in war. … Theology written in a soft chair does not work because life is bloody,” he said.

“Evil is very intentional,” Bandura added. “Propaganda deceives even good Christians. … War demands sober realism. … A deceived church cannot stand.”

• “Community preserves mental and spiritual health.”

Knowing their No. 1 plan would be to serve their community when Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Ukrainian Baptists provided  water, generated electricity and offered church basements as bomb shelters.

To maintain their mental and spiritual health and build resilience, “we laugh a lot,” cry together and pray together, Bandura said.

Buckner International hosted a reunion July 12 honoring Vietnamese orphans who fled Vietnam 50 years ago, arriving in Dallas after a two-month journey on June 12, 1975.

Recently, seven of the orphans from Cam Ranh with their families returned to Vietnam marking the 50th anniversary of their journey.

Representatives from Buckner International joined them on the trip to Saigon and Cam Ranh, which for some was their first time back in Vietnam.

The trip to Vietnam included a return visit to the site where Cam Ranh Christian City Orphanage once stood. While there, they distributed shoes to children in need.

During the reunion ceremony, Albert Reyes, CEO of Buckner, noted the words of James, Jesus’ half-brother, inspired founder R.C. Buckner to begin the organization.

James 1:27 says “religion that God our father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widowsin their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”

Reyes told reunion attendees that was the driving passage that he saw and from the very beginning those two groups are the “focus of our work—care for children and senior adults.”

“Your experience and your story is woven into the larger Buckner picture that now stretches all around the world,” Reyes said.

The Buckner reunion event gave the orphans a chance to reflect on five decades of impact and changes—in their home country and in themselves.

To conclude the reunion, Buckner dedicated a bench as a memorial to honor Pastor Nguyen Xuan Ha and Pastor Jim Gayle for their efforts in caring for the orphans at Cam Ranh Christian Orphanage.

The orphans’ journey, 50 years ago

During the final days of the Vietnam War, 69 Vietnamese orphans traveled across South Vietnam. The children spent two days on a broken boat on open seas until they made it to the United States and eventually were transferred to Buckner Children’s Home in Dallas on June 12, 1975. Their arrival in Dallas garnered national attention as the largest single group of refugees from Vietnam.

North Vietnamese military forces were sweeping through south Vietnam in the spring of 1975. The city of Cam Ranh began to collapse, leaving the Cam Ranh Christian City Orphanage with the difficult choice of fleeing.

Thirteen caregivers and their children fled with orphans, accompanying them as they boarded busses bound for safety.

When Saigon fell, the group made their way to the South China Sea on a leaky boat that failed two days into the voyage.

They were rescued and towed into Singapore where they waited five days without food or water before Southern Baptist missionaries intervened.

The group flew to the United States and made it to Buckner Children’s Home where about half of the children eventually were adopted.

Those who were not adopted remained on the fourth floor in the children’s home dormitory, where they were given English lessons to prepare them to enroll in Dallas Independent School District.

The group has remained close through the years.

Sam’s salvation story

Sam Schrade (Sang Nguyen) a toddler at the time, was one of the orphans. Years have passed since the day he arrived at Buckner Children’s Home.

He now runs a media company covering sports for ESPN and Fox Sports in Houston where he resides with his wife and children.

“I was able to go back for the first time in 50 years two weeks ago. My dad was an American soldier. My mom was Vietnamese … I wasn’t very wanted. They did not need me. And I was amazingly scooped up by the Cam Ranh Christian Orphanage,” Schrade said.

Schrade reflected on the trip he made back to the place he once called home. He considered how far God brought him and the rest of the orphans.

“It is hard to know how far we’ve come in life when we don’t know where we started. And for this trip, for me, it meant seeing where we started. Now I know how far we’ve come,” Schrade added.

“We were transferred here. I was three years old. The fact that Buckner facilitated Christian homes changed my life. My mom led me to Christ in fourth grade. I became a Christian and all of us in the group have a lot of gratitude,” Schrade concluded.

Buckner International Communications contributed to this story.

BRISBANE—Featured speakers at the Baptist World Congress challenged global Baptists to live out the gospel by caring for neighbors, making disciples, pursuing justice, advocating for freedom, and bearing witness to the transforming power of Christ.

With “Living the Gospel” as their theme, more than 3,000 Baptists from about 130 nations gathered in Brisbane, Australia, for the 23rd Baptist World Congress.

Throughout the international event, speakers focused on different aspects of what it means to join in the “Acts 2 movement” as presented by Elijah Brown, general secretary of the Baptist World Alliance.

Brown urged Baptists around the world to mark the 2,000th anniversary of Jesus’ resurrection and the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost by committing to follow principles demonstrated in Acts 2.

Disruptiveness of the gospel

John Kim, executive director of South Korea-based Good Steward, urged Baptists to embrace radical discipleship that transforms lives and disrupts the status quo.

“Jesus came to disrupt things,” Kim said, noting a life spent following Jesus is “not for the faint-hearted.”

Being a follower of Jesus and making other disciples requires making an investment in the lives of others, he noted.

“We invest in people because people matter to God,” Kim said.

Discipleship demands self-denial and challenges followers of Jesus to examine their lifestyles, he said.

“We are comfort-driven creatures,” Kim said. “We don’t want to let go of our stuff.”

Australian Baptist pastor Dale Stephenson rejected the notion that making disciples is a spiritual gift limited to only a few Christians.

“Disciple-making is everybody’s responsibility,” said Stephenson, pastor of Crossway Baptist Church in Melbourne.

