|
Powerful and invigorating.
For five days last week, my family and I experienced something akin to what I imagine heaven will be like. No, I’m not referring to sitting under a swaying palm tree enjoying a warm ocean breeze; watching colorful fish swimming in the shimmering, emerald water; or admiring Hawaii’s lush flora.
True, the experience no doubt was augmented by the idyllic setting of a pacific isle that often is called paradise. As strange as it may sound for Hawaii, our experience of a bit of heaven happened indoors, inside the Waikiki convention hall.
From the moment we arrived, my children could tell the international gathering was no ordinary Baptist meeting. Angelic voices of Asian children singing praises to their Savior in their native tongue reverberated throughout the hall, welcoming guests from 105 nations to the 20th Baptist World Congress, held this year in Honolulu.
This was our first Baptist World Alliance meeting, yet worshipping shoulder to shoulder with Baptists from around the globe left an indelible impression of unity and solidarity with our brothers and sisters in Christ.
Surrounding my family during morning and evening celebrations were more than 4,000 Baptists from England, Norway, Brazil, Jamaica, Nigeria, Spain, France, India, Korea, Japan, China and a host of other nations—many from places where to proclaim the name of Jesus means intense persecution or possibly death.
“Hear the Spirit” was the congress theme, and in the voices of 450 children who filled the stage one evening, singing both in English and Korean and performing fan and drum dances in gorgeous native attire, in the rhythmic sounds of a men’s chorale from Nagaland, in the “One Heart for God” hula group of Hawaii, and in numerous other groups who participated in an international music fest, we did.
The corporate praise was equally stirring. Several times I was choked with emotion as I listened to the beautiful harmony of every nation and every tribe praising the Lord together, each in his or her own tongue. As I watched a group of Nigerians, donned in beautiful attire, dancing as they sang the lyrics of “I Am Free,” I sensed what it means to be swept away in the joy of the Lord. Yes, Baptists do dance!
While powerful messages were preached in English—often with a distinctive accent—they were translated into Japanese, Spanish, French and Portuguese. Speakers often read Scripture and prayed in their own languages. Though we couldn’t understand their words, save for an English translation on the screen, we communicated in a richer heart language of the Holy Spirit.
British Baptist leader David Coffey, who completed a five-year term as BWA president, challenged Baptists from around the world to hear and heed the Holy Spirit. When the Holy Spirit rests upon God’s people, obedience and service mark their lives, Coffey said.
“When the Holy Spirit is truly upon people, Jesus is leading His people and it shows. It produces healthy churches and fruitful mission,” he said. “The Holy Spirit inspires praise and worship. He creates fellowship between diverse people. ... The greatest sign of the Holy Spirit on us is that God makes us part of His action plan for winning a lost world.”
John Upton, executive director of the Baptist General Association of Virginia, is the incoming BWA president. A member of the BWA General Council and its executive committee, the organization’s two governing bodies, he also has served on the Baptist World Aid committee. The new president attended Averett College in Danville, Va.; Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville; and the International Baptist Theological Seminary in Kerrala, India. Upton will serve a five-year term until the next world congress meets in South Africa in 2015.
Many congress participants were from unions and conventions that Southern Baptist missionaries helped start and with which we still work today. After experiencing this energizing fellowship firsthand, I remain hopeful that Southern Baptists will one day rejoin the Baptist World Alliance in an expression of unity and cooperation with their Baptist brothers and sisters from around the world.
For five days last week, the world grew a little smaller and the title “Baptist” expanded exponentially as the name of Jesus was magnified.
Western Recorder issue date: August 3, 2010
|
