Behind the glamour and splendour of the Baptist Centenary Congress in Birmingham, the historical significance is far beyond just what will be revealed throughout these few days of the event.

Alongside the celebration in the main venue, the International Convention Centre (ICC), the Home Mission Summer Exhibition 2005, presented by the Baptist Union of Great Britain (BUGB) is staged nearby at the Pavilion, which gives delegates an opportunity to review the success of the Baptist ministries across Britain in recent years.

This is the first ever Home Mission Exhibition in summer 2005 with the theme Every Church is a Home Mission Church. It was launched during the last annual Baptist Assembly held on 23rd April at the ICC. The exhibition captures 25 portraits of Home Mission's work today.

Each of the 25 projects were presented visually with 25 images, becoming the snapshots of how BUGB is changing lives and transforming communities through local Baptist churches across the UK. The Exhibition is also made available on the BUGB website, where the mission stories are lively illustrated by text, PowerPoint presentations, and even videos.

Stories of the Baptist Church Centre in Handsworth, Birmingham, as well as that of the Sheddingdean Baptist Church in Sussex, South East England, were highlighted. As two of the 340 Home Mission grants in 2004, they have revealed the success of the Home Mission grant concept.

The congregation of the Baptist Church Centre in Hansworth, Birmingham, which has a majority of Asians, currently worship in their new building. In fact, their former building was an 1885 “tin tabernacle”. As there is a sizable Asian community, an Indian minister is urgently needed to provide pastoral care. Home Mission grant has played a crucial role to provide these resources.

Ten years ago, the Sheddingdean Baptist Church, which meets in a school, was set apart on a housing estate by Gateway Baptist Church. In 2001, with the help of the Home Mission grant, the Revd Ed Kaneen became the first minister. Today the church is independent with its congregation grown to 90 people. Recently, Revd Ed came off Home Mission funding. They share the vision to be a church of the community and be mission focussed in everything they do.

The General Secretary of the BUGB, the Revd David Coffey said that through Home Mission, the Baptist family can express unity in Christ by supporting each other.

Home Mission is the Baptist Family joining together to enable mission throughout Great Britain, both locally and nationally. It helps churches to lay down mission strategies to enable efficient use of resources. It funds evangelists, missioners as well as chaplains working in education and industry. It also provides materials, help and advice for the propagation of the Gospel and church growth.

Latest official figures show that the total number of Baptist Churches in Great Britain is 2,010 with a membership of 137,694. 51 churches have been planted since 2000. 2,094 members were baptised in 2004 and the total number of ministers in pastorate is 2,100.

The modern Baptist movement was born in the 16th Century. Going against the trend in Europe where the great state or national churches - Anglican, Lutheran and Reformed - were set up, Baptists have always emphasised the need for personal faith. Instead of baptising babies, Baptists have reserved baptism for those who are able to make a personal confession of Jesus as Lord and Saviour. Baptists seek to root their life together in the biblical pattern of being the church.

The first Baptist church met in Spitalfields, London in 1612. The formation of the Baptist Union was not completed until 1832.