Description
This book represents ground-breaking work in terms of an examination of how Baptists in Europe work together trans-nationally. A criticism often levelled at Baptists is that they have no theology of ecclesial reality beyond the local. In this book Keith Jones describes the history and current reality of the European Baptist Federation (EBF), which brings together over fifty national Baptist groups in Europe and the Middle East and seeks to demonstrate that there is an ecclesial reality within the organisation, expressed in its communal life, mission activity, working on theological education, in relationship to other Christian world communions and in its decision making processes. The role of the pivotal figure of the General Secretary of the EBF is examined with particular reference to two significant figures. The relationship of European Baptists during the cold war era is explored, as is the relationship to two key mission agencies from the USA who have done much work in Europe. Keith G. Jones was born and grew up in Bradford, Yorkshire. He is a British Baptist minister having served in local pastoral ministry in Yorkshire, as General Secretary of the Yorkshire Baptist Association and as Deputy General Secretary of the Baptist Union of Great Britain. Since 1998 he has been Rector of the International Baptist Theological Seminary in Prague. He is married to Denise and they have two sons.