Baptists in Germany can be documented as having existed since 1834, the year in which the first congregation was formed by Johann Gerhard Oncken , Barnas Sears and others, in Hamburg that became the nucleus of the Baptist movement in continental Europe . Together with Oncken, Gottfried Wilhelm Lehmann and Julius Köbner formed the "Baptist cloverleaf" of Germany, having a great impact on the movement. Most German Baptists belong to the Union of Evangelical Free Churches , which is part of the Baptist World Alliance through the European Baptist Federation . Other German Baptist congregations, some with Russian-German roots, joined together in new unions beginning in the 1980s. In addition, other smaller congregational networks and a number of so-called free Baptist congregations emerged.
20-489: German Baptists may refer to: Baptists in Germany Schwarzenau Brethren , commonly called German Baptists, an Anabapist tradition Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title German Baptists . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to
40-571: A hindrance to Mennonite society, the contribution of the Mennonite Brethren allowed all Mennonite groups in Russia to pursue a more wholesome Christian life. The Mennonite Brethren movement also spread through missionary endeavor. They commissioned the first missionaries to travel from Southern Russia (Ukraine) to India in 1887, establishing congregations in the Hyderabad, Telangana State, region. In
60-567: A subordinate role. They have no function in relation to hierarchy, but serve primarily to deal with tasks that a single congregation cannot accomplish. These include, among other things, mission work , diaconia and the theological training of full-time and volunteer staff. The following is a selection of Baptist unions and movements in Germany. The Union of Evangelical Free Churches in Germany ( Bund Evangelisch-Freikirchlicher Gemeinden , BEFG; Baptist and Brethren congregations) has its origins in
80-605: A theological correspondence course and a theological evening school. The International Baptist Convention goes back to church plantings by American soldiers. In Germany, 25 English-speaking congregations belong to it. From its beginnings in Wiesbaden and Frankfurt , a loose working group was formed in 1958, the Association of Baptists in Continental Europe, which was joined by other congregations and, from 1961, supported by
100-526: A total membership for "Free Baptist and Mennonite congregations" of about 290,000 in "550 free congregations" in 2012. According to this, most members come from the area of the former Soviet Union. Apart from the fact that these are explicitly not only Baptists, this figure, with the exception of the Union of Evangelical Free Churches, likely also includes some if not all of the above-mentioned groupings. Mennonite Brethren Church The Mennonite Brethren Church
120-512: Is an evangelical Mennonite Anabaptist movement with congregations . The conference was established among Plautdietsch -speaking Russian Mennonites in 1860. During the 1850s, some Mennonites were influenced by Radical Pietism , which found its way into the Mennonite colonies of the southern Russian Empire now known as Ukraine. Mennonite immigrants from West Prussia who had been influenced by pietistic leaders transplanted those ideas to
140-707: The Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Evangeliumschristen-Baptisten in the Union of Evangelical Free Churches or is united with Mennonite Brethren congregations in the Bund Taufgesinnter Gemeinden ('Union of Baptist-Minded Congregations'). In addition, there are also congregations outside of congregational associations. The congregations in the Bund Taufgesinnter Gemeinden [ de ] ('Union of Baptist-Minded Congregations'; BTG) have partly Baptist, partly Mennonite roots. The federation
160-649: The Brethren movement , and thereby took its present name. According to a census published by the association in 2023, it claimed 786 churches and 75,767 members. The Evangeliumschristen-Baptisten [ de ] ('Evangelical Christians-Baptists') are mostly of Russian-German origin. They were formed in 1944 from the merger of Evangeliums-Christen with the Baptists. Later, other evangelical free churches joined them. In contrast to their Eastern European countries of origin, no unified union of Evangelical Christians-Baptists
180-953: The Baptists in the Union of Evangelical Free Churches. The main differences are their positions on women's ordination , the charismatic movement and ecumenism , as well as the understanding of the Bible. The churches of the Missionsdienstes der Freien Baptisten and other free Baptist churches are associated with the Konferenz für Gemeindegründung [ de ] ('Conference for Church Planting'; KfG). Around 30 congregations are affiliated. The Bibel-Baptisten ('Bible Baptists') include about 50 churches. The Reformed Baptists , who are strongly influenced by Calvinism , include about ten congregations in Germany. The Religionswissenschaftlicher Medien- und Informationsdienst or REMID ('German Religious Studies Media and Information Service') gives
