BWA Executive Committee meets

More than 100 persons from around the world are gathering in Falls Church, Virginia, close to Washington, DC, for meetings of the Executive Committee of the Baptist World Alliance as well as other auxiliary meetings.

Auxiliary meetings begin on Friday, February 27, with a meeting of the Baptist World Congress Core Committee as well as a BWA Consultation with Regional Leaders. Other auxiliary meetings to take place March 2-3 include those of committees for the BWA Men’s, Women’s, and Youth Departments, as well as division meetings such as Baptist World Aid and Evangelism and Education.

Standing committees such as Constitution and Bylaws, Personnel, and Membership will also meet.

The BWA Executive Committee will meet March 3-4 to decide matters of major importance. Some decisions made by the Executive Committee will be brought as recommendations to the General Council at its meeting in Ede, Netherlands, in July.

Among the matters to be addressed by the Executive Committee are amendments to the BWA constitution, the restructuring of the divisions for Evangelism & Education and Study & Research, and the filling of the new position of Director for the Division of Freedom and Justice, which was formally established by decision of the General Council in Prague, Czech Republic, in July 2008.

It is also expected that the recipient of the 2009 Denton and Janice Lotz Human Rights Award will be announced. The award will be presented during the General Council meeting in the Netherlands.

Other highlights of the Executive Committee are reports from the President, the General Secretary, regional leaders from Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Europe, Latin America, and North America, and the Budget and Finance Committee.

The General Council and the Executive Committee are the two governing bodies of the BWA, with the former meeting once per year, usually in the month of July, and the latter meeting twice yearly, normally in March and July.