Baptists in Croatia

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The autonomous local communities of Baptists in Croatia are united in the Union of Baptist Churches in Croatia (Croatian Savez baptističkih crkava u Republici Hrvatskoj ). This association serves primarily to cope with tasks that overwhelm the individual congregation and to promote relationships between the local congregations.

history

The first reports of Baptist missionary work in Croatia date from the penultimate decade of the 19th century . Philip Lotz (kroat. Filip Lotz ), a German-born Croat who experienced a conversion in the Vienna Baptist Church and received there the believers baptism . Around 1883 he returned to his Croatian homeland and began extensive missionary work among the German-speaking population of Slavonia (Eastern Croatia). His base was the city of Đakovo (German: Diakowar ). This pioneering work was also one of the starting points for the development of the Czech Baptist congregations .

Another founder of Croatian Baptism was Ivan Zrinšćak . His path led him from Budapest , where he had joined the Baptists, to Zagreb . Due to his intensive preaching activities, the first Baptist church was founded there as early as 1890.

The Croatian Baptist Union did not come into being until 1991 - after the fall of Yugoslavia . Until then, the Baptists in Croatia were members of the Yugoslav Baptist Union , which had been founded in 1951 and had its seat in Belgrade .

Organization and statistics

The Union of Baptist Churches in the Republic of Croatia is a member of the European Baptist Federation and the World Baptist Federation .

One of the branches of activity of the Croatian Union is a theological faculty in Zagreb, which is supported jointly with the Evangelical Lutheran Church . A so-called Baptist Institute , also located in Zagreb, has been providing further training for full-time and voluntary employees since 1999. A diaconal work ( Baptist Aid ) coordinates the social work of the Baptist Union.

On November 18, 2007, the Croatian Baptist Union inaugurated a new pastoral center in Čakovec . It is a multi-purpose building that offers space for community events, conferences and youth work. The pastoral center also includes a social diaconal training project for up to 40 young people.

In 2004 the Croatian Baptist Union had around 2000 baptized members who were organized in 42 local congregations.

literature

  • Albert W. Wardin, Jr .: Baptists Around the World. A comprehensive handbook. Broadman & Holman, Nashville TN 1995, ISBN 0-8054-1076-7 .

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