| Asia Pacific Baptist Federation | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Abbreviation | APBF |
| Classification | Evangelical Christianity |
| Theology | Baptist |
| Associations | Baptist World Alliance |
| Region | 22 countries |
| Headquarters | Okinawa City, Japan |
| Origin | 1972 |
| Congregations | 40,000 |
| Official website | apbf |
The Asia Pacific Baptist Federation (APBF) is a federation of 65 Baptist associations and is one of six regional fellowships in the Baptist World Alliance. The headquarters is in Okinawa City, Japan.
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English missionary William Carey started his work in the Dutch controlled Serampore north of Calcutta, India in 1793, initially focussing on Bible translation, preaching, teaching, and the founding of schools. [1] [2] One of the major schools established by this mission is Serampore College, founded in 1818.
Other pioneers include Joshua Marshman and William Ward who together with Carey became known as the Serampore Trio. [3] Of the three, Ward was instrumental in converting American Congregationalist missionary, Adoniram Judson, to Baptist beliefs and baptised both Judson and his wife, Ann Haseltine Judson, in Serampore. [4]
Judson later began Baptist missionary work in Burma on 13 July 1813 upon his arrival in Rangoon. [5]
The APBF was formed in the then British colony of Hong Kong in 1972 as the Asian Baptist Federation (ABF). [6] [7] It joined the Baptist World Alliance in 1975. [8]
It adopted its current name in 2007 after a resolution was approved during the ABF Congress held in the city of Chiang Mai, Thailand from 2 May to 6 May 2007. [9]
The APBF represents almost 60 Baptist denominations (known as conventions or unions) from 20 different countries, encompassing almost 30,000 congregations with more than 5 million baptized believers. [9] The single largest member of the APBF is the Myanmar Baptist Convention which claims more than 1.1 million baptized believers. [9] [10]
The principal officers of the APBF are: [11]
| Office | Name | Territory |
|---|---|---|
| President | Rev. Edwin Lam | Singapore |
| Vice Presidents | Mr. Bijoy Sangma Mr. Ratu Inoke Kubuabola Rev. Mark Wilson | India Fiji Australia |
| General Secretary | Rev. Dr. Vesekhoyi Tetseo | Okinawa, Japan |
| Treasurer | Mr. Peter Leau | Australia |
According to a census published by the association in 2023, it claimed 65 member associations in 22 countries, 40,000 churches. [12]
Canadian Baptist Ministries (CBM) or Ministères Baptistes Canadiens is a federation of four regional Baptist Christian association of churches in Canada. The federation is a member of the Baptist World Alliance. The headquarter is in Mississauga, Ontario.
The Myanmar Baptist Convention is a Baptist Christian denomination in Myanmar. It is affiliated with the Baptist World Alliance and the World Council of Churches. The headquarters is in Yangon.
Adoniram Judson was an American Congregationalist and later Particular Baptist missionary, who worked in Burma for almost forty years. At the age of 25, Judson was sent from North America to preach in Burma. His mission and work with Luther Rice led to the formation of the first Baptist association in America to support missionaries.
William Carey was an English Christian missionary, Particular Baptist minister, translator, social reformer and cultural anthropologist who founded the Serampore College and the Serampore University, the first degree-awarding university in India.
Joshua Marshman was a Baptist missionary in Bengal, India from 1799 until his death. He was a member of the Serampore trio with William Carey and William Ward. The trio founded Serampore University, many primary and secondary schools, and translated and published a large number of works, including translations of the Bible. Marshman was "an accomplished scholar, linguist and theologian and was a prolific author and polemicist." His mission involved social reforms and intellectual debates with educated Hindus such as Raja Ram Mohan Roy.
Protestants in Myanmar make up 5% of that nation's population in 2023. Most Christians are from the minority ethnic groups such as Karen, Lisu, Kachin, Chin, and Lahu. An estimated 0.1% of the Bamar population is Christian.
International Ministries is an international Baptist Christian missionary society. It is a constituent board affiliated with the American Baptist Churches USA. The headquarters is in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, United States.
Christianity in Myanmar has a history dating to the early 18th century. According to the 2016 census, Christianity is the country's second largest religion, practiced by 6.3% of the population, primarily among the Kachin, Chin and Kayin, and Eurasians because of missionary work in their respective areas. In 2023, almost 8% of the population is Christian; about two-thirds of the country's Christians are Protestants, in particular Baptists of the Myanmar Baptist Convention. One in six Christians are Roman Catholics.
William Ward (1769–1823) was an English pioneer Baptist missionary, author, printer and translator.
Adoniram Judson "A. J." Gordon (1836–1895) was an American Baptist preacher, writer, composer, and founder of Gordon College and Gordon–Conwell Theological Seminary.
The Malaysia Baptist Convention is a Baptist Christian denomination in Malaysia. It is affiliated with the Baptist World Alliance. The headquarters is in Petaling Jaya.
The Triennial Convention was the first national Baptist denomination in the United States. Officially named the General Missionary Convention of the Baptist Denomination in the United States of America for Foreign Missions, it was formed in 1814 to advance missionary work and headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In a dispute over slavery and missions policy, Baptist churches in the South separated from the Triennial Convention and established the Southern Baptist Convention in 1845. This split left the Triennial Convention largely Northern in membership. In 1907, the Triennial Convention was reorganized into the Northern Baptist Convention, which was renamed American Baptist Churches USA in 1972.
The Bangladesh Baptist Church Sangha is a Baptist Christian denomination in Bangladesh. It is affiliated with the Baptist World Alliance. The headquarters is in Dhaka.
Tha Byu was the first Karen Christian and a notable evangelist to the Karen.
Eugenio Kincaid was an American Baptist missionary who labored for two periods in Burma.
Manipur Baptist Convention (MBC) is a Baptist Christian denomination in Manipur, India. It is affiliated with the Council of Baptist Churches in Northeast India and the Asia Pacific Baptist Federation. The General Secretary of the Manipur Baptist Convention is REV. K. LOSII MAO.
Karen Baptist Convention is a Baptist Christian denomination in Myanmar. The headquarters is in Yangon. It is affiliated with the Myanmar Baptist Convention. Leaderships in the organization are for a three-year term and can only be re-elected for two more terms if they do not reach the age of 60 years at the end of next three-year term. It has 20 associations. KBC is doing mission works not only in Karen people but also to other tribes and races. KBC maintains one press called the Go Forward Press. KBC also operates [Karen Baptist Theological Seminary] and Karen Baptist Convention's Hospital at Insein, Yangon.
Immanuel Baptist Church is Baptist church in central Yangon at the corner of Mahar Bandoola Garden Street and Mahar Bandoola Road opposite Yangon City Hall.
The Sri Lanka Baptist Sangamaya is the council of Baptist churches and missions in Sri Lanka. It is affiliated with the Baptist World Alliance. The headquarters is in Colombo. From January 2024 Sri Lanka Baptist Sangamaya has been renamed as "Sri Lanka Baptist Church" to match with the naming convention of other Christian denominations found in the country under the National Christian Council of Sri Lanka.
Charlotte White, also known as Charlotte Atlee and Charlotte Rowe, was the first American woman appointed as a missionary and sent to a foreign country. She was sponsored by the Baptist Board of Foreign Missions and arrived in British India in 1816. She married Joshua Rowe, an English missionary, and had three children while in India. The couple oversaw the management of several schools and a Hindi-speaking church. After Rowe's death in 1823, White continued her work without any financial assistance from missionary societies. She left India in 1826 for England and in 1829 returned to the United States where she worked as an educator.