A Time to Heal: Summer Conference 2022 - BPFNA, Bautistas por la Paz.

This logo was designed by Anita, seven years old from Mexico. Anita was part of our Program for Children 2020.

From August 19 to 28, 2022, we held our Virtual Summer Conference 2022, a week with activities for all ages and groups that make up our family of peacemakers. A week of fellowship and reflection.

Weeks before, we had workshops connected to our conference's theme, such as the Liturgies that Heal workshop, which resulted in the collection of liturgical resources on time to heal and resilience. Also, the Mindfulness and Spirituality workshop.

During our weeklong celebration, we prepared material for children and adolescents who also had their virtual meeting. Meetings of seminarians and young adults were also held, full of reflection and analysis on the current reality and the challenges we face daily.

For Sunday with BPFNA, in which we invite all churches to hold an exceptional service connected to our central theme of Time to Heal, several churches in different countries joined with their local services; creating a space to unite in spirit and heart as the great family of peacemakers and peacemakers that we are.

We again had a Movie Night where we had an excellent conversation and reflection on the film chosen for this year. This was a fulfilling time where some people were left wanting more.

Our Membership Meeting was held like every year, introducing our new staff and Executive Director, as well as thanking the work of Rev. Dr. Doris García for her interim direction during this time. It was a space for celebration, communion, dialogue, and reflection on the goals and future projects of BPFNA.

During our International Conference, we had moments to pray, sing, reflect, dialogue, thank, and share. We had the participation of Henna Baclagon, from the Philippines, who shared her life testimony. She shared with us the struggles and complex situations she has experienced to serve and be faithful to her convictions of building peace with justice and dignity. Heal, resilience, community, accompaniment, and illumination were some of the keywords of our virtual meeting.

We closed our week with a bang, once again with our Virtual Party, a time to celebrate, dance, and share in community.

Today, two and a half years after the pandemic began, we are here, trying to get back. Still, not to normal because, to be honest, I don't want to go back to what was "normal" before, and I want and dream of something totally new, something different. Without a doubt, we have seen a lot of pain and suffering this time. Not only because of the current Covid19 pandemic but other "pandemics" that have continued in our contexts and have worsened in these years.

But we know moments will soon come when we will dance again, in person, with one another. Through these moments, I think the Divine Spirit reaches out to nurture, support, and encourage us towards a community full of health in spirit, mind, and body.

There is time to do many things. Let's make this time… A Time to Heal.
Thank you, family of BPFNA-Bautistas por la Paz
See you in 2023!