EBM Mission Council 2005 Sees Europe & Africa Co-working in the Gospel

The Mission Council 2005 of the European Baptist Mission (EBM) was held last month in Emmen, Netherlands. Delegates from Africa, Latin America and Europe united together for bible studies, celebrations and workshops.

The occasion has seen the co-working relationship between Europe and Africa in worldwide mission becoming clearer. President of the EBM, Dr. Helmut Rabenau from Austria, concluded the Mission Council with a simple sentence, "We have seen what God is doing."

The EBM has always placed the idea of one common mission under the responsibility of all partners as the centre. Every year, questions on theological profile, on practical missionary work as well as on finance and structure are discussed and decided upon together through workshops.

The churches in Latin America and in Africa are growing considerably while the European counterparts tend to have better financial and technical resources. It has been perceived that Europeans are exclusively in charge of finances and Africans exclusively in charge of spirituality. On the Mission Council, delegates have firmly denied this concept. In fact, churches in Africa, Latin America and in Europe are developing together as a whole.

A very encouraging trend has been observed. While missionaries or volunteers were always dispatched from Europe to Africa in the past, more and more co-workers from Africa were sent to Europe for short-term services nowadays. The conference said that this is the beginning of a paradigm shift, which might lead Europeans one step further regarding evangelisation, social work and church growth.

Another highlight of the Mission Council was the personal reports of co-workers and missionaries, testifying how the mission is strengthening and encouraging faith in all lands.

Some new appointments were made on the Council as well. Missionaries for the Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea and Northern Cameroon were confirmed.

EBM is found in 1954 by several Baptist unions in Europe joining together. In 1979 MASA (Missionary Actions in South America) and EBM joined together. Today 17 European Baptist unions are members of EBM/MASA.


[Photos: EBM/MASA]