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National Missionary Baptist Convention

The National Missionary Baptist Convention of America (NMBCA) was formed in November 1988 after splitting from the National Baptist Convention of America. Its numerical strength lies in two states, California and Texas, but includes a total of 14 state conventions as affiliate members.

NMBCA aims to serve as an agency for spiritual empowerment by engaging in mission and evangelism, Christian education, biblical doctrine, church growth and social and economic development, "connecting locally, reaching globally."

Its Home Mission Board identifies and evaluates the needs of struggling member churches, keeps alive struggling churches, maintains a Baptist Christian witness, and seeks "to extend the work of the kingdom in newly settled or densely populated areas in the domains of the convention."

The Foreign Mission Board identifies opportunities for mission in other countries; the Evangelism Board conducts evangelical conferences and workshops; and the Education board works closely with seminaries and other theological institutions, "so that the pulpit and leadership of the church will be more efficient."

NMBCA's Benevolence Commission carries out general relief and benevolence work and offers special support to pastors and their spouses.

"Our vision is to edify our member churches, the nation, and the world through the wise use of our spiritual gifts, intellectual ability, and financial resources for the glory of God," the convention declares.

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 Iglesia Evangelica Bautista de Once  is located in the Once district of downtown Buenos Aires, Argentina.

A diverse congregation, it draws membership from the neighborhood as well as many who travel long distances to attend. The church's pastor, Tom�s Mackey, says the diversity "gives an extraordinary richness, but also means that the church program has to be as flexible as needed to adapt to the different needs of its members, without losing the eternal essence of the message of the cross."

Diversity is also reflected in two missions of the church, one in a poor area of Tucuman province in the northern part of Argentina, and one in the Recoleta district, an expensive neighborhood in Buenos Aires that did not have a church presence until OBC settled there.  "Our church's program is intended to meet the needs of both different populations," said Mackey.

The church has several programs to help meet the needs of the surrounding community. Many  families living in the neighborhood around OBC are poor.  OBC has operated a lunch program that serves about 80 people each day, primarily senior adult women, pregnant women and children below school age.  In addition to a food, clothes and medicine pantry, the church conducts courses to help persons improve their labor skills, such as embroidering, cooking, carpentry, electrical work, and foreign languages, and classes to help those who are below their age level in school. 

Juegoteca is a program of the church for children ages 2-6 that provides a safe Christian environment for children to learn values and to play and listen to Bible stories.  Workshops held for older children in the neighborhood are designed to keep them off the streets.

Mackey says OBC, a Baptist World Alliance Global Impact Church, supports the BWA because, among other reasons, the BWA "allows us to experience the unity of the church around the world fostering Christian love and allows us to have a vision of the world - its needs, its problems, its possibilities."

Willene Pierce, 

former director of the Baptist World Alliance Women's Department, died on March 18 in Springdale, Arkansas, in the United States.  She was 71 years old. 

In 2013 the Oklahoma Indian Evangelism Conference recognized Pierce for her commitment to Baptist work among American Indians. The National WMU honored Pierce by making a contribution to the Native American LINK Endowment fund in her honor.

She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Oklahoma Baptist University and a Master of Religious Education from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in the state of Texas.

She is survived by mother Wenonah Meyer and four sisters.

Funeral services were held Saturday, March 22, at Sonora Baptist Church in Arkansas.

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Harold Timothy Paul, president and former general secretary of the Baptist Association of South Africa (BASA), died on March 27. He was 49 years old.

 

 

 

Paul was a member of the Baptist World Alliance General Council, the Congress Committee and the Local Arrangements Committee (LAC) for the 21st Baptist World Congress.

 

The LAC comprises Baptists in South Africa and assists in preparation for the congress to be held in the city of Durban in July 2015.

 

Paul, an entrepreneur, founded two businesses, Simunye Event Marketing and Eagles Wings Promotions.  

 

He received degrees and diplomas from the University of Durban Westville, the College of Theological Education and Faith Bible College.

 

BWA General Secretary Neville Callam said, "in his service to the LAC, Harold brought his characteristic enthusiasm, vigor, thoughtfulness and decisiveness." He declared that Paul "gave himself to seeking solutions, identifying ways to get things done and making an effort to resolve whatever needed the consensus of the discussants."

 

"Harold was passionate about the coming BWA 2015 Congress," said BASA General Secretary Ronnie Reddy. "Harold loved the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and had a passion for serving the Baptist Association."

He leaves children Theophilus and Cliantha.

 

Funeral services were held on March 29. 

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