BWA Youth Department elects new leadership

The Baptist World Alliance (BWA) Youth Department elected new leadership during the 15th Baptist Youth World Conference held in Leipzig, Germany, July 30-August 3, 2008. Denise de Vasconcelos Araujo of Brazil is the new president of the department, the first female to hold the position. The 24-year-old has coordinated several national teen conferences in Brazil and now works for the World Missions Board of the Brazilian Baptist Convention. She holds a B.A. in Theology from the South Brazil Theological Seminary and is a member of the BWA Emerging Leaders Network. As president, Vasconcelos Araujo will chair the BWA Youth Executive Committee, assist in program development and represent the Youth Department as a voting member on the BWA Executive Committee. She succeeds Eiji Osato from Japan who served as president since 2004.

Denise Vasconcelos de Araujo

Youth Executive Committee members were also chosen. Members-at-large elected to the committee are Clinton Minnes from the Caribbean and Dean Miller from North America.

Representatives of the six regions serve as vice presidents on the Youth Executive Committee, and assist with the programs of the BWA Youth Department in their respective regions. The vice presidents for the current term are Sam Brickson from Africa; Jesse Ray from Asia Pacific; Michael Taylor from the Caribbean; Nick Lear from Europe; Roberto Lugo from Latin America; and Amanda Haines from North America.

Debra Berry from North America was elected International Program Committee Chair for the 16^th Baptist Youth World Conference.

Emmett Dunn, Director of the Youth Department, said, “I fully support the election of Denise and look forward to working with her and the new committee in addressing the concerns of the BWA youth family.”

The president, members-at-large and the IPC chair are elected by the Youth World Committee, based upon recommendations from the Youth Nominations Committee.

Officers and Executive Committee members serve from one youth conference to the next.

(August 22, 2008)