|PIC1|The Executive Director of the World Mission Board of the Brazilian Baptist Convention since 1979, Waldemiro Tymchak has died on 20 April.

Under his leadership, Brazilian Baptists' mission ministry around the world experienced tremendous growth.

Tymchak oversaw the ministry's growth to more than 600 missionaries from Brazil at work in 63 countries. In addition, 160 Brazilian Baptist youth known as "Radicals" or "Volunteers without Borders" are engaged in short-term missionary work in Africa and Latin America.

Having been actively involved in the Baptist World Alliance, Tymchak was one of the Brazilian Baptist Convention's delegates on the BWA General Council. He also served as Director of Mission for the Union of Baptists in Latin America, a regional body of the BWA, from 2004.

At the BWA's Annual Gathering in Mexico City in July 2006, Tymchak was a panelist for the forum "Improving short-term missions".

Fausto Vasconcelos, BWA's Director of Evangelism and Education, and former president of the Brazilian Baptist Convention, describes Tymchak as "one of the best loved and most respected Brazilian Baptist leaders ever in the history of the Brazilian Baptist Convention".

Tymchak is survived by his wife, Acidalia, and his two adult children, Nelson and Tais.


For more information on the BWA, please visit: www.bwanet.org


[Source: BWA]