From the 6th to the 10th of July, Broughty Ferry Baptist Minister Reverend Dr Brian Talbot attended the Baptist World Alliance Annual Gathering in Toronto, Canada. Continue reading to see Brian’s reflections, encouragements and takeaways.
“The 2026 annual gathering theme was: ‘The Table of Christ: One Gospel, Many People’ The daily worship services and messages utilised this theme to communicate the equal welcome of all believers to the Table of Christ, whatever our racial, social or cultural background.
There were approximately 440 delegates from sixty-five nations present on the campus of Tyndale University, in Toronto, Canada. The majority of the week is spent in working groups on the wide variety of collaborative projects that representatives of the BWA-affiliated networks of churches, colleges, aid organisations and
Missionary societies are engaged in around the world.
It has been a remarkable week bustling with vibrant worship services, many workshops, study sessions and planning meetings for a wide range of ministry activities being carried out by branches of the Baptist family around the world. The venue for our main meetings was the splendid chapel of the university.
Here one table of European Baptist Federation representatives from France, Austria, Ukraine, Hungary and Scotland working on an ice-breaker activity at the start of our meeting in Toronto.
There were a number of people honoured for extraordinary work over many years. Dr Vernette San from, who is based in Singapore, was honoured for the establishment of many medical facilities on the borders of Myanmar to assist the several million displaced Christians from her country.
She is also a regional leader in the Asia-Pacific Baptist Federation’s Women’s work, leading meetings and training younger women leaders across her region over more than forty years.
A colleague from a BWA-member body is honoured for work in the field of human rights. this year was awarded to Dr Daniel Zacharias of Canada in recognition of his faithful leadership advancing truth, reconciliation, and justice with Indigenous peoples in Canada. As Associate Dean and Professor of New Testament Studies at Acadia Divinity College, in Wolfville, Nova Scotia, Zacharias has become a leading Baptist voice helping churches engage the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s Calls to Action.
There was a focus on events in the Middle East, including a report on a successful visit to four countries in the region by Dr Elijah Brown, BWA General Secretary.
On the evening when we welcomed Dr Botrus Mansour from Nazareth, the new General Secretary of the World Evangelical Alliance, as our guest preacher.
There was also a reflection on life and Christian witness in Lebanon, from Sihan Daoud, a key leader in Women’s ministries in the region, alongside accounts of Christian witness and the challenges of daily life in the Holy Land from Revd Munir Kakish (Ramalah, in the West Bank) and from Syria from EBF President, Charles Costa (Lebanon).
Welcome to Gan-Erdine Nyankhuu, delegate of the Mongolia Baptist Convention
There was much to encourage us as we prayed and worked together on our respective tasks over the course of the week. The incredible breadth of representation in our ranks from around the world in our growing BWA family is a joy to witness.
Brian chaired the religious freedom commission session, and we pray that he has been refreshed during his time and give thanks for the opportunity to grow in relationship with brothers and sisters in the Baptist family from around the globe! Brian is pictured with Professor Darrell Jackson from Whitley College, Australia.
