Capitol Ministries Expands Global Reach at Baptist World Alliance Congress in Australia
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Inspired by the command of Jesus Christ to serve as His witnesses “to the remotest part of the earth,” a Capitol Ministries team undertook an extensive journey to Brisbane, Australia. Valeriu Ghiletchi departed from Chisinau, Moldova; Frank Cuozzo traveled from Honolulu, Hawaii; and Dr. Julian Kivori commenced his trip from Papua New Guinea. Despite their diverse backgrounds and points of origin, these three men were united by a singular mission: to identify and recruit new ministry leaders during the Baptist World Alliance Congress, held from July 7 to 12, 2025.
For the vast majority of delegates, Capitol Ministries’ mission of making disciples of Jesus Christ within the political arena was a strikingly new idea. Unlike in North America, many of the 136 nations represented at the Congress do not enjoy the full privilege of religious freedom. On the contrary, in some of these countries, political leaders have actively restricted religious expression and even persecuted Christians—leading many believers to overlook political leaders as a potential mission field.
“Each day, individuals from around the world visited our booth. For most of them, our ministry was entirely unfamiliar, which provided an excellent opportunity to share CapMin’s vision and mission,” said Valeriu Ghiletchi, Ministry Leader for Europe. “Some were drawn by curiosity, while others approached with clear intention. We viewed every interaction as a divine appointment—knowing that the person we were speaking with could be the head of a Baptist association representing hundreds of thousands of believers and thousands of pastors.”
“Our primary goal was to help them understand that the Great Commission includes what we call the ‘missing mandate,’” said Frank Cuozzo, Assistant Global Director for the South Pacific and Ministry Leader in Hawaii. “It was truly encouraging to see pastors filling out response cards and expressing a desire to minister to their nations’ political leaders through Capitol Ministries. I am thrilled that we have collected 40 response cards from potential leaders in 18 countries—each one representing a story yet to be written.”
Julian Kivori, Global Director for the South Pacific, shared that he met pastors from Fiji, the Solomon Islands, and Samoa with the intent of launching ministry efforts in their respective island nations.
During one of the evening receptions, the Capitol Ministries team was introduced to two political leaders from the Queensland Parliament of Australia: the Hon. Fiona Simpson, MP, and Senator Paul Scarr. They shared with Valeriu Ghiletchi that they occasionally gather for a prayer breakfast. “I was deeply encouraged to hear this,” Valeriu said. “I quickly shared with them the Bible study model we use to minister to political leaders, and it strongly resonated with Parliamentarian Simpson, who expressed genuine interest in this missiological approach.” Valeriu described the conversation as “honey to his ears” and noted that it may be time to begin praying intentionally for the launch of Capitol Ministries in Australia.
One evening, the former Speaker of the Legislative Assembly from Nagaland, India, stopped at CapMin booth. He was greatly encouraged to learn about Capitol Ministries. Nagaland, known as the most Christian state in India, has a strong faith presence. He said, “Please come to Nagaland, and let’s have a training conference in India.”
A leader of a Baptist Church Association from Nigeria also visited the booth and was very inquisitive about the ministry. We explained that our calling is to pray for those in authority rather than criticize or condemn them. The next day, he returned and brought two pastors from his association, so they could also learn about our ministry.
The team returned to their respective countries filled with enthusiasm and hope, praying that the seeds planted during their time in Australia would bear much fruit for the Kingdom of God.
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