“There is not a gift of disciple making. There is the command of disciple making.”

Christ gave his Great Commission—to “make disciples” of all nations—to “ordinary people” equipped and empowered by the Holy Spirit, he noted.

“Listen for the prompting of the Holy Spirit,” Stephenson said. “Do what God is prompting you to do.”

Pursuing freedom in a broken world

Christians should count the cost of pursuing freedom in a broken world, said Jennifer Lau, executive director of Canadian Baptist Ministries.

“The gift of freedom does not have a price, but it does have a cost,” Lau said.

While some view freedom in terms of individualistic, self-centered autonomy, true freedom in Christ is “meant to be experienced in community and in relationships,” she said.

And that connectedness carries an emotional cost, she acknowledged.

In a world “rife with injustice,” Christians cannot be emotionally detached “bystanders” to oppression, she continued. Instead, Christians are called to be people who “move toward the suffering.”

“We don’t get to stand at a comfortable distance,” Lau said.

Rather, Christians should “emulate the character of Christ” and be willing to love deeply and without restraint,” she said.

“The freedom we have in Christ compels us to be neighbors to those on the margins,” Lau said.

Kay Warren, cofounder of Saddleback Church in Southern California, called on Baptists to offer care and support to individuals who wrestle with mental health issues and to their families.

She and her husband Rick discovered the challenges families face when a loved one experiences mental illness. Their son Matthew battled mental health issues 20 years before eventually taking his life 12 years ago.

Families whose lives are touched by mental health struggles need the love of a caring community, she stressed, and churches can meet that need.

“Every church—no matter its size, location or financial status—can make an intentional, deliberate decision to become a caring and compassionate sanctuary for individuals living with mental illness and their families,” Warren said.

She urged churches to minister to families affected by mental illness by helping meet practical needs, training volunteers and putting them to work, removing the stigma attached to mental illness, collaborating with the community and offering hope.

Courageous truth-telling

“Perilous times” compel Baptists to be courageous truth-tellers, said Marsha Scipio, director of Baptist World Aid.

“Truth-telling can get you into trouble,” Scipio said. “It can have painful consequences. But truth-telling can lead to transformation.”

Sometimes, Christians must assume a prophetic posture and offer “frank speech” that challenges the status quo, she stressed.

“Prophetic speech names what is wrong that needs to be made right,” Scipio said.

While “frank speech” may produce sadness, it can become godly sorrow leading to repentance that produces transformation, she said.

“Be about the business of prophetic agitation,” she urged. “Take up the mantle of truth-telling.”

Kethoser Kevichusa of Nagaland, director of intercultural learning and collaboration with BMS World Mission, described the state of the world and Christ’s impact on it.

“We all know our world is in a mess,” he said.

The coming of Jesus did not bring an immediate end to violence, poverty, hunger and injustice, he acknowledged. However, it brought something far greater.

“Jesus brought God in the flesh,” he said. “We now have God with us.”

God has “staked his claim” on all of creation, and he has given his Holy Spirit to his people to guide, equip and empower them to proclaim the gospel, Kevichusa said.

The New Testament book of Acts emphasizes the role of the Holy Spirit in the growth of the church and the spread of the gospel, he noted.

“If the early church needed the Holy Spirit so much, how much more do we?” he asked.

Charlie Dates, pastor of both Progressive Baptist Church in Chicago and Salem Baptist Church in Chicago, called on global Baptists to be “anointed proclaimers” who are “not ashamed of the gospel.”

“The gospel is the only message that cures what it diagnoses. The gospel has unlimited capacity. The gospel is the power of God,” Dates said.

Unfortunately, some churches go to the wrong source for power, he noted. In the United States, some Christians hope to gain power from political candidates and elected officials.

“We have moved from megachurches to MAGA churches,” Dates said.

Christians need to recognize the church does not need worldly power, because it already has been entrusted with a powerful gospel that has “incomparable rearranging power,” he observed.

The gospel has the power to transform lives, and that transforming power is available personally to all who will receive it, he emphasized.

“The gospel is for everybody,” Dates said. “It reveals the righteousness of God.”

BRISBANE—Good news for the poor exists, and his name is Jesus, Tim Costello, executive director of Micah Australia, told a July 9 symposium on aid, immediately prior to the Baptist World Congress.

“Yes, we worship Jesus, but Jesus didn’t say, ‘Worship me.’ He said, ‘Follow me.’ … You cannot follow Jesus without being profoundly concerned for the poor,” Costello told the symposium sponsored by the Baptist Forum on Aid and Development.

In his “signature sermon” in Nazareth at the beginning of his public ministry, Jesus proclaimed “good news for the poor,” Costello said.

When Jesus told his disciples “the poor you will have with you always,” he was not telling them there was no point in trying to alleviate poverty, he stressed. Rather, he asserted, Jesus was emphasizing his disciples’ continuing responsibility to the poor.

“There is no escaping the claims of the poor,” Costello said. “This isn’t an option. … This is fundamental to following Jesus.”

Need to ‘prioritize the poor’

A world that “is retribalizing fast” needs Christians who are not focused on the greatness of any single nation but upon the greatness of the mission of following Jesus by embodying good news for the poor, he insisted.

“It’s not about seizing power. It’s about being a witness,” Costello said.

Jesus has called his followers to “prioritize the poor” in a world that seeks to disregard them, he asserted.

“In a retribalizing, populist, post-truth, polarizing world, is there good news?  Yes, there is. The answer is Jesus. He is the good news,” Costello said.

