VALLEY FORGE, PA (ABNS 10/04/07) - Recently elected General Secretary of the Baptist World Alliance (BWA), Dr. Neville Callum visited the American Baptist Churches Valley Forge Mission Center today as one stop on his 18-city, 'introductory tour' to North American Baptists.
In meetings with American Baptist leaders and laypeople alike, Callum noted that, "American Baptists are viewed by Baptists in other countries as true partners who engage in ministry and mission with a deep respect for everyone - no matter their ethnicity, origins or religious affiliation."
"It is our great pleasure to host Dr. Callum here in Valley Forge," said American Baptist General Secretary, Rev. Dr. A. Roy Medley. "We look forward to his inspiring leadership within the Baptist family and his representation of Baptist concerns and interests on the world stage."
In a luncheon address to staff and visitors, Callum helped to define what the BWA is. "We are Baptists coming together from different contexts to bridge the divide and to reach out in expressions of unity and fellowship. We are not an institution, an organization, a structure, a bureaucracy. Rather, we are people reaching out to other people wherever they are."
Callum, who assumed office on September 1, 2007, is the first non-North American, non-European elected to the post. The Harvard-trained Christian ethicist was the youngest president of the Jamaican Baptist Union and has also served as the director of Jamaican Public Television. Callum began his work with the BWA over 20 years ago, serving on numerous committees, commissions and workgroups. Most recently, he served as the international body's vice president from 2000-2005.
Andrew C. Jayne American Baptist Churches, USA Mission Resource Development http://www.abc-usa.org/