After two weeks of trying to adjust to his new US office and the streets of Falls Church, Virginia in the US, Jamaican native Neville Callam is now preparing to embark on a one month, 17-city tour across North America to introduce himself as the new head of the Baptist World Alliance.
The Rev Callam is the first ever non-white general secretary of the 38-million-member global body. Hailing from the Global South, Callam brings a unique perspective to the position while finding himself surrounded by a very different image of Baptists in the United States. But he enters his office convinced that this is the will of God and hopeful of carrying on a new phase in the BWA.
He shared some of his aspirations and the challenges that lie ahead.
CT: You just settled into your new office and position around two weeks ago. What's the first thing on your mind that you want to start working on as general secretary?
Callam: To be honest, my effort has always been to try to learn more about the organization, to understand how it works, how it functions. And the fact of the matter is that over the first two weeks, I had the great privilege of having Denton Lotz, my predecessor, attending to initiate me into the position, explaining aspects of the new role of the Baptist World Alliance.
However, I'm going to be going on a tour of 17 cities in the U.S. and Canada, so I have been concentrating on making preparations for these visits.
CT: Is the tour for introducing yourself to Baptists?
Callam: Right, to get to know the constituency, to introduce myself to them and to have an opportunity for an exchange of ideas.
CT: You're the first non-white BWA general secretary. You've already spoken of diversity and unity within the BWA. Do you feel your election marks some kind of new era for the BWA?
Callam: The way I characterise it is like this - that a new phase has begun in the life of the BWA, not a new era. The reason I say a new phase is that over the years, particularly under the leadership of Denton Lotz, there has been a definite program of internationalising the BWA, strengthening the limbs of the BWA with the various regions of the world, giving a voice to people coming from the two-thirds world.
And so, it's natural with the growth of the Christian churches in the South and with the recognition of what we have always said - 'the dignity of all human beings created in the image of God.'
It's not surprising that somebody who is black - I don't want to describe myself as non-white, I'm black (laughter), I'm of African descent - should come to the position. And I'm sure that other people from other cultures will in the future also have this opportunity since there's a genuine relationship of family among Baptists across the world. My appointment is an expression of this reality.
CT: Do you see any exponential growth of Baptists in a certain region?
Callam: In the South, particularly in Africa and Latin America. The churches are growing rapidly. We are delighted at what's happening there. The growth is not uniform across the world, but certainly, in Africa and Latin America.