‘This is a humanitarian disaster’

Costello described what he witnessed one week earlier, spending eight days on the Thai-Burma border among the Chin, Kachin, Karen and other persecuted ethnic minority groups.

“Please, in their moment of Gethsemane, do not forget the Baptists of Burma,” Costello urged.

Talking with Chin leaders, he heard about 60 churches that had been bombed.

“Sadly, with the cessation of USAID, the TB, malaria, HIV treatments and emergency health care is no longer getting into the ethnic areas,” he said.

A Baptist doctor with whom he spoke wondered how the hospital where she serves could continue running without USAID funds.

 “The nine refugee camps on the Thai-Burmese border—mainly with Karen refugees, mainly Baptist—will all close at the end of this month. Why? Because the $1 million to feed them from USAID has ceased,” Costello said.

Other governments also have cut their aid budgets, leaving the camps without resources.

“This is a humanitarian disaster. … The churches in the ethnic areas of Burma are literally the only humanitarian centers left. There is really no aid getting in,” he reported.

“It’s the churches alone, even with churches being bombed and under attack, who are trying to feed some 1.6 million Karen internally displaced people in their state.”

Direct action, advocacy and generosity

Costello described the Australian “Safer World for All” campaign to mobilize Christians to direct action, advocacy and generous giving to help the poor.

Christians who have a passion for the world’s poor not only are contrary to society at large that sees empathy as a “fundamental weakness,” but also are at odds with some evangelicals who talk about “the sin of empathy,” he noted.

“I want to say that because it has been so profoundly influenced by the story of the Good Samaritan, the fundamental strength of western civilization is empathy,” Costello said. “It’s good news for the poor.”

In a panel discussion, Irene Gallegos with Texas Baptists’ Christian Life Commission emphasized the importance of working not only at the “macro level” through large-scale organizations and international efforts, but also at the “micro level” through personal ministry to neighbors.

A vision of shalom

Johnathan Hemmings with the Jamaica Baptist Union focused on the need to serve the poor, stand with the poor and walk alongside the poor.

Missional engagement must be informed by a vision of shalom—biblical peace and wholeness, he asserted.

Hemmings described how the “haves” and the “have nots” perceive peace differently. Those who have abundance may be willing to practice charity but not be open to transformational initiatives because they benefit from the status quo, he observed.

“Charity never transforms systems and structures. It requires justice, mercy and humility,” he said.

Wissam Nasrallah, chief operations officer for Thimar, a Christian nonoprofit based in Lebanon, decried any form of the gospel that is focused exclusively on improving one’s own life, rather than doing good for everyone.

“What the gospel does, first and foremost, is that it destroys self-centeredness,” he said. “This is the source of our ills. We are too self-centered.”

Move beyond charity

Amanda Khozi Mukwashi, United Nations resident coordinator in Lesotho, not only participated in the panel discussion, but also as keynote speaker at a luncheon sponsored by Baptist World Aid.

“I think we have become too comfortable,” Mukwashi said, challenging churches to move beyond charity and instead pursue freedom and justice for the poor by seeking to dismantle unjust systems and structures.

“We live in a turbulent and volatile world. … It is a world where poverty, war and injustice persist,” she said. “But it is a world where the church is called to respond not just with charity, but with prophetic clarity and moral courage and fortitude,” she said.

She drew a sharp contrast between allegiance to the empires of this world and the kingdom of God.

The church too often mirrors the unjust systems and structures of empire, but it is called to disrupt and dismantle them, she stressed.

“It involves breaking free from both external domination and internalized oppression, from inherited injustice and distorted images of God, self and others,” Mukwashi said. “It means calling out the gospel of Caesar masquerading as the gospel of Christ.”

Deliverance from the grip of empire

The Exodus story not only was the central event of God’s people in the Old Covenant, but also informs how the church should view liberation today, she emphasized.

Exodus focused on “God delivering his people from the grip of empire not only physically but spiritually,” she said.

“Pharaoh and empire did not see the Israelites as people or as neighbors. It saw them as threats, laborers and problems to manage and to solve. Their identity was stripped. Their worth was reduced to simply economy. I hope that sounds familiar,” Mukwashi said.

“Many of our churches and institutions have inherited theologies shaped by empire—prioritizing hierarchy over service, order over justice, control over compassion, and charity over restoration—and God help us if we mention the word ‘reparations.’”

‘Are we preaching a gospel of freedom?’

Even humanitarian aid to the poor can become an instrument of manipulation and oppression, she noted.

“When humanitarian efforts treat people as problems instead of partners, they unintentionally mirror Pharaoh’s mindset. Aid is offered, but voice is silenced. Needs are met, yet dependency is perpetuated,” she said.

“The church must ask itself, ‘Are we empowering communities, or are we replicating Egypt draped in religious language?’”

The people of God are called to a reimagined world and to create community “where dignity is restored and the image of God is recognized in every one of us,” she said.

“Are we preaching a gospel that liberates or one that domesticates? … Are we preaching a gospel of freedom?” she asked.

“Are our churches places of refuge or replicas of Pharaoh’s palace? Have we accepted theologies and structures that mimic empire more than the kingdom of God?”

Christians are called to challenge empire—including empire within the church, she said.

KERRVILLE—The Wheat brothers are well-known as ministers in this part of the Texas Hill Country. Robert serves as director of missions for Hill Country Baptist Association, while his brother John is pastor of Trinity Baptist Church in Kerrville.

When a deadly July 4 flash flood tore through the area, killing more than 100 people and displacing hundreds more, they found themselves at the center of ministering to others.

