Baptist World Alliance Elects Elijah Brown as Next General Secretary

The Baptist World Alliance (BWA) formally approved the appointment of Elijah Brown as its next general secretary during its Annual Gathering in Bangkok, Thailand, on July 5–7. Brown, a Texas native, is scheduled to assume the position on Jan. 1, 2018.

John Upton, a former BWA president and chair of the General Secretary Search Committee, described Brown as someone who “understands the BWA, values human rights, is a champion of religious freedom, connects with all generations, is a passionate speaker (and) a skilled administrator.”

Brown, 36, is the son of a Texas pastor. According to the report, he has been involved with the BWA for a decade, beginning in 2007, when he was named one of 35 global emerging leaders by the alliance. He currently serves as the BWA’s regional secretary for North America and as general secretary of the North American Baptist Fellowship. He is also executive vice president of the 21st Century Wilberforce Initiative, which the report describes as a Christian human rights organization based in Virginia.

Current General Secretary Neville Callam, who has led the BWA for 10 years, said the newly elected leader “has been gifted by God.” He added that he “expects Elijah’s service with the BWA to be marked by robust advocacy in the cause of social justice and enthusiastic engagement witnessing to the transformative power of the gospel.”

Brown’s specialties are human rights and religious liberty, according to the BWA. The organization says he has conducted research on, led training events in and done advocacy work in South Sudan, Nigeria, Eritrea, Iraq and Nepal. His commitment to human rights work in these settings reflects a concern for the vulnerable (Psalm 82:3).

During the same gathering, three organizations were welcomed into BWA membership, adding two new countries to the alliance. The Turkish Baptist Alliance and The Baptist Evangelical Church of Chad each became the first BWA member organizations from their respective countries. The Zomi Baptist Churches of America also joined. With these additions, the BWA’s total membership stands at 238 across 124 countries.

The BWA’s General Council approved resolutions on July 7 concerning modern-day slavery and human trafficking, religious freedom in Russia, religious liberty in the U.S., refugees in East Africa and the humanitarian crisis in Venezuela.

Source: Read the original report