About Us
Our identity:
The South Wales Baptist Association (SWaBA) is a partnership of over 100 churches & missional communities from across South Wales and part of the Baptist Union of Great Britain (formed in 2001)
Geographically, our member churches spread across South Wales from Broadhaven in the west to Chepstow in the east, and from Barry in the South to Brecon in the north. The churches vary in size and are located in a variety of situations where they seek to make Jesus known in their own communities.
SWaBA is in membership with the Evangelical Alliance, CYTUN and the Free Church Council of Wales.
Our Purpose:
Is to walk with and enable each other to become healthy expressions of God’s kingdom.
Our Values: (Characteristics and behaviours most important to us)
Passionate for mission - God is at work on earth and it is our incredible privilege to be a part of this work as we seek to see lives and communities transformed by the gospel.
Innovative and visionary – God is Creator and always doing new things. We want to be willing to take risks, to step out in faith and move beyond the familiar way of doing things.
Generous and relational – God has demonstrated His willingness to give however great the cost. We have the opportunity to work fruitfully with others as we share ideas and resources. God is love and everyone is special to Him. We seek to see others through God’s eyes.
Committed to justice - We experience a ‘holy discontent’ that leads us to work towards Kingdom values. This includes confronting evil, challenging injustice and valuing the whole of creation.
Our Vision: (A picture of where we want to be in the future)
Relationship – We want people to value Association Life and being a part of the Baptist family. We will seek to offer opportunities for positive and inspiring interaction. Our aim is for each church or minister to have at least one personal interaction with the RM team each year.
Well-being – We recognise well-being affects those inside and outside of church. We want churches to be a place where people can go to be restored and refreshed. We want ministers and churches to experience the Association as a place of listening, encouraging and guiding when calling out for help or support.
Missional Focus - We seek to encourage and inspire churches and ministers to engage in relevant, creative mission in their communities. We aim that the majority of our churches will be involved in pioneering as an expression of God’s Kingdom resulting in healthy discipleship making.
Children’s, Youth and Families - To develop a network of paid and volunteer CYF workers who can encourage one another and feel valued in all they do. The aim is to resource and equip CYF workers in effective, creative and innovative ways.
Continued Ministry Development – To promote and provide opportunities for an increasing number of accredited and non-accredited ministers to engage with practices that support the development of their ministry.