They ministered while experiencing their own grief and the loss of neighbors, friends and fellow church members.

Currently, about 160 people remain missing, and search and recovery efforts by authorities still are active.

After experiencing the devastation firsthand, Robert Wheat, a volunteer with Texans on Mission, contacted the group and called for a response from its disaster relief volunteers.

 “These are the best, most willing servants that get up and go and do whatever it takes,” he said. “Whether it’s handing out (moving) boxes, cleaning mud and debris, chainsawing or even helping do laundry for the teams that keep going out.”

He also pointed out the immediate response of Texans on Mission chaplains as a “point of connection that reaches out to these folks for the first time. Many of them are desperate.”

Robert Wheat has ministered alongside Texans on Mission chaplains before, and he said each encounter has been a blessing.

“The blessing is once you meet somebody, once you meet a homeowner or their family, the first thing they do is, we gather with them, we introduce ourselves, we circle up and we pray. And after we pray, we get busy,” he said.

“And typically the chaplain will be the responsible person with the homeowner, keeping contact with them, making contact with neighbors and just building that rapport.

“Whether we’re going to be there a few hours or whether we’re going to be there several days, that chaplain is important. We do this because there’s an eternal message for us behind what we do, and we want you to understand it.”

‘Great loss of life’

John Wheat, who also has been involved with Texans on Mission, said the community is reeling from the tragedy.

“We’ve had great loss of life, great loss of property,” he said.

Following the flood, the church served as an information and host center for families missing loved ones at a local school.

“There were a lot of people missing. So, the families went there to try to relocate their children,” he explained.

“We were there to pray with families, but pretty soon, it was apparent that there was another need, because some of the parents there would be united with their children, and there’s another group of parents that wouldn’t.”

Responding to a request from the Kerr County Sheriff’s Department, Trinity opened its doors to offer a place for parents waiting on word about their children in a safe place.

“They were with us on Friday most of the evening, and our church got a chance to love on them a little bit,” John Wheat said. “This is a place that felt more home for them. They began to sit together and … share each other’s story.

“These families had sent their children to camp maybe for years, but they didn’t necessarily know each other. But they bonded through this time.”

Many of the families stayed at the church through Sunday—many receiving the news their loved ones’ remains had been located.

Continuing to pray and offer hope

The church continues to pray with them and offer words of eternal hope. The pastor reflected on the disaster’s short and long-term impact on his community.

“We have lost loved ones in our community—pillars of great standing in our community, a lot of children in our community,” John Wheat said.

“I don’t know the exact numbers, but the majority of people who were affected with this flood probably were not from our community. They were the campers who were here for the July 4th weekend. They were children who had gone to camp, and parents were going to pick them up on Friday and take them home on their way down here.”

Since hosting the families, Trinity has “transitioned to Texans on Mission being here and looking at the next phase of relief effort,” the pastor said.

“Teams will be coming in for mud-outs and clean-outs and whatever they can, and providing chaplain services as well,” he explained.

“We’re so fortunate and glad to have them here and know that this is a place of ministry and hope.”

KERRVILLE—Seven Texans on Mission chaplains are ministering to people dealing with the aftermath of the deadly Hill Country flash flood on July 4, and assessors are gathering specific information from homeowners who need help.

Kai Kowalski, a Texans on Mission chaplain, said the team is ministering to survivors who experienced life-changing trauma and “miraculous” events during and after the disaster that killed more than 100 people and displaced hundreds more

“When we went out today, we met with survivors and heard the miraculous things that the Lord has done to save people,” Kowalski said July 8.

One man told the chaplain of being “washed out of the house, and he had his wife wrapped around him, like sitting on his lap, legs, body facing towards him.”

“He’s holding onto her with his right hand, and they’re in water above their head,” Kowalski said. “He’s about to be sucked downstream, and a lightning bolt went off. The only thing he saw was that tree branch right there, so he grabbed that tree branch. He pulled himself to the tree, and they climbed six feet up into the tree to save themselves until the water went down.”

On the other side of the Guadalupe River, the chaplains went with Texans on Mission assessors and talked to another couple.

“The gentleman tells me that (the floodwaters were) coming down … and then all of a sudden he heard ‘help me’ three times,” Kowalski recalled.

When the man turned around, he saw two little girls, 15 feet out in the water.

“He swam out there to grab those two little girls and save their lives and pull them back. That’s a God moment,” Kowalski said.

“I see and hear of miracle after miracle after miracle. But then I hit the deep end of where two people, two families, are just looking for closure for what they’ve already lost. To me,  … that is a chaplain moment.”

A “chaplain moment,” he explained, is “spreading the gospel to the people, being the voice of Christ and getting out there” among hurting people to share the love of Jesus, and letting them know there are people who care for them.

Chaplains “are not here for a hurrah,” he added. “It’s just seven of us … out there spreading the love of Christ, looking and seeing who and where, we can help, house to house, walk by walk.”

That dedication to sharing their faith “is what Texans on Mission is all about,” he added.

“It’s not about fixing things. Fixing things can be done by the 1,000 other people who are here,” he said. “It’s about the voice of Christ and the hands of Christ being given out to the people who need hope.”

More than 60 Texas Baptist pastors and church leaders endorsed an open letter of support for Baylor University’s decision to return a grant for the study of the “disenfranchisement and exclusion of LGBTQIA + individuals and women” in churches, while the grant-issuing foundation issued a statement expressing disappointment.

