The global umbrella for Baptists, known as the Baptist World Alliance has concluded plans to hold its annual conference in Nigeria for the first time
The event has been scheduled to take place at the Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, and the Baptist International Convention Centre (BICC) on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway. It will attract representatives from different branches of the church from across the globe
A major highlight of the event which will commence on July 7, 2024, and conclude on July 12, 2024, is the 10th Baptist International Conference on Theological Education otherwise called BICTE.
The BICTE will run specifically from July 5th-July 7th.
The epoch event is expected to offer Baptists across the world an opportunity to connect through worship prayer, learning, relationship, building, and shared ministry experience.
The President of the Nigerian Baptist Convention, Rev. Dr. Israel Adelani Akanji stated that the Nigeria Baptist Family is pleased to host the global Baptist Family to further deepen fellowship and bond among the members.
He added that hosting the global Baptist members is intended to leverage the impact of Baptist mission work in Nigeria.
About Baptist World Alliance
The Baptist World Alliance, which comprises 51 million people in 130 countries and 253 member bodies, is unified by a primary mission to impact the world for Christ.
Editor of The Baptist Argus, John Newton Prestridge first suggested the idea of a world gathering of Baptists in his publication in 1904 in Louisville, Kentucky.
The idea was embraced by John Howard Shakespeare, editor of The Baptist Times, and Freeman, London. In October 1904, the Baptist Union of Great Britain passed a resolution to invite a Congress to meet with them in July 1905.
At the Congress, a committee was formed, which proposed a Constitution for a World Alliance. Since then, the WBA has been having annual meetings from one country to the other.
The annual gathering of the Baptist Faithful is coming at a time when the Nigerian Baptist Convention is 110 years old in Nigeria. The Convention is an offshoot of the Southern Baptist Convention which began in 1850 in the US.
In Nigeria, the Baptist Convention began with the creation of the Yoruba Baptist Association in 1914. It later changed to become the Nigerian Baptist Convention when the mission spread to other parts of the country.
The Convention confesses the deity and lordship of Jesus Christ and believes salvation is only by grace, through faith in Jesus. A typical branch of the Baptist Convention is autonomous. The congregation of every branch is to a large extent responsible for its administration.
