The Fellowship of Baptists in Britain and Ireland
(Formed as the Fellowship of British Baptists in 1994)
The Fellowship of Baptists in Britain and Ireland, often referred to as FBBI, is an informal gathering of representative Baptist leaders from across the UK and Ireland along with BMS World Mission. Click here for contact details for each of the organisations represented in FBBI.
It had met for more than 12 years as the Fellowship of British Baptists and in 2011 some representatives from a newly formed group, Irish Baptist Networks (IBN), were invited to join and the name was changed to FBBI to accommodate this.
FBBI does not have any legal or governance status in respect of the five organisations that send representatives to these meetings. It provides a unique opportunity for informal engagement across the Unions, BMS World Mission and IBN. The agenda is fluid and usually focuses on matters that the representatives feel there would be benefit from having an opportunity to share, discuss and pray. It is more than a report-sharing experience; it provides for genuine engagement in a relaxed setting... usually IMC in Birmingham.
These FBBI meetings are usually held once a year, in the late autumn, with the option for another meeting in February – if requested. The meetings usually extend over a 24-hour period.
In recent reconstituting of BUGB, BUS and BMS World Mission legal structures, each organisation has created the opportunity for representatives from other FBBI organisations to be Council members in their revised structures, thus demonstrating that relationships matter in seeking to see kingdom advances and transformation.
FBBI has established two informal groups to work together:
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FBBI Ministry Forum with representatives discussing issues of mutual interest and engaging as appropriate with the Baptist Colleges
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FBBI Mission Community which brings together people leading missional initiatives across UK and globally. The Mission Community has workshop meetings twice a year and a broad section of Baptist and baptistic missional leaders engage with contemporary issues and challenges.
FBBI, as an informal grouping, does not have a website. For more information please contact:
FBBI Chair: Stephen Adams
Mission Community: Mark Ord
Ministry Forum: Jim Purves
“The fellowship of fellow Baptist leaders is a great source of support and encouragement and is a key expression of our interdependence as a Union.” Alan Donaldson – General Director BUS