Scottish Baptists seeking The Way Ahead

Scottish Baptists from across 170 churches will gather in Glenrothes, Scotland, next week to share in fellowship, worship and the study of God's word as they try to discern God's vision for the future of the Baptist Church in Scotland.

The 2007 Baptist Assembly in Scotland will run from 2 to 3 November under the title The Way Ahead and will address the issues of good leadership and good 'follower-ship' in light of conflicts that have arisen over different styles of leadership within the Church.

The BMS National Co-ordinator for Scotland, Derek Clark, said that this year's theme was critical for Baptists in Scotland: "The Way Ahead is a theme that will address how we can continue to lead people into a relationship with God."

According to Clark, many of Scotland's smaller Baptist congregations have reported an increase in demand for ministers and lay leaders.

He continued: "It is through this theme that we hope churches of all sizes can explore new options of having ministers or lay leaders.

"We also hope people will see if God is calling them into ministry or mission."

The Assembly next week will be the second to be joint-led by the Baptist Union of Scotland (BUS) and BMS World Mission.

"Since the BUS began back in the 19th century, there has always been a strong historical tie between BUS and BMS," said Clark. "Therefore, the decision to have a joint assembly has been seen by many here as a more visible sign of the relationship between the two organisations."

Gary V Nelson, General Secretary of the Canadian Baptist Ministries, and Jill Garrett, Director of the leadership development agency Caret, will be the keynote speakers at the assembly, engaging Baptists more deeply with the issue of godly leadership.

This is the first assembly that will take place on a Friday and Saturday, as opposed to a Saturday and Sunday.

"Doing this will hopefully allow more ministers and church leaders to come while not having to miss leading their church's Sunday morning services," said Clark.