HRBC is blessed to have five strategic ministry affiliates with whom we collaborate to fulfill the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20) and the Great Commandment (Acts 1:8). These partners are: The River City Faith Network, Baptist General Association of Virginia, Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Virginia, Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Global, and Baptist World Alliance. You can read more about them on our website. In this week’s article, I would like to highlight Baptist World Alliance (BWA) and share a personal experience through its prayer ministry.

First, here’s a brief thumbnail sketch about the BWA from its website: 

For more than 100 years, the Baptist World Alliance has networked the Baptist family to impact the world for Christ with a commitment to strengthen worship, fellowship and unity; lead in mission and evangelism; respond to people in need through aid, relief, and community development; defend religious freedom, human rights, and justice; and advance theological reflection and leadership development. 

A fellowship of 245 conventions and unions in 128 countries and territories comprised of 51 million baptized believers in 176,000 churches, the BWA is a ministry with a storied history and a strategic future. 

Now to my experience from last week. BWA General Secretary, Rev. Elijah M. Brown, PhD, called for a global Pentecost Prayer Marathon to be held over Pentecost weekend,  May 27-28. Baptists from around the globe were invited to take a 30-minute segment and pray. As a precursor to this opportunity, pastors and leaders were invited to join a ZOOM call on May 24 to pray for the prayer marathon, and I was able to participate.  

Gen. Sec. Brown started us off, followed by several key BWA leaders who also led in prayer. Afterward, we were divided into small prayer groups and given the opportunity to pray together. 

There were three people in my group: a woman named Patience from Nigeria, a woman named Joyce from Kentucky and me. Patience is a member of First Baptist Church, Warri, Nigeria https://www.facebook.com/firstbaptistwarri/. And Joyce is a member of Central Baptist Church, Bearden, Kentucky — https://centralbearden.org/.  

It was a great blessing to share how God is at work and to pray with these two believers from other parts of the world. Patience serves as a Deaconess at her church and Joyce and her deceased husband were missionaries and actually visited HRBC several times many years ago. Joyce currently volunteers her time teaching and translating for Spanish speaking people. I am thankful that HRBC is part of the greater family of Baptists through the BWA, which gave me the opportunity to meet these two Christian sisters.  

Earlier this year, HRBC made a significant financial offering through our global missions offering to assist the BWA in disaster relief after the massive earthquake that devastated parts of Turkey and Syria. Thank you, church!  

Please take time this week to learn more about the BWA and how more than 51 million Baptist believers are on mission for Jesus. I receive their weekly prayer email. Check it out — It’s a great way to connect and know how to stand alongside the BWA in prayer. While you’re at it, perhaps you will take time to pray for both Patience and Joyce and their respective churches. They are praying for us too!    

In prayer and on mission for God,