Baptist Union of Poland

The history of the Baptists in Poland dates back to the year 1844. The majority of the Polish Baptist churches today in the Christian- Baptist Federation of Polish Republic (Polish: kościół Chrześcijan Baptystów w Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej ) together. In addition to this covenant a small community of Seventh-day Baptists and some free Baptist churches exist.

History

Only a few years after the founding of the first continental European Baptist church by Johann Gerhard Oncken began emissaries of the young Free Church with an extensive missionary work in East and West Prussia and Poland. First Baptist baptisms can be here already demonstrate for the year 1844. On 28 and 29 November 1858 of an elementary school teacher Gottfried Alf and of the Baptist missionary William Tells baptized 25 people near Elbing / West Prussia (now Elbląg ). From this three years later developed an independent municipality was constituted on August 4, 1861 in Adamov, chaired by the Baptist preacher Johann Andreas Gülzau. A few weeks later it came to the establishment of a second community in Kicin. There were Mennonites who had turned under the influence of Alf the Baptist doctrine. The Kiciner Baptists appeared first among the Polish population, the first Polish-speaking settlement was established in 1872 in Zelow. In 1922, the Slavic Baptists joined at a conference of a national association. Six years later (1928 ) were forming the German Baptists to collar the Baptists German tongue in Poland. Both societies existed side by side until the beginning of World War II.

During the occupation of Poland by German troops, the German Baptists joined with the 1942 founded from Baptists and two other free Ecclesial Communities Federation of Evangelical Free Churches. The Polish-speaking Baptists formed with other confessional communities related a Polish free church covenant, by which they, however, in 1947 parted again. Since that time, including most Polish Baptists to kościół Chrześcijan Baptystów w Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej.

Statistics

In 2006, belonged to the Polish Baptist Union about 4871 members who gather in 83 local communities.

Organization

The autonomous local churches are united in following regional associations:

• Okręg Slaski
• Okręg Lubelski
• Okręg Gdański
• Okręg Białostocki
• Okręg Centralny
• Okręg Mazurski
• Okręg Południowy
• Okręg Dolnośląski
• Okręg Pomorski

These regional associations each appoint a representative to the so-called Federal Council of the Baptists. This is the governing body of the Free Church and selects for four years from its center, the four -member steering committee of the Council.

The pastors of the Polish Baptists are formed at the Biblical Theological Seminary founded in 1990 in Breslau. Since 2000, this church college is also supported by other confessional related Free Churches.

International Relations and Ecumenism

The Polish Baptist Union is part of the European Baptist Federation and through them to the Baptist World Alliance. He is a member of the World Council of Churches. Many community members work as part of the Evangelical Alliance with Christians of other Protestant denominations together.