|PIC1|Main speakers at the Congress in Honolulu include outgoing Baptist World Alliance President, David Coffey, who will speak on the opening night.

General Secretary of the Jamaica Baptist Union, Karl Johnson, and President of the All Africa Baptist Fellowship, Paul Msiza, will also address the Congress.

The main theme will be “Hear the Spirit” and Bible study material will be made available in English, Japanese, Korean, Chinese, German, French, Portuguese, Spanish.

The programme includes choirs, dance groups and performers from Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Cuba.

The plans were announced on Saturday, the final day of the BWA’s annual gathering in Ede, in the Netherlands. Leaders gathered throughout last week to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the Baptist movement.

The first Baptist congregation was formed in Amsterdam in 1609 by Thomas Helwys and John Smyth. The BWA gathering was preceded by a three-day celebration in Amsterdam hosted by the European Baptist Federation, during which Baptist leaders visited the site of the first Baptist meeting on Bakker Street.

More than 10,000 people from 100 countries are expected to join the Baptist World Congress at the Hawaii Convention Center from July 28 to August 1, 2010.