Eastern European Baptist History: New Perspectives, 2007

lled leadership as well as financial and other resource support.... And, thus in the present confused climate, “the struggle for the soul of Baptist identity” continues unabated.” A period of an open door always brings new ideas and renewal to the church. Many churches began at this time to establish ministries alongside the church. Small ministries adopted the name “club” to be more attrac- tive for outsiders, reaching into society in ways that traditional methods could not. In the city of Tarnéw, a children’s programme was established in 1990 called the Good News Club.” In Gorzéw Wielkopolski the church answered the needs of the community by serving food to children from the street. At the first meeting, when they did not expect anyone to show up, about forty children came with their parents. Besides feeding the children, church members organised Bible lessons. Clubs still serve the surrounding communities, providing entertainment and building relationships with those around them.” Through such organisations, church members connect with society on a non-church level. The success of this kind of ministry is enormous and the club has become a testimony for the whole church. An article published in 2000 about the changes and new identity in the Baptist Church in Poland noted that: ” Harry L. Moore, “Reflections on Ministry and Mission among Baptists after the Fall of Communism in Central and Eastern Europe’, American Baptist Quarterly, vol. 15, no. 2 (June 1996), p. 163. One of the best-known groups in Poland is Youth for Christ, Interna- tional. While their work is essential, the group is not affiliated with any church. Wroclaw Baptist pastor Adam Otremba became head of this organisation in Poland. For further information, see an interview with Adam Otremba in Stowo Prawdy, no. 2 (2000), p. 5. “Jubileusz 60-lecia Zboru Chrzescijan Baptyst6w w Tarnowie’, Slowo Prawdy, no. 7-8 (1992), pp. 14-18. : ”° Interview with Krystyna Terefenko, founder and leader (1995-2000) of the Good News Club in Gorzéw Wielkopolski, 15 January 2003. 184 The situation of Baptist churches in Poland in the context of processing cultural changes is intricate. On the one hand, we experience the openness of church members to new ideas for the church, but on the other hand, many congregations culti- vate theological and methodological fundamentalism. We cannot say that only those churches that promote new ways of worship are growing. Sometimes the opposite happens: the results are worse, because to many members, the new experi- ences seem too innovative, which causes the unbalancing of church structures. And at that point people tend to drop out of the congregation.” During the period of change, the Baptist Church employed new methods and means of worship and ministry. Local churches started to use the media, the internet, and computers. Baptists started to use radio in the 1980s much more often than ever before. Yet