On June 30, Baylor’s Diana R. Garland School of Social Work announced a nearly $644,000 grant from the Eula Mae and John Baugh Foundation awarded to the school’s Center for Church and Community Impact. The stated intent of the “Courage from the Margins” grant was to fund a study “to help foster inclusion and belonging in the church.”

However, on July 9, Baylor President Linda Livingstone issued a statement saying: “Dean Jon Singletary and principal investigator Dr. Gaynor Yancey have voluntarily offered to rescind their acceptance of this grant on behalf of the School of Social Work and return all associated funds to the Baugh Foundation.”

She noted the situation surrounding the grant had “caused concern and confusion for many within the Baylor Family and among our broader community of churches, partner organizations, and supporters.”

Demonstrating ‘moral courage’

In response to Livingstone’s announcement, a group of Texas Baptist ministers and church leaders issued an open letter commending “Baylor’s commitment to hold together theological conviction and compassionate presence.”

“We recognize the thoughtful, prayerful discernment reflected in your actions,” the letter stated.

The group applauded Livingstone for speaking “with clarity and conviction, rooted in love and guided by wisdom.”

“In a polarized culture, Baylor’s decision demonstrates moral courage, affirming biblical orthodoxy while cultivating a campus environment where every student is treated with dignity, care and grace,” the letter stated.

“We affirm the sexual ethic outlined in Ephesians 5, which presents marriage as a sacred covenant between a man and a woman, patterned after Christ’s love for the Church. We affirm the call to love all people with Christlike kindness.”

The church leaders stated they “stand with Baylor University and Truett Seminary in their continued mission to serve Christ faithfully through the academic and spiritual formation of future leaders—living out their calling Pro Ecclesia, Pro Texana, Pro Mundo with conviction and grace.”

The church leaders pledged “ongoing prayers” for Livingstone and “for the entire Baylor community.”

‘Pulling the rug out’ from under faculty

Meanwhile, the Baugh Foundation board of trustees posted a statement saying it was “deeply saddened” by Baylor’s decision to cancel the “Courage from the Margins” grant.

“This was an opportunity to answer the Christian call to care for the marginalized by creating resources and providing important research for faith communities. … Not all Baptist believers or churches are aligned on every interpretation of scripture concerning women or LGBTQIA+ individuals, but churches need evidence-based research,” the board stated.

“We believe that all humans are created in God’s image and deserve a loving spiritual home. The purpose of this research was not to dictate theology, but to better understand the disenfranchisement that LGBTQIA+ individuals and women often face in the church.”

“This decision disserves Baylor students, faculty, and the broader Christian community,” the board statement continued.

“Pulling the rug out from under its faculty after those researchers have already put the grueling work into securing funding, work they undertook with Baylor’s full knowledge and approval, is a chilling affront to the very concept of academic freedom.”

The board said the foundation will “continue to support partners who have the courage to listen to voices from the margins and who are dedicated to a more just and welcoming world.”

Widespread show of support

Texas Baptist church leaders who signed the letter of support for Baylor were: Jay Abernathy from First Baptist Church, Woodville; Stan Allcorn from First Baptist Church in Stamford, Adrián Amézquita from Red Pastoral, Houston; Howie Batson from First Baptist Church, Amarillo; Jeff Berger from First Baptist Church, Conroe; Chad Bertrand from South Park Baptist Church, Alvin; Steve Bezner, formerly of Houston Northwest Church and now at Truett Seminary;

Duane Brooks from Tallowood Baptist Church, Houston; Trevor Brown from First Baptist Church, Amarillo; Collin Bullard from First Baptist Church, Longview; Sam Bunnell from First Baptist Church, Henrietta; Chad Chaddick from First Baptist Church, San Marcos; Ross Chandler from First Baptist Church, Marble Falls; Stacy Conner from First Baptist Church, Muleshoe;

Bobby Contreras from Alamo Heights Baptist Church, San Antonio; Al Curley III from Cornerstone Baptist Church in Arlington; Craig Curry from First Baptist Church, Plano; Russell Cravens from Neartown Church, Houston; Daniel Crowther from South Main Baptist Church, Pasadena; Kenny Dean from The Bridge Fellowship, Sugar Land;

John Durham from Highland Baptist Church, Waco; Hugo Gallegos from First Baptist Church Duncanville en Español; Brent Gentzel from First Baptist Church, Kaufman; Jeff Gravens from First Baptist Church, Sulphur Springs; Mark Hartman from Sugar Creek Baptist Church, Sugar Land;

Brian Haynes from Bay Area Church, League City; Jim Heiligman from First Baptist Church, Bryan; Kyle Henderson, formerly pastor of First Baptist Church in Athens and now with the Baptist World Alliance; Brian Hill from First Baptist Church, Corpus Christi; Kay James from First Baptist Church, Kaufman;

Chris Johnson from First Baptist Church, San Antonio; Pablo Juarez from First Baptist Church Kaufman en Español; Paul Kim from Forest Community Church, Plano; Josh King from Valley Ridge Church, Lewisville; Juan Lambarria from First Baptist Church, The Woodlands en Español;

Ronny Marriott from First Baptist Church, Richardson, current president of the Baptist General Convention of Texas; Gregg Matte from First Baptist Church, Houston; Jordan McKinney from Hillcrest Baptist Church, Cedar Hill; Dwight McKissic from Cornerstone Baptist Church, Arlington;

Chris McLain from First Baptist Church, Bandera; Juan Moreno from First Baptist Church, Athens; Roger Patterson from West University Baptist Church, Houston; Matt Richard from First Baptist Church, Llano; Moses Rodriguez from First Baptist Church, Cotula; Mark Rotramel from First Baptist Church, El Paso;

