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By JERRY WINDSOR
Special to Florida Baptist Witness
The first meeting of the Baptist World Alliance was July 11-18, 1905, in Exeter Hall, London. Numerous calls had been made for a worldwide Baptist organization that would project the Lordship of Christ, the fellowship of Baptists, and an emphasis on the local church. This London meeting was a celebration of Baptist unity and diversity.
Prominent English Baptists John Howard Shakespeare, John Clifford and Alexander Maclaren issued an invitation to Baptists around the world to meet in London in 1905. Baptists from 23 nations responded. There was no attempt at that time to set up any administrative or legislative structure.
The Baptist World Alliance first met in 1905 and the much beloved and highly respected Maclaren of Manchester, England, was elected provisional president. Maclaren (1826-1910) was second only to Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834-1892) in sermons printed and distributed as a Baptist. He was born in Glasgow, Scotland and was a shy, scholarly youth. He was raised in a pious Baptist home and served faithfully as pastor at Manchester, England from 1858-1903. He had a reputation for strong Biblical preaching and even to this day is regarded as a model of expository preaching. His strong dedication to expository preaching made him a ministerial and homiletical model. His promotion of a Baptist world fellowship was part of the early success of the Baptist World Alliance. Baptists trusted Dr. Maclaren and his motivations.
When the Alliance was founded in 1905 there were approximately six million Baptists in the world. Today there are over 50 million. The Baptist World Alliance is comprised of 37 million of these Baptists from 216 Baptist conventions and unions. In 2009, there are six continental unions or regional fellowships of Baptists—African, Asian Pacific, Caribbean, European, North American and Union Baptists of Latin America. The ministries of the Baptist World Alliance include seven different divisions: evangelism and education; study and research; Baptist world aid; finance and administration; communications; promotion and development and freedom and justice.
The Baptist World Alliance was well born and well maintained. Some of the strongest and best-known leaders were John Clifford (1905) and Southern Baptists E. Y. Mullins (1923), George W. Truett (1934), and C. Oscar Johnson (1947).
The general meeting of the Baptist World Alliance is held every five years and the emphasis is upon fellowship, worship and evangelism.
There are least 50 different denominational groups in the United States that call themselves Baptist. Some of these groups have always been opposed to Baptist World Alliance membership and have criticized Southern Baptists for their participation.
In 2004, the Southern Baptist Convention voted to withdraw as a member of the organization. In 1997 an SBC committee was formed to evaluate the relationship between the SBC and the BWA. The study showed that there were definitely personality, political and theological differences. The committee reported to the SBC Executive Committee that the BWA had become increasingly anti-American and pro-liberal in its positions. In addition, some felt a defining moment was when the BWA chose to accept the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship as a member in 2003. The subject brought little response from the convention in general and the Executive Committee recommended that the SBC withdraw from the BWA.
In 2005, David Coffey of England was elected to serve as the President of the Baptist World Alliance and his term of office is 2005-2010. Neville Callam, a Jamaican, was elected the General Secretary of the BWA in 2007. The current mission statement of the group is, “Networking the Baptist family to impact the world for Christ.”
Jerry Windsor is executive secretary of the Florida Baptist Historical Society and retired professor of preaching at The Baptist College of Florida in Graceville.
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