European Baptist Mission

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Eduard Scheve, founder of the German Baptist Mission

The European Baptist Mission (EBM) is an association of today (2009) 26 national Baptist mission societies, which was founded in Zurich in 1954 .

Founding members were the mission societies of the German , Swiss and French Baptists. In 1979, the previously independent Evangelical Free Church Missions Society for Missionary Actions in South America (MASA) joined the EBM. Since then the official abbreviation has been EBM / MASA . Since 2009, Hans-Herter-India Aid has also been integrated into the EBM.

history

The nucleus of the European Baptist Mission is the first conference of the Union of Congregations of Baptized Christians in 1849, one of the main themes of which was mission . Among other things, it was decided to recommend that all federal parishes initiate local so-called mission committees .

Beginnings

Eduard Scheve in the midst of Cameroonians

In 1890, at the suggestion of Eduard Scheve, a mission committee for Cameroon was established in the Berlin Baptist congregation in Bethel . The aim was to start missionary work in the then German colony. At the Federal Baptist Conference in 1891, Scheve applied to allow the sending of Gentile missionaries. The application was accepted. Only a few months later, August and Anna Steffens were the first German Baptist missionaries to travel to Cameroon on November 10, 1891 in 1897, some six years later, the German Baptists was during the 17th National conference Barmen established an official "missionary society of the German Baptists." on November 28, 1898, the German emperor granted Wilhelm II. of the Baptist missionary society, the rights of a legal person . Its headquarters was Berlin-Steglitz until 1911 and then Neuruppin .

After the First World War , Cameroon officially became the property of the League of Nations . France and Great Britain were entrusted with the administration of the mandate area. The missionary work of the German Baptists was only possible to a very limited extent due to these changed political conditions. Friedrich Wilhelm Simoleit , chairman of the German Cameroon Mission, was still able to visit the Cameroon mission stations in 1930. With the beginning of the Third Reich , missionary work was practically given up.

New start as a European Baptist Mission

At the beginning of the actual European Baptist mission story, there was an exchange of letters between Jacob Meister , the 1st chairman of the Federation of Evangelical Free Churches in Germany, and Henri Vincent , the President of the French Baptist Federation . In his letter, Meister, who wanted to resume German missionary work in Cameroon, asked the French Baptist President for help and, above all, for intercession with the authorities. In his answer Vincent expressed on the one hand his politically justified concerns about Meister's plans, but on the other hand made a suggestion that is today regarded as the starting point for the development of the European Baptist Mission: “If the idea of ​​a united Europe should grow and become a reality , then it could very well happen that all barriers between our nations will fall and that we will no longer think in terms of Germany or France, but in terms of Europe with regard to all things, including mission. I pray for it. Might it not be possible in this case to organize a European Baptist Mission Society, including the French and German work, and to send missionaries wherever? "

A first mission conference was held in Zurich on September 17 and 18, 1954. In addition to the German and French federations, Swiss Baptists had also sent their delegates there. During this conference the European Baptist Mission was founded. From a legal point of view, the EBM was organized as an association under Swiss law with its headquarters in Zurich. However, the office was located in Germany from the start, initially in Bad Homburg vdH and since 1997 in Wustermark-Elstal .

Missionary actions in South America

In 1969 the Baptist pastor Horst Borkowski accepted the invitation to evangelize for six months among residents of German origin in Argentina and southern Brazil . During this time, his wife Bertraud Borkowski visited, among other things, the Liebich orphan colony in Ijuí . Horst Borkowski published the shared impressions in a book and thus caused consternation in the circles of the German Evangelical Free Churches. In 1972, on the initiative of Borkowski, Missionary Actions in South America (MASA) was founded . This organization initially saw its task as supporting missionary-diaconal projects in Argentina and Brazil. Among other things, the Liebich children's home mentioned above, the work among Toba Indians in the Chaco and among border residents in the Vila Bela / Mato Grosso area were funded . Other projects - including the establishment of a Bible school in Ijui - followed. In 1980 a new field of work was opened in Peru . In 1992 the missionary work expanded to Bolivia and in 1998 reached Cuba .

The MASA have been integrated into the European Baptist Mission since 1979, but have their own focus of work.

India aid

Hans-Herter-India Aid has been an official member organization of the EBM since 2009 . Social diaconal missionary work was started in 1960 by Hans Herter , Ministerialrat in Bonn . At that time he initiated a fundraising campaign in favor of the Brown Memorial Hospital in Ludhiana / North India , where the German doctor Hans Grüber worked for over 13 years. Other projects have been added over the years. In 2009 the following projects were on the list of support provided by Hans-Herter-India Aid : emergency feeding programs, eye rescue services (three clinics and one mobile service), ten children's homes, several sewing schools, widows' homes, hospitals and a leprosy aid center at four locations . Vocational training centers have also been set up in the meantime; more are planned.

