Baptist World Alliance leadership role for Lynn Green 

General Secretary Lynn Green has been elected as the Baptist World Alliance’s (BWA) first ever Vice Chair – the first woman to have a leadership role at this level in the BWA

 
The election took place at the BWA Global Council, which convened in Brisbane, Australia, on 9 July, in advance of the 23rd Baptist World Congress.
 
The Council also saw the election of Karl Johnson, the former General Secretary of the Jamaica Baptist Union, as the first BWA Chair.
 
Both will serve in these roles for the next five years until the next Congress.
 
The elections represent a new leadership model for the BWA, which previously had a President and First Vice President.   
 
This new BWA role will run alongside her duties as General Secretary of the Baptist Union of Great Britain. In recent years she has been a part of the BWA General Council, Executive Committee, and Human Resources Committee.  
 
‘It’s a tremendous honour to be called into this role,’ said Lynn, who explained a key aspect is to chair the meetings of the Leadership Council.
 
‘I am looking forward to establishing Christ-centred, Spirit-filled, collaborative relationships together as we seek to mirror godliness and provide governance for the BWA mission, vision, and impact in the world,’ she said.
 
‘Whilst God’s mission will always be at the heart of the BWA, in this quinquennium I would particularly love to see greater numbers of women leaders and younger leaders flourishing and equipped to fulfill God’s call.’

On being the first women in such a leadership position, she said, 'I feel really honoured to be able to stand in this space. I hope that through being in this position, it will inspire and encourage other women to listen to God and to respond to God's call.'

She added, 'The Baptist Union Great Britain were actually founder members of the Baptist World Alliance, and the first meeting of the Baptist World Alliance was in London, so the fact that our Union has produced the first woman be in a role at this level is really incredible.' 
 
These new leadership roles arose from the BWA’s four-year comprehensive review of its governance structures, resulting in a new BWA constitution and bylaws that were approved at the 2024 BWA Annual Gathering in Lagos, Nigeria. This process also saw the creation of a new body, the Trustee Committee, overseeing BWA’s legal and fiduciary responsibilities.Jerry Carlisle of the United States was elected as Chair of the Trustee Committee.   
 
Following their election by the Global Council, a special time of commissioning was held at the Congress for Lynn, Karl and Jerry.
 

 
 
BWA Chair Karl Johnson has a long history with the BWA having served as First Vice President of the BWA from 2020-2025 and Chair of the Membership Committee as well as member of the Executive, Budget & Finance, Nominations, Congress, and Governance Review committees.

He served as General Secretary of the Jamaica Baptist Union from 2001-2021 and has also held roles in the Caribbean Baptist Fellowship and World Council of Churches. 
 
He said, 'I am convinced that the BWA is a Christian body that embraces the precepts and principles of the Triune God. This has been our witness and testimony since 1905 and that has made us one of the more consistently credible voices in the world as it relates to issues of evangelism, justice, equity, religious freedom, human dignity and flourishing.
 
‘My prayer is that God will enable me through this role to provide missional, inspirational and transformational leadership, especially in the interest of the most overlooked and marginalised in the world.’ 
 
New Trustee Committee Chair Jerry is current President of the Texas Baptist Missions Foundation and former President and First Vice President of the Baptist General Convention of Texas. He has served the BWA as a BWA Vice President, Global Council Member, Human Resources Committee Chair, and Chair of the 2020 Congress Committee.  
 
'I believe the BWA pleases God as it strives to bring His children together to fulfill his redemptive purpose in his world,' he said.

'The [Trustee] Committee is comprised of gifted, experienced, committed global leaders with strengths in each area of the committee's scope of work. My hope is to significantly strengthen the BWA staff and grow BWA's financial resources to impact the world for Christ.'
 
The Global Council also thanked outgoing president Tomás Mackey of Argentina for his five years of service to the Baptist family. During his tenure, Mackey met with dozens of Baptist groups around the world to provide pastoral presence and encouragement.