BWA Congress speakers announced 

The keynote speakers for the 21st Baptist World Congress to be held in Durban, South Africa next year have been confirmed

Speakers are Peter Chin from South Korea, Donald Ndichafah from Cameroon, Dimitrina Oprenova from Bulgaria, Anthony Carroll from the Bahamas, Luiz Soares Silvado from Brazil and Joel Gregory from the United States.

Chin is senior pastor of the Global Mission Church in Bundang-Suji district in South Korea. He earned degrees from several schools in the United States -- Fuller Theological Seminary, Midwestern Baptist Seminary, Trinity International University in Ministry and the University of Virginia. He previously pastored Baptist churches in the United States before going to Korea.

Ndichafah is a vice president of the All Africa Baptist Fellowship, one of six regional fellowships of the Baptist World Alliance (BWA) and was, from 2008-2012, general secretary of the Cameroon Baptist Convention. He was previously field pastor for the Yaounde Area in Cameroon. Ndichafah is a member of the BWA Commission on Baptist Worship and Spirituality.

Oprenova is associate pastor at First Baptist Church in Sofia, president of the Bulgarian Baptist Women's Department and a member of the Executive Committee of the European Baptist Women's Union. She has been engaged in ministry among women, children and youth. She earned degrees from Spurgeon's College in the United Kingdom and the International Baptist Theological Seminary.

Carroll is senior pastor of Antioch Native Baptist Church in Nassau and former president of the Bahamas National Baptist Missionary and Education Convention. He is a graduate of the American Baptist College and Emory University's Candler School of Theology in the US. Carroll is a member of the BWA General Council and the Commission on Evangelism.

Silvado is pastor of Bacacheri Baptist Church in Curitiba, Paraná, and president of the Brazilian Baptist Convention. He holds degrees from the Federal University of Paraná, the South Brazil Baptist Theological Seminary and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in the US. Silvado is a member of the BWA General Council and the Mission, Evangelism and Theological Reflection Advisory Committee.

Gregory is professor of preaching at Baylor University's Truett Seminary in Texas and distinguished fellow of Georgetown College in Kentucky. He is founder and principal of Joel Gregory Ministries, an international ministry of teaching and preaching. He earned degrees at Baylor University and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary where he taught preaching for three years. He is lead author of the recently published, Baptist Preaching: A Global Anthology, which was launched during the BWA Annual Gathering in Izmir, Turkey, in July 2014. He is a member of the BWA Commission on Baptist Worship and Spirituality.

The Baptist World Alliance, founded in 1905, is a fellowship of 231 conventions and unions in 121 countries and territories comprising 42 million members in 177,000 churches. Its priorities are nurturing the passion for mission and evangelism, promoting worship, fellowship and unity, responding to people in need, defending human rights and justice and advancing relevant theological reflectiion.

The 21st Baptist World Congress takes place in Durban, South Africa July 22-26, 2015.