Baylor and the Baptist World Alliance: Engaging the World Together

This week, more than 3,000 individuals from over 130 countries and territories have come together in Brisbane, Australia, and online to participate in the 23rd Baptist World Congress, an international gathering of Baptist leaders from churches, unions, universities, mission organizations, and more. Among them are faculty, staff and leaders from Baylor University, which joined the Baptist World Alliance (BWA) in 2024 as a member partner. 

The opportunity to collaborate more deeply with Baptists around the world comes as the University expresses its commitment to global impact through the charge of Pro Mundo. That phrase, meaning “for the world,” was added to the University’s Pro Ecclesia (for the Church), Pro Texana (for Texas) motto last year. Among the highlights of Baylor’s involvement in the Congress are a panel discussion with President Linda A. Livingstone, PhD, a prayer gathering with University Chaplain Charles Ramsey, PhD, and notably, the ceremonial signing of an agreement between the Baptist World Alliance and Baylor’s George W. Truett Theological Seminary.

As the 2025 Baptist World Congress begins, Rev. Elijah Brown, PhD, the General Secretary and CEO of Baptist World Alliance, shared insights into the new BWA-Baylor partnership and paints a picture of impact for the Baylor Family to participate in the global work of the Church in this Q&A:

For those who are new to Baptist World Alliance, what makes the Alliance unique?

The Baptist World Alliance is a Christian world communion that draws on over 400 years of shared Baptist history. It's been organized as a global movement since 1905, and today draws upon over 53 million baptized believers in 134 countries. We're grateful that, through an ongoing passion for sharing the gospel, for standing with the persecuted, and supporting the local church as they serve their community, the Worldwide Baptist family has grown 33% over the last 10 years.

At the heart of the BWA is our shared commitment to discipleship and transformation in Jesus Christ and to relationship with one another. We believe that we are united in our diversity and that we are stronger as we seek to build relationships with one another and lift up one another. We belong together because we belong to Jesus Christ. 

Further, not only do we share a covenant of discipleship and transformation in Jesus Christ and in relationship with one another, but we have a shared covenant of participation in the mission of God. There are still three billion people around the world who are unreached with the Good News of Jesus Christ. Over 25% of all the Baptists in the world live in the reality of extreme war, persecution and hunger, and God has called us to do all that we can to work together in God's ongoing mission, to live the Good News.

In 2023, the BWA began welcoming educational institutions into the Alliance. Why was that decision made, and what are some of the ripple effects of those relationships?

Our BWA mission statement is, “Networking the Baptist family to impact the world for Christ.” With an ecclesiology built around networking, when I started at the BWA, I asked the question, “Could we define the word ‘family’?” After several years, we all affirmed that, today, the Baptist family includes conventions and unions, but it also includes universities and seminaries, hospitals and mission agencies and a wide range of organized Baptist groups.

So, it's been a great joy over these last few years following that reaffirmation to welcome a number of Baptist universities and seminaries, as well as mission agencies and Baptist news agencies and other kinds of humanitarian and care agencies. And we look forward to continuing a journey together as all of us seek to be networked together, as one family, in order to impact the world for Christ.

At Baylor, we are proud to be a part of BWA and proud to be the largest Baptist university in the world. What opportunities are made possible through that partnership for Baylor and the BWA, especially as Baylor continues its increased focus on global impact?

Baylor has long cherished its Baptist identity. Through the years, we've had a number of relationships and interactions between Baylor and the Baptist World Alliance family. Baylor and the BWA remain committed to historic convictions of our Baptist identity and distinctives, and we look forward to strengthening that identity as one world family. 

We could talk about the reality of a changing world. During the next 30 years, the world is expected to grow by two billion people. 50% of that growth will be in Africa. 25% will be in India. Only 5% will be in the United States. So, as Baylor continues to position itself to serve the whole of the world, this is an opportunity to expand, deepen and strengthen its relationships all around the world in the midst of these rapid demographic changes.

What would it look like, for example? There is an initiative right now in Asia that, over the next 30 years, will call forward and release two million people under the age of 35 to engage in a short-term cross-cultural experience. Those who are organizing and helping lead this event came to us and said, "What would be really helpful from the BWA is training that can be provided to these young people as they engage in cross-cultural experiences, learning and sharing the Good News. We have the people and the resources. What we need is the training."

Now, just imagine as Baylor and the BWA enter this new partnership together, what might God do? As Baylor helps provide, through certificates and online engagement and in-person training, resources that will mobilize two million leaders under the age of 35 in the next 30 years to engage in a cross-cultural experience across the whole of Asia.

You mentioned the agreement with the BWA that Baylor recently announced. Why was Baylor’s George W. Truett Theological Seminary the right place for this partnership, and where else might we see the fruits of this collaboration?

The agreement will create the first-ever Baptist program and center at any Baptist university in the world – an opportunity to vibrantly study this growing family all around the world. Through this, we seek to gain lessons and insights from leaders who are serving in the public square at the highest levels; to release training and education into the areas of greatest growth, greatest persecution and greatest need; and to continue to foster a Baptist movement that stretches around the world in changing the lives of millions of people for the glory of Jesus Christ.

We do hope that while this will be anchored inside of Truett Seminary, that it will stretch across the whole of the Baptist community. As we look around the world, we see that 25% of all Baptists live in context of war and persecution and extreme hunger. Yes, they need theological training. Yes, they need our prayers and our support. And yes, they also need humanitarian response, counseling, reconstruction, the development of leaders who can serve all of society for the public good. So, it's going to take all of Baylor University for us live into a vision of flourishing freedom. 

We acknowledge that in a person like George W. Truett, for whom the Seminary is named and who served as a previous president of the Baptist World Alliance, we have a natural and shared connection. The BWA is the largest and most diverse gathering of Baptists. We are the Baptist world communion. So, it's a natural fit to begin with the largest Baptist university in the world with whom we already share many deep connections. It is natural for us to work together for enhanced relationship and enhanced mission engagement.

In addition to Truett Seminary students and faculty, how can the entire Baylor Family participate in this global partnership?

All are welcome. You are welcome, first of all, to join as “One in Prayer.” Every week, the BWA has more than 10,000 people who have made a commitment to pray for every country in the world in the course of one year, with the insights from Baptists in those countries. So, first of all, we'd say to the entire Baylor community, “Come and join and let us be one in prayer all around the world.”

I think about a woman I met in Nigeria who'd been held captive by Boko Haram. She escaped by climbing over a fence, late one night, while her children clung to her back as she ran for her freedom. I asked her, “What is the one thing you would want the rest of the family to know about this situation?” And she said, "I want them to know that I pray every day that those who are living in the West will never experience the level of persecution that we've experienced here." Now, if people who've been held captive by Boko Haram are praying for us, Baylor University, would you pray for them? And together let us be one in prayer. All are welcome to participate. 

Also, all are welcome to serve out of the gifts and callings and passions that God has equipped them with in the BWA. We have 14 different commissions – everything from evangelism to human rights to discipleship to artificial intelligence and technology engagement. So, there is an opportunity for many across the Baylor community to directly participate and serve out of the callings and the giftedness that they have. There are opportunities for student engagement and internships, whether that's serving at the Baptist World Alliance, which is headquartered in the Washington, D.C. area, or serving right where they are right now. So, whether you are a student or an alumnus, there's an opportunity to pray, there's an opportunity to participate, and there's an opportunity to serve.