Will Rushing from University Baptist Church, Houston; Lawrence Scott from Harvest Point Church, Pearland; Kris Segrest from Cross Church, Wylie; Joshua Sharp from First Baptist Church, Chappell Hill; Ross Shelton from First Baptist Church, Brenham; Nichole Sims from First Baptist Church, Marble Falls; Meredith Summers from Pioneer Drive Baptist Church, Abilene;

Jeff Warren from Park Cities Baptist Church in Dallas; Bruce Webb from First Baptist Church, The Woodlands; Jeff Wells from Woods Edge Community Church, The Woodlands; Bruce Wesley from Clear Creek Community Church, League City; Hunter Wheatcraft from First Baptist Church, Athens; John Whitten from Pioneer Drive Baptist Church, Abilene; Dennis Wiles from First Baptist Church, Arlington; and Darin Wood from First Baptist Church, Midland.

Joining the Texas Baptists who signed the letter were Stephen Allen from Tabernacle Baptist Church in Carrollton, Ga.; Will Dyer from First Baptist Church, Augusta, Ga.; and Jeff Raines from First Baptist Church in Shreveport, La.

Meghan Hendrickson to Valley Ranch Baptist Church in Coppell as discipleship pastor, from Dallas Baptist University where she was director of the Baptist Student Ministry.

Dan Newburg to Fannin Terrace Baptist Church in Midland as pastor, from First Baptist Church in Devine where he was senior pastor.

About 60 students and sponsors from churches across Texas showed up in Nederland to volunteer with Bounce, a student disaster recovery ministry.

Middle and high school youth gathered at First Baptist Church in Nederland where they were housed, fellowshipped and participated in nightly worship services.

“They have been so gracious to open their facility for us. They have played a significant role in the recovery efforts. We appreciate their partnership,” David Scott, director of Bounce, said.

The teens spent multiple days divided into multiple job sites to make repairs on homes that suffered damage from previous storms. Students and leaders teamed up with 4B Disaster Response, South Main Baptist Church in Pasadena and Texans on Mission.

“People are still living in Harvey-affected homes,” Scott said. “It’s been almost seven years. We are delighted that there are so many highly motivated students who are giving a portion of their summer vacation to serve these people who have such great needs.”

High school student Uriel Moctezuma participated for the first time in Bounce with his team of seven youth and three leaders from The Crossing Baptist Church in Mesquite.

“I’ve been on a mission trip before, but I never worked in a big group of seven people. I’m really excited. I have experience with repairing houses damaged from natural disasters. I really want to help where I can,” Moctezuma said.

Siblings sent to serve

Lydia, high school student and member of The Woods Baptist Church in Tyler came to Bounce with three students and four leaders. Two out of her group are siblings, high schoolers Joseph and Mary.

The siblings worked together to shift furniture around a home to make room for replacing and installing new wood flooring.

“We felt led to go on a mission trip this summer because we were trying to figure out summer activities. We wanted to do something local, but outside of our city, something out of our comfort zone. We want to help people,” Lydia said.

Joseph came to Bounce with years of experience ranging from remodeling bathrooms to building storage nooks like bookshelves.

“It is always a great opportunity for everyone to learn about the Lord and to be able to do what God told us in the Great Commission,” Joseph said.

The background on Bounce

Bounce—a ministry of Texas Baptists—was created to engage middle, high school and college students in mission work from church planting to disaster recovery.

Chris Liebrum, former director of disaster recovery, consulted with Scott to launch the ministry in 2013. In 2014, they gathered their first crew of students to start ministering to people in West.

“We were in West in June of that year doing recovery from the fertilizer plant explosion. We spent two weeks there,” Scott said.

Scott added Bounce was the first ministry integrating student ministry and volunteer service together for community service ever to do disaster recovery.

Ron Zimmer, construction coordinator for Bounce, makes sure the projects are prepared for the volunteers to learn onsite and start projects.

“My responsibility is to get everything ready for the kids, so when they get here it is a meaningful experience for them. Most of my job is done months and weeks ahead of a project. I work with the agencies like Jefferson County Long Term Recovery. We’ve done a lot of projects with them. They embrace us,” Zimmer said.

With supervision and training, the students are prepared to spend each day installing bathroom vanities, replacing baseboards, repairing roofs and installing floors. The goal is to help each student understand the importance of sharing the gospel and serving communities.

“We’re here to minister. God needs us here to minister to people, and that’s our first and foremost goal. We do that through loving on the neighbors, the residents, and do some work too,” Zimmer continued.

Bounce plans for Hill Country flood disaster recovery

Scott and his team are reaching out to churches and ministries within the Hill Country in preparation for disaster recovery from the tragic floods that overwhelmed the community along the Guadalupe River.

While there are preliminary conversations between Kerr County officials and local ministries, the decision at this time is to wait until emergency response is completed.

“They are not ready for us at this point in time. They’re still in that first phase of disaster work. We’ve reached out to a couple of people in the area and a couple of the churches to see what their role is going to be and how we might partner with them to mobilize students,” Scott said.

