Special international issue: last July, Wake Forest University's Divinity School hosted the Second International Conference on Baptist Studies

Baptist History and Heritage, Wntr-Spring, 2001 by Merrill M. Hawkins, Jr.

The three-day conference brought together senior and junior scholars in Baptist history and theology from around the world. The tone of the conference was positive and true to the best of the Baptist tradition. have found that it is the rare conference in denominational history and identity that escapes parochialism, nurtures the mind and the faith, and bridges cultural differences. This conference was that meeting. Baptist History and Heritage is privileged to publish selected papers from the conference. Our ability to publish the papers has been made possible by the financial contributions of Carson-Newman College and the

Baptist History and Heritage Society, as well as the support of numerous colleges that are members of the society. In addition to these institutional sponsors, Paul and Imogene Brewer of Jefferson City, Tennessee, made a generous contribution toward making this particular edition a reality.

Unfortunately, we could not publish all the papers. The papers here represent the breadth of presentations. You will find articles exploring Baptist life in all the hemispheres of the world. It is my hope, as well as that of the leadership of the Baptist History and Heritage Society and the organizers of the Second International Conference on Baptist Studies, that this volume will provide a lasting contribution to the study of Baptist history and identity, especially by reminding us of the diversity of Baptist life around the globe. The next conference will be hosted by the International Baptist Theological Seminary in Prague in 2003.

Merril M. Hawkins Jr.

Editor