Baptist Convention of Nicaragua

(Convención Bautista de Nicaragua, CBN)

The Baptist Convention of Nicaragua was founded in 1917 under the auspices of missionaries of the American Baptist churches. Its main objective is to proclaim and live out the gospel of the reign of God in Nicaraguan society. From the beginning the CBN has developed an integrated way of proclaiming the gospel, as is manifested through its Baptist hospital, the Baptist college, its home for the mentally handicapped, a radio station, a programme of preventive health care, a centre for theological formation and a university of Protestant inspiration. Many of the local churches have in similar ways integrated evangelization and service to the community. The CBN has also taken an active part in the founding of larger ministries such as CEPAD (Council of Evangelical Churches of Nicaragua), the first Protestant radio in the country, and the Inter-Church Centre for Social and Theological Studies (CIEETS). Besides the pastors in the local churches, the convention employs several hundred leaders and workers in its institutions. The highest governing body of the CBN is the general assembly which meets once a year. An executive board and the general secretariat look after the on-going matters and the programmes in between the sessions of the general assembly.

The CBN sees as its main challenges an articulation of the gospel which responds to the needs of society, and the development of a prophetic and biblical testimony in different socio-economic circumstances; the strengthening of the local churches and institutional ministries; the modernization of the governance and administration of the convention, in response to new institutional developments and new forms of ecclesial expression which are emerging in its constituency.