200-507: The Mennonite colonies and produced many distinguished leaders, particularly in Molotschna. These include P. M. Friesen (educator and historian), Jakob and Abraham Kroeker (writers), Heinrich Braun (publisher), Peter Braun (educator) and A. H. Unruh (educator). Jakob Kroeker (1872–1948) was one of the most prolific Mennonite writers, completing a fourteen volume Old Testament commentary. By breaking religious and cultural patterns that had become
220-586: The North American congregational association of the Southern Baptist Convention . In 1964, the Association adopted its current name. The Missionsdienst der Freien Baptisten ('Free Baptist Mission Service') works together with Baptist Mid-Missions . About ten congregations belong to it. According to their own statements, the Free Baptist congregations are more "theologically conservative" than
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#1732851941343240-852: The ensuing years, Mennonite Brethren churches have been established in SE Asia, Africa, Europe, and Latin America. Because of growing pressure by the Czarist government and later because of the political turmoil of the Russian Revolution , significant numbers of the Mennonite Brethren moved to the United States, Canada, Paraguay, Brazil and Mexico. In the Soviet Union their organizational structures ceased to exist by 1930 due to Communist persecution. At that time some remaining Mennonite Brethren moved from Ukraine to
260-449: The extent that we can no more be part of it" and fear the "approach of an unavoidable judgment of God." The immediate catalyst for the new organization was the discipline placed on a body of brethren who met to observe communion in a private home without the elders' sanction. The Mennonite Brethren were also in contact with and influenced by German Baptists J. G. Oncken and August Liebig. The Mennonite Brethren movement spread throughout
280-645: The first Baptist church in Hamburg founded by the German missionary Johann Gerhard Oncken in 1834. Founded in 1849, the Union of United Congregations of Baptized Christians in Germany and Denmark ( Bund der vereinigten Gemeinden getaufter Christen in Deutschland und Dänemark ; later: Bund deutscher Baptistengemeinden , Union of German Baptist Congregations) merged in 1942 with the Union of Free Church Christians ( Bund freikirchlicher Christen , BfC), which originated in
300-556: The influential preaching of Eduard Wüst, met in the village of Elisabeththal, Molotschna and formed the Mennonite Brethren Church. They felt that other Mennonites had grown cold and formal, and were seeking greater emphasis on discipline, prayer and Bible study. The group presented a document to the elders of the Molotschna Mennonite Churches which indicated "that the total Mennonite brotherhood has decayed to
320-552: The intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=German_Baptists&oldid=1147519773 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Baptists in Germany Baptists are congregationalists , which means that their congregations are autonomous. Therefore, regional and supra-regional alliances play only
340-444: The large Molotschna colony. The pastor of a neighboring congregation, Eduard Wüst, reinforced this pietism. Wüst was a revivalist who stressed repentance and Christ as a personal savior , influencing Catholics , Lutherans and Mennonites in the area. He associated with many Mennonite leaders, including Leonhard Sudermann. In 1859, Joseph Höttmann, a former associate of Wüst met with a group of Mennonites to discuss problems within
360-464: The main Mennonite body. Their discussion centered on participating in communion with church members who were living in a way that seemed unholy or were not converted , and baptism of adults by immersion, which was distinct from other Mennonite churches who primarily baptized by pouring. On January 6, 1860, this growing group of Mennonites influenced by a combination of Prussian Mennonite pietism, contacts with Moravian Brethren and indirectly through
380-458: Was formed in 1989 from the merger of originally six Baptist-oriented congregations, which were primarily located in the region of Ostwestfalen-Lippe . The BTG has about 6000 members spread over 30 congregations. The Bibelseminar [ de ] ('Bible seminary '), the theological training center of this association of congregations, is located in Bonn and offers a regular study program as well as
400-476: Was founded in Germany. Some of the newly formed congregations have come together in congregational associations such as Bruderschaft der Freien Evangeliums Christen Gemeinden [ de ] ('the Brotherhood of Free Evangelical Christian Congregations') or the Arbeitsgemeinschaft evangelikaler Gemeinden ('Working Group of Evangelical Congregations'). Another part is connected with German Baptists through
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