Wayland Baptist University announces the promotion of longtime staff member Teresa Young to the role of associate vice president for institutional advancement. A 1994 Wayland graduate, Young brings more than two decades of experience in communications, alumni engagement and fundraising to her new position. She most recently served as development officer for annual gifts and grants, where she played a key role in donor engagement and stewardship during the university’s successful Thrive campaign. Young earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in mass communicationand English from Wayland in 1994 and a Master of Arts in mass communication from Texas Tech University in 2003. Before joining the university, she worked as a journalist for the Weatherford Democrat, Plainview Daily Herald and Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. She began her career at Wayland in July 2000 as director of public relations and communications. After a two-year stint serving in mission work with Athletes in Action in Ohio, Young returned to the university in 2013 as director of annual giving. She later served as director of alumni relations beginning in 2017 and moved into her most recent development role in 2022. In her new role, Young will manage strategic fundraising initiatives and provide leadership to the university’s development team.

This year Houston Christian University celebrates the 50th anniversary of The Guild and its success in raising more than $2.6 million in scholarship funds to support graduate students since its inception. Established in November 1974 as the President’s Advisors, The Guild is a group of civic-minded, dedicated Christian women from various denominations who joined forces under the auspices of the president of Houston Christian University to fulfill a unique role in the future growth and development of the university. In 1994, The Guild launched a graduate scholarship program—an initiative that has since awarded 567 scholarships, including 81 endowed and 486 annual scholarships.The Guild recently hosted its annual Silver Tea, a major fundraising event supporting their scholarship program, which benefits graduate students in the School of Christian Thought and the College of Education and Behavioral Sciences. For the upcoming academic year, this organization has awarded 34 annual scholarships and eight endowed scholarships for students pursuing degrees at both the master’s and doctoral levels. Since its founding, The Guild has brought together civic-minded Christian women, united through service, social fellowship and spiritual purpose, to support the university’s mission of preparing students for lives of service and leadership.

The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor’s chemistry department recently received a $40,000 grant from the Robert A. Welch Foundation of Houston. This grant will fund student chemistry research for the 2025-2026 academic year. It also will facilitate student research scholarships, conference travel, publications and new equipment. During the 2024-2025 academic year, eight UMHB chemistry students received chemical research scholarships from the Welch Foundation’s three-year grant to UMHB. They are Amber Dickey from Frisco, Jordana Discher from Plano, Courtney Glasterfrom Humble, Constantinos Loullis from Salado, Morgan McMullen from Niederwald, Shane Melick from Oro Valley, Ariz., Camille Ornelas from Weslaco, and Lyndsey Schwope from Marble Falls.

Oleksandr Geychenko, rector of Odesa Theological Seminary, invites all who wish to participate to the Summer School of Theology 2025, hosted by Eastern European Institute of Theology July 28 through August 2. The event will be via Zoom and mostly in English. Lectures presented in other languages will have English translation for those requesting it. The theme of the school is “The World with Broken Borders: Theological Perspectives on Displacement and Diasporas.” For information on presenters and to register click here.

BRISBANE—The Baptist World Alliance Women’s Summit celebrated the work of Baptist women around the globe and connected them to support one another with renewed sense of purpose in living the good news.

Along with BWA Women Executive Director J. Merritt Johnston and outgoing President Karen Wilson and Secretary/Treasurer Sherrie Cherdak, the women who comprise BWA Women Executive Board lead continental unions of Baptist women.

These serve voluntarily as BWA Women vice presidents and as presidents of their continental conferences.

Each regional leader reported on special projects their organizations have undertaken, as well the ongoing work of Baptist women in her continent or region.

Union leaders reported work related to ministering to victims of domestic violence and sexual abuse, religious persecution, literacy education for children and adults, disaster relief, ministry in areas of conflict and to internally displaced people and otherwise meeting basic human needs.

All the while, women proclaimed the good news of Jesus and sought to disciple and intentionally seek to engage young Baptist women to become Jesus-shaped leaders.

The unions and their leaders include: Verónica León Caro, Unión Femenil Bautista de América Latina; Siham Daoud, European Baptist Women United; Karlene Edwards-Warrick, Caribbean Baptist Women’s Union; Patty Lane, Baptist Women of North America; Elissa Mcpherson, Baptist Women of the Pacific; Jane Mwangi, Baptist Women’s Union of Africa; and Vernette Myint Myint San, Asia Baptist Women’s Union.

Live counter-cultural lives

Tamiko Jones, executive director of Woman’s Missionary Union of Texas, challenged BWA Women to live counter-cultural lives, formed by the Holy Spirit, and do good even if it means suffering like Jesus.

Jones noted four teachings found in Romans 12 showing how to live lives on the basis of Christ.

First, Christians are to demonstrate love—not a transactional love, but a genuine love that seeks to outdo one another in showing honor.

Christians are not to wait until someone is “worthy” to show love, but rather to love one another as Christ, who died for us while we were still sinners, loved us, Jones said.

Also, Christians are to serve enthusiastically, “not as unto man, but unto the Lord Jesus,” who though he was worthy to be served, chose instead to serve.

Following Christ means that we are servants first, “as we serve in a global community, as we serve right where he has placed us,” Jones said.

Romans 12 also compels Christians to keep on praying even through the most difficult circumstances and to practice hospitality, holding each other accountable in community and giving testimony to the ways our lives never have been the same since meeting Jesus.

“Our sisters” around the globe need hope, Jones asserted, noting “we have more in common than our differences.”

“For such a time as this, we must be unified and demonstrate the love of Jesus Christ to the world,” she said.

Two panels discussed the global issue of gender-based violence and sexual abuse and global Baptist women leaders.

Gender-based violence panel

French Baptist theologian Valérie Duval-Poujol began the Red Chair Project to raise awareness of domestic abuse and sexual abuse. She shared startling statistics to answer the question of “why” there is a need for global advocacy on this matter to begin panel discussion.

