Normally the recognition of Baptist Union of Great Britain ministers and the commissioning of BMS World Mission personnel takes place on separate evenings at the event.

However, because of the historic nature of the event - celebrating 400 years of Baptist witness in England - it felt right to combine the two, explained BUGB secretary Jonathan Edwards.
More than 60 ministers lay preachers were recognised, having all been transferred to the BUGB fully accredited list since the last Assembly.

Nepal, Chad, China, Kosova, Thailand and Afghanistan were among the destinations for the latest batch of BMS mission personnel.

Assembly delegates read words of affirmation for everyone on stage. Then in another break with recent tradition, delegates also read out words to affirm their own ministry.

'Office workers, nurses, the retired, home makers, shopkeepers, bankers, cleaners, the unemployed, the underemployed - all are invited to make their life an act of worship,' said Jeff Taylor, BMS chair of trustees.