|TOP|Almost one hundred members of the BMS World Mission’s General Committee (GC) gathered last week for what may be their last ever meeting.

The three-day meeting in Hodderson brought together representatives from UK Baptist churches, associations and unions to acknowledge BMS’ history and to focus on its future.

The GC was originally charged with responsibility for BMS activities before direction was handed over to the BMS Board of Trustees in 2000. The BMS annual meeting att he Baptist Assembly this year will decide on whether to approve the GC move last year to replace itself with a Council of Reference.

If approved the membership of the new Council of Reference will continue to be made up of churches, associations and unions in order to maintain the ‘ownership’ of BMS by British Baptists.

|AD|General Director Alistair Brown was one of several speakers at the meeting to take a closer look at how the BMS has changed over its long history.

He said in an address to the committee: “One of the courageous things about BMS is its willingness to change, and BMS has proved that all its structural models can flex and adapt to new times and new challenges.”

The GC has roots in a society was formed by the world famous Baptist William Carey in 1792 and has met since 1819.

In his final day address, Mr Brown said: “It’s our beloved society. "Yet, it's not. BMS is God's beloved society. It was God not Carey who brought it into existence. BMS has no right of existence outside of God's will.

“We daren't forget that. BMS is safe, not because of committees or structure, but because it is God's and he holds, moves, directs and guides it. BMS is safe in the hand of God who never fails and his victory is sure. May we all be at peace with that.”

Other speakers at the GC meeting were outgoing BMS President David Doonan and President of the BWA and General Secretary of the BUGB, David Coffey.