Duval-Poujol noted:

• Globally, 12 million girls are forced into marriage each year “which often means a sentence to domestic violence for life” she asserted.
• 6,000 girls are subject to female genital mutilation each day.
• Excluding marital rape, which were those numbers included the statistics would be even higher she pointed out, in the United States every 1.5 minutes a woman is raped.
• Worldwide, 1 in 3 teenage girls aged 16 to 19 in settled relationships has been the victim of emotional, physical and/or sexual violence at the hands of her husband or partner.
• Globally a woman or girl dies at the hand of an intimate partner or family member every 11 minutes.
• Globally, 1 in 4 women has experienced sexual violence from her intimate partner in the last 12 months.
• And in every denomination, 1 in 4 Christian women has experienced domestic violence in her current relationship.

Other panelists included Ruta Aloalii, community conversations facilitator and leader of Village Connect in Australia, and Zandile Tshabalala, general secretary of the Baptist Convention of South Africa National Women’s Department and manager of Ndawo Yahko, a women’s shelter for abused women and their children in South Africa.

Aloalii and Tshabalala discussed with Duval-Poujol and moderator Pastora Nohemy Acosta, of Honduras, their efforts to combat domestic and sexual violence in their countries.

Baylor University President Linda Livingstone participated in the second panel featuring global Baptist women leaders, which included Penetina Kogoya, who has served for 20 years as representative for Paupua Indigenous peoples in the Papuan Parliament and Melissa Lipsett, CEO of Baptist World Aid.

Introduction of new leaders

Outgoing BWA Women President Karen Wilson of Australia explained the term for the new officers beginning their terms will be shorted from 5 years to 2.5 years. Caribbean Baptist Women’s Union President Karlene Edwards-Warrick was announced as incoming president, the first Caribbean woman to hold the position.

Wilson noted the second officer now will serve under a new title as first vice president. That officer’s term also is reduced to 2.5 years but with the hope that the first vice president then would step into the role of president. Rula Abassi form Jordan was announced as the new first vice president.

BWA President Tomás Mackey of Argentina prayed a blessing over the women as they assume their new leadership roles.

BRISBANE—With “Living the Good News” as their theme, more than 3,000 Baptists from around the world gathered in Brisbane for an opening celebration launching the 23rd Baptist World Congress.

The evening began with the drone of a didgeridoo and a tribute to Australia’s Aboriginal people. It continued with a parade of banners signifying the 135 nations represented in the hall and worship in song.

The celebration concluded with a call for Baptists to pray for God to launch an “Acts 2 movement” among them.

Elijah Brown, general secretary of the Baptist World Alliance, challenged Baptists internationally to pray for “global revival in every language, neighborhood and nation.”

“We believe our mundane can become God’s miraculous. Our simple can become God’s supernatural. Our ordinary can be God’s extraordinary,” Brown said.

Christians look to 2033 as the “greatest anniversary in the history of the world,” he said—the 2,000th anniversary of the death, burial, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ and the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, marking the birth of the church.

BWA is challenging Baptists globally to mark that anniversary by committing to follow principles demonstrated in Acts 2.

“The church at her birth was the church at her best,” Brown said. “It begins with the Holy Spirit.”

Brown called Baptists around the world to pray for and pursue “an unprecedented Holy Spirit-filled collaborative global mission.”

“The wounds of this world are too deep and the people are too weary for us to do anything less than to work together in shared presence. Let the old structures of power and separation give way to missional collaboration,” he said.

By 2033, the BWA is encouraging Baptists globally to join in an “Acts 2 movement,” believing just as God poured out his Spirit at Pentecost to empower the church, the Lord will “do it again,” he said.

Path to an Acts 2 movement

Based on Acts 2, Brown presented a five-fold path to engage Baptists in the movement:

• Witness path.

If every Baptist in the world shared his or her Christian testimony with one person once a year for the next nine years, it would result in 450 million people hearing a personal testimony of Christ’s transforming power.

“Every Baptist is a missionary,” Brown said.

• Bible path.

Currently, 1,159 language groups still do not have access to the Scripture in their heart language. BWA is challenging Baptists globally to create 1,159 prayer groups to intercede for Bible translators.

Baptist churches also are challenged to take financial responsibility for funding Bible translations in 120 languages—roughly 10 percent of the remaining language groups.

At a personal level, BWA is urging every Baptist in the world to read at least one chapter from the Bible daily.

• Care path.

If every Baptist purposefully helped three people in Christ’s name each year between now and 2033, it would result in 1 billion intentional acts of service. By meeting needs and walking alongside hurting people, Baptists can be the presence of Christ to people who need to see him.

“We believe the wounds of Jesus are deep enough to heal the wounds of this world,” Brown said.

• Freedom and justice path.

“Our contention is not for mere toleration but for religious liberty,” Brown said. “Our contention is not just for ourselves but for all people.”

BWA is asking 1 million Baptists around the world to sign a covenant of religious freedom for all people of all faiths or no faith.

“Faith can only flourish when it is not tied to nationalism—including Christian nationalism,” he said. “Let us stand with those who face persecution.”

• Neighbor path.

BWA is seeking to enlist 500,000 individuals who will serve as neighborhood lay chaplains.

These chaplains will commit to know their neighbors by name, pray for their neighbors and “respond as the Holy Spirit leads,” Brown explained.

“God is calling us to an Acts 2 movement,” he concluded. “Pour out your hearts in prayer for global revival.”