Baptists in the Czech Republic

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Baptist Church in Gablonz

The Baptists in the Czech Republic are united in the Baptist Union of the Czech Republic . The Czech name of this league is: Bratrská Jednota Baptistů v České republice .

history

Baptist Church in Brniště

The first Baptist missionary work in the Czech Republic began in the 50s of the 19th century . At that time the Czech territories were part of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy.

Markus Knappe , a German Baptist pastor, began to tour the Broumov area regularly during these years . He was primarily interested in the German-speaking population of this region. On March 18, 1884 , the first Baptist church was founded in the village of Hleďsebe ( Bohemia ). It called itself a community of believingly baptized Christians .

Only a few years later, the Hleďsebe municipality moved its main activity to Prague . As early as 1915, there were 15 Baptist congregations in the Czech Republic, which in 1919 merged to form a congregation called The Chelčicky Unity of Brethren . In 1950 the name was changed; the Czechoslovak Baptist Union was now called Bratrská Jednota Baptistů v České republice .

In 1960 , two regional associations were formed within what was then Czechoslovakia, the Bohemian-Moravian and the Slovakian. Until 1993 they remained united under the umbrella of the aforementioned Baptist Union.

After the division of Czechoslovakia into the two independent states of the Czech Republic and Slovakia, the two associations also separated and formed independent national alliances. However, there is still an intensive cooperation between the two fraternities, which is expressed, among other things, in the publication of a joint hymnbook and the joint magazine Rozsievač .

Organization and statistics

Age structure of Czech Baptists (2011)

The most important organ of the Baptists in the Czech Republic is the delegates' conference of the congregation union. This conference meets once a year and decides on all important matters for Czech Baptists. Among other things, the conference also elects a five-person management committee that conducts the business of the federal government. The federal seat is in Prague.

The Czech Baptist Union is a member of the European Baptist Federation and the World Baptist Federation . He also works on the World Council of Churches in the Czech Republic .

A Bible school in Olomouc (founded in 1992 ) offers a three-year theology course. The International Theological Seminary , which had its in Prague until 2014 and has been in Amsterdam since then , offers a full theology course with the opportunity to do a doctorate .

The Union of Czech Baptists has 2335 members (excluding children and friends) who gather in 26 autonomous local congregations.

literature

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

Web links