During the Baptist World Alliance (BWA) conference in Toronto, the WEA Secretary General, Rev. Botrus Mansour, spoke at five events and participated in several on-site discussions. The conference was held at Tyndale University and brought together a few hundred participants from 65 countries. The theme of the gathering was “All sitting at the Table of Christ.”
Rev. Mansour preached the sermon that had been shared the previous day, on the last evening of the conference. On Monday, he spoke in a breakout session on Healthy Churches, sharing five features: Spiritual life, anchored in John 15—“I am the vine, you are branches… If you remain in me… You will bear much fruit; apart from me, you can do nothing.” Vision and mission were presented as essential for focus, unity, and alignment. He also addressed the need for a coherent leadership and preaching-pastoring-executive combination while recognizing different roles. He emphasized the importance of a culture of collaboration, including teamwork across denominational lines, equipping others within the church, openness, creativity, and encouragement. He concluded by stressing accountability as a key element of a healthy church.
On Tuesday, 7 July at 2:15 p.m., Rev. Mansour participated in a breakout session titled “Baptist Witnesses at the Table of Inter-Christian Unity.” In this discussion, he shared the story of a Christian curriculum that had caused conflict with the Catholic community and described his later involvement with the Secretariat of Christian Schools.
On Wednesday, 8 July at 2:15 p.m., he took part in a plenary session as part of the conference’s “Global Council Engaging” program. The session focused on “The Table of Christ as a Place of Caring,” emphasizing the love of one’s neighbor.
On Thursday, 9 July, Rev. Mansour joined a panel briefly with representatives from the Middle East, including Seham Dauod and Charlie Costa from Lebanon, as well as Munir Kakish from Ramallah, Palestine. After the panel, he preached the sermon mentioned above.
During the conference, Rev. Mansour met Dr. Elijah Brown, the head of the Baptist World Alliance, and discussed collaboration. He also met Marsha Scipio, the Director of BWA Aid, to explore ways to work together. In addition, he spent time on the sidelines of the conference meeting with both long-time friends and new contacts. There was also a moment when conference participants called him to the front and prayed for his ministry.
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