In the jubilee year 2008, Polish Baptists are planning special observances of the 150th Anniversary of the beginning of Baptist movement on Polish soil.
The programme began at Warsaw-Radość on December 1, 2007 with the visit of the Baptist World Alliance President, David Coffey. That Saturday morning inaugurated the observance of the jubilee year for the Baptist Union of Poland.
Though there were those practicing believer’s baptism on Polish soil during the sixteenth century Reformation period, the origins of the modern Polish Baptist movement date back to the year 1858, at a time when no independent Poland existed. This pioneer was a country teacher from Adamowo, Gotfryd Fryderyk Alf (1831-1898), a man of German descent but a native of Poland. The Polish Baptist Union proudly traces its modern history back to Alf who demonstrated his faith by receiving believer’s baptism on November 28, 1858. This date marks the official beginning of the modern Baptist movement on Polish soil.
A special, commemorative plaque honouring the role played by Gottfried Alf in founding the modern Baptist movement in Poland will be unveiled during the Baptist Seminary’s End of Year Service on June 15th .
Celebrations are taking place in various form in all of the Baptist churches in Poland. The main celebrations - and at the same time the culmination of the jubilee programme - are going to be held between September 19-21, 2008, again at the Radość Baptist Center, Warsaw
“We are thankful to God for Alf who gave heroic service to Christ and to the Baptist cause. We also want to express our gratitude to God for all the people who, through their faithfulness and devotion, sacrificed so generously in serving Christ and building His church here in Poland. Without all of them, we wouldn’t now be celebrating the 150th Anniversary of our movement.” – said Gustaw Cieślar, the President of the Polish Baptist Union.
Presently, the Baptist Union of Poland has about 5000 members in 81 churches and there are prospects of planting more new churches in the near future.
Contact: BU Office
Tel.: +48 22 624-27-83
Email: kancelaria(at)baptysci.pl
Website: http://www.baptysci.pl
If you'd like more information about this topic, or to schedule an interview with Gustaw Cieślar, please call the BU Office at +48 22 624-27-83 or e-mail Gustaw at Ten adres pocztowy jest chroniony przed spamowaniem. Aby go zobaczyć, konieczne jest włączenie w przeglądarce obsługi JavaScript.
