British Baptist Nominated for BWA President

SEOUL, South Korea - David Coffey, general secretary of the Baptist Union of Great Britain, has been nominated as President of the Baptist World Alliance (BWA) to succeed South Korean pastor Billy Kim.

Coffey, who is from Great Britain – where the BWA was started in 1905, was nominated on Friday 30th July by the General Council of the Baptist World Alliance, as the next President of the BWA for 2005-2010. Coffey’s nomination was presented to the BWA General Council during its July 26-31 meeting in Seoul, South Korea.

Kim will conclude a five-year term next year, and Coffey, if confirmed by the Baptist World Congress in Birmingham, England, next July, will serve from the next five-year term.

Anne Wilkinson-Hayes, who belongs to the officers’ search committee gave praise to Coffey’s “energy, enthusiasm and pervading optimism.”

“David is a person who dares to imagine a different reality and then has the pastoral skills to take people into that reality,” she added as she presented the nomination.

Coffey has previously been given recognition as President of the European Baptist Federation from 1997-99, and Victor Kulbich, general secretary of the Ukraine Baptist Union expressed his delight at the nomination.

"David is someone who helped solve problems between East and West because he knows how to listen. He is deeply sensitive to the needs of people and is a great team leader,” Kulbich said.

Coffey has held numorous international leadership positions for the Baptist World Alliance, and before joining the Baptist Union of Great Britain in 1988, Coffey was Pastor of several churches in England.

The nomination is “confirming the call of God on my life for the next few years,” said Coffey about his nomination.

"Left to my own devices, I was never happier than as the pastor-Bible teacher in a local Baptist church, but we are not called to personal happiness but to joyful obedience," Coffey added.

The BWA is a fellowship of 211 Baptist unions and conventions worldwide. It’s aim is to unite Baptists worldwide and lead in world evangelism, to respond to people in need and defends human rights.