News

In response to the COVID-19 global pandemic, the Baptist World Alliance announced Friday (March 27) it would postpone the 22nd Baptist World Congress for one year. The Congress, a quinquennial event scheduled this time to take place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in July 2020, will now occur July 7-10, 2021, in Rio de Janeiro. The BWA previously postponed Congress during the Great Depression, canceled it during World War II, and delayed its Baptist Youth World Conference in 2003 due to the SARS outbreak.

The Rev. Nick Bruckner stood atop a mound of snow as he preached about taking time to reflect during the Lenten season and urged the faithful to not “drift through life.”

The nation’s top doctor urged faith leaders to follow federal guidelines and partner with local health officials as they learn new ways to lead congregants coping with the coronavirus pandemic in a two-day summit releasing videos on topics ranging from advocacy for the vulnerable to crisis communications.

As governors and mayors across the United States seek to slow the spread of the coronavirus outbreak, a church-state issue quickly emerged as some governmental officials included houses of worship in their bans of mass gatherings. Even while some officials created religious exemptions, Baptists who monitor church-state issues agree that such exemptions are not constitutionally necessary.

Speaking from self-quarantine because of recent travel, Baptist World Alliance President Paul Msiza expressed concerns about the potential impact of coronavirus on his home country of South Africa as well as Baptist communities across the globe. The BWA also announced today (March 25) an international prayer effort to start March 30.

A sobering new report released today by Gospel for Asia in the wake of World Water Day reveals that two billion people globally are struggling to find enough water to survive.

In response to the growing impact of COVID-19 around the world, the Baptist World Alliance (BWA) calls on the global Baptist family to join together for a 24-hour prayer marathon, launching with an audio conference on Monday, March 30, at 8:15 a.m. CT.

The White House held calls with religious leaders last week to encourage their support of its guidelines for addressing the coronavirus, gathering more than a thousand people on three phone calls. When Trump briefly took part in the Friday call, he addressed the pending election as well as the pandemic.

As the global coronavirus pandemic shuts down countries and endangers livelihoods and lives, some Baptist leaders warn that people already vulnerable in our society are the most vulnerable to the virus and its economic impact. And while the drops in the stock market and the woes of large global conglomerates dominate the news, Christians are urged to focus on those being left out.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting has been canceled for the first time in 75 years in a unanimous vote of SBC officers, the SBC Executive Committee, and leaders of the SBC's boards and institutions.The June 9-10 meeting is not being rescheduled.