After the founder's death, Walter Herter took over the management of India Aid . All administrative work is done on a voluntary basis, so that the incoming donations benefit the funding projects in full. The aid organization has been part of the Federation of Evangelical Free Churches in Germany since 1985 .

EBM Foundation

An EBM foundation recognized by the state of Brandenburg has existed since 2004 . In accordance with its statutes, it promotes the activities of the EBM and is particularly committed to certain projects. These include the working group Maroua , which is active within the Federation of Evangelical Free Churches , the European Aid German Baptist Aid , the Hans Herter India Aid and the Terra Nova Mondai support group . Chairman of the foundation is the Secretary General of the European Baptist Mission, Pastor Christoph Haus.

Fields of work

Today the EBM / MASA is active in the following continents and countries:

Members

Fletcher Kaiya, EBM representative in southern Africa

In 2009 the following 26 Baptist unions were members of the EBM / MASA:

organization

The organs of the EBM / MASA are the mission conference, the executive branch, the so-called mission office in Wustermark-Elstal and the approximately 30 missionaries who work mainly in Africa and Latin America.

The mission conference usually takes place once a year and decides on all financial, personnel and strategy issues. The African and South American partner churches of the EBM / MASA also have a seat and vote here in addition to the European member churches.

The management of the current EBM / MASA work is in the hands of the so-called executive, whose members are called by the mission conference. The Elstal Mission Office acts as the central administrative office.

The missionaries appointed by the EBM / MASA work in cooperation with the respective partner churches in both theological and diaconal areas.

Mission and development aid work is financed exclusively by donations, the intended use of which is checked by a recognized auditor.

literature

  • Ulrich Wagner: Sent to life. Handout on the subject of world missions , Wustermark-Elstal 2007 (2nd edition)
  • EBM / MASA (ed.): When the sky touches the earth ... 50 years of EBM, 35 years of MASA. Festschrift , Wustermark 2004.
  • Horst Borkowski: That is South America too. Evangelist among colonists and Indians , Wuppertal 1971, ISBN 3-7893-0421-2 .
  • Martina Schwarz, Volker Bohle, Volkmar Hamp (eds.): Look who's cooking! Recipes from all over the world for children and adults , Kassel 2003, ISBN 978-3-87939-607-8 .
  • Dietrich Weiand: Hope for shadow children. 40 years of MASA in Latin America , Ahnatal / Kassel 2010, ISBN 978-3-940232-03-8 .

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c Volker Bohle: History of the European Baptist Mission ( Memento of the original from March 6, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. ; accessed February 10, 2010. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / ebm-masa.de
  2. ^ Josef Lehmann: History of the German Baptists , Part Two: Work, Struggle and Expansion of the Churches in Germany and Surrounding Countries from 1848 to 1870 , Cassel 1900, Chronological Appendix p. 343.
  3. ↑ United Federal Administration: Statistics 1905 of the Federation of Baptist Congregations in Germany (incorporated in Hamburg) , Kassel 1905, p. 4.
  4. ↑ Chronology of the EBM-MASA ( Memento of the original from December 12, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. ; accessed on February 10, 2010.  @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / ebm-masa.de
  5. ^ History of the Liebich Children's Home (Portuguese); Section: Começa a parceria com a Alemanha ; accessed on February 11, 2010.
  6. ↑ Horst Borkowski: That too is South America. Evangelist among colonists and Indians , Wuppertal 1971, ISBN 3-7893-0421-2 .
  7. ↑ MASA Chronicle 1972–2003 ( Memento of the original dated November 9, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. ; accessed on February 11, 2010.  @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.ebm-masa.org
  8. ↑ Information about the Hans-Herter-India Aid on the Rock & Gospel homepage ; accessed on February 11, 2010.
  9. ↑ EBM Foundation ( Memento of the original from March 4, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. ; accessed on February 11, 2010. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / ebm-masa.de
  10. ↑ Countries of deployment of the EBM / Masa ( Memento of the original from November 28, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. ; accessed on February 11, 2010. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / ebm-masa.de
  11. ↑ EBM / MASA missionaries in Africa and Latin America ( Memento of the original from March 4, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. ; accessed on February 11, 2010. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / ebm-masa.de
  12. ↑ Structure of the EBM / MASA ( Memento of the original from January 14, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. ; accessed on February 11, 2010. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / ebm-masa.de

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