A number of groups joined together for a midmorning meeting on Thursday in Amman, Jordan, to discuss common interests and to review plans surrounding the official opening and dedication of the Baptism Center in Bethany beyond Jordan.
The opening of the center takes place on Friday, March 20.
In addition to leaders of the BWA and European Baptist Federation, there were leaders from the Jordan Baptist Convention, Lebanese Baptist Society, the Baptist Union of Great Britain, Oxford University in England, the Arab Baptist Theological Seminary in Lebanon, the Jordan Evangelical Theological Seminary, and the Tony Blair Faith Foundation.
The same group participated in an afternoon meeting at the offices of Islamica magazine to discuss the BWA response to the Muslim letter of October 13, 2007. Muslim participants were young Islamic journalists and scholars, including Sohail Nakhooda, Editor in Chief of Islamica.
Paul Fiddes, Professor at Oxford, and Chair of the BWA Commission on Doctrine and Interchurch Cooperation, summarized the BWA response that led to a lively discussion among the Islamic journalists and scholars and the Baptist leaders and scholars.
