Welcome Welcome to this special issue of Il Seminatore (“The Sower”), the magazine edited by the Department of Evangelisation of Evangelical Christian Baptist Union of Italy (U.C.E.B.I.).

We thought that, on such a special occasion as this meeting in Birmingham, where about 13.000 Baptists from all over the world meet together to participate at the 19th Congress of the Baptist World Alliance, our magazine could be an open window on the small world of the Baptist Churches in Italy.

Today the Evangelical Christian Baptist Union of Italy (UCEBI) numbers 120 Churches spread throughout Italy and 5.000 active members with a total population of about 10.000 people.

There are two Departments: the Department of Theology and the Department of Evangelisation.

The Department of Theology (whose coordinator is pastor Massimo Aprile) supervises the theological and biblical education of the pastors who work at national and local level, often holding refresher courses for them. In addition to which the Department of Theology provides Churches with texts and documents useful for the spiritual growth of their members.

The Department of Evangelisation (whose coordinator is pastor Carmine Bianchi) promotes and coordinates the Churches work of evangelisation, publishes evangelistic materials, mantains relationships with ethnic Churches which are members of UCEBI, and promotes musical education and liturgical workshops.

It is obvious that in 16 pages we cannot cover everything about UCEBI, but through the brief articles which you can read in this magazine we will try to tell you the roots of our history. Moreover, we will try to illustrate to you: the challenges which we are bound to face as witnesses of the Gospel in our Country; the relationships which we hold with several national and international organisations; our commitment for peace and justice and the joy we experience through God’s love for each of us.

We Italian Baptists are a small reality, but we rejoice in the thought of being part of a larger fa mily of brothers and sisters from all over the world who pray for each other, who encourage and care for each other and who, despite our cultural and linguistic differences, give testimony through the unity of the Holy Spirit that Jesus Christ is the spring of living water welling up to eternal life.

Marta D’Auria