WASHINGTON (BP)–Nilson Fanini, president of the Baptist World Alliance, and Anne Graham Lotz, daughter of evangelist Billy Graham, will headline the lineup of speakers for the 18th Baptist World Congress in Melbourne, Australia, Jan. 5-9, 2000, with the theme, “Jesus Christ Forever. Yes!”.
Lotz, whose worldwide profile continues to grow, and Fanini, a Brazilian pastor and global evangelist, and four other Congress speakers were approved during the BWA’s General Council meeting July 5-11 in Durban, South Africa.
Other speakers are: Tim Costello, Australia; Bruce Milne, Canada; Emile Sam-Peal, Liberia; and Henry Beecher-Hicks, United States.
Hicks, pastor of the Metropolitan Baptist Church, Washington, will be the opening speaker of the congress on Wednesday evening with the theme, “Jesus Christ — King of the Ages.”
On Thursday evening, Milne, pastor of the 1,000-member First Baptist Church, Vancouver, Canada, will speak on the theme, “Jesus Christ — Worthy of All Worship.”
On Friday night, at an evangelistic rally, Fanini, pastor of the 5000-member Niteroi Baptist Church in Brazil who has made evangelism the hallmark of his BWA presidency, will speak on “Jesus Christ — Hope of the World.”
Costello, director of the Urban Mission Unit for Collins Street Baptist Church, Melbourne, Australia, and an outspoken opponent of gambling in the city, and Sam-Peal, executive secretary of the Liberia Baptist Missionary and Education Convention, whose country endured a catastrophic seven year civil war, will speak on Saturday evening on “Jesus Christ — Friend of the Weary.”
On Sunday morning, those at the Congress will attend local churches where preachers will address the theme, “Jesus Christ — Head of the Church.”
Lotz will conclude the congress on Sunday evening with the theme, “Jesus Christ — Lord of New Beginnings.”
Congress participants will be asked to pay registration fees that range from $125 for people from the developed world and $65 for all other countries for those who register before March 31, 1999. Those who register after April 1, 1999, will pay between $145 to $75. The fees will support a congress budget of just over $1.2 million.
For more congress information, contact the Baptist World Alliance at 6733 Curran Street, McLean, VA, 22101-6005; phone, (703) 790-8980; or the congress Internet website, www.bwanet.org.
