Union of Baptists in Belgium

Baptists in Belgium has been around since the late 19th century. They are joined together in a federation. The official name of this association is

• In German: Union of Baptists in Belgium
• In French: Union des Baptiste en Belgique
• In Dutch: Unie van Baptists in België

History

Starting point for the development of Belgian Baptist churches was northern France. Baptist migrant workers brought their religious beliefs that region late 19th century across the border. In Liège (French Liège, ndl. Luik) it came in 1892 to the founding of the first Baptist church of the Belgian Kingdom. In 1922, several Belgian Baptist churches merged to form a national federation. Only in 1997 the Belgian Baptists received their state recognition, after Jimmy Carter, former President of the United States and himself a member had a Baptist church, used massively for it.

Organization and statistics

The individual local communities are - as everywhere in the Baptist - autonomous. Each community sent according to their size deputies to the Annual Conference, to be held at different locations. There will decide on all issues of common concern as well as the common EU budget. An elected Executive Committee is responsible for implementing the decisions.

2004 Belgium had 13 independent Baptist congregations with a total of 855 members (excluding non- baptized children and friends of the municipalities).

International connections

The Belgian Baptist Union is a member of the European Baptist Federation and the Baptist World Alliance. To the Federation of Evangelical Free Churches merged Baptists there is a close connection, as well as to the North French Baptist churches.