Baptistic Theologies, 2009

rn Baptist Convention... We visited churches n c together.’ - But sadly this golden age of mission literature slowed down when the Polish government changed the currency and America found itself facing economic depression. Many of the people who worked as colporteurs of literature had to start working with local churches instead of distributing literature. 70 Do Czytelnikow , Slowo Prawdy, February 1925, No. 1, p. 1. 71 Slowo Prawdy, November, 1965, p. 2. 72 All of them were gone with World War II except ‘Slowo Prawdy’. ‘Slowo Prawdy’ was reestablished in 1946 and ‘Chrzescijanin’ became an official monthly paper of the Pentecostal Church in Poland. 73 Gutsche, The Beginning of my work in Poland, pp. 16-17. 74 Ibid., pp. 17-18. 75 Ibid., p. 6. 100 Baptistic Theologies Education also involved theology. Thanks to the experience of the German Baptist churches, with their seminary in Hamburg, the leaders of the Polish Baptist churches realised that the time had come to organise a theological seminary. A committee was set up in 1921 to organise a seminary. The main planning was done by Karol Wladyslaw Strzelec from the USA, Edward Kupsch, and a former priest, Stefan Bortkiewicz. The students were to study in two languages - Polish and German - and to learn how to work with people and communicate in a proper way with the government of the country. In February and March of 1922 Bible courses were delivered in Warsaw and later that year in Volhynia. Conclusion By the time of the Second World War the Polish Baptist community had become the strongest numerically among the various evangelical churches. It was divided between two unions: the Union of the Churches speaking the German language (about 8,000 members) and the Union of Slavic Baptist Churches (about 7,000 members). Together the Baptist movement had around 75 pastors, headquarters in the city of Lodz, a Theological Seminary, a publishing house and five Christian newspapers printed in the German, Polish, Russian and Ukrainian languages. 77 These were the golden years for Baptists in Poland. Neither before that time nor since have the Baptist churches had that strength of influence on society and on other denominations. The inter-war period was a time of Baptist renewal and was characterised by many attempts to connect with the wider society. Stress was placed on mission, both through partnership and with local support. Mission was not only a part of the life of the churches, but was central to the Baptist movement. The lives of Baptist believers affected others. Some of the other specific ways in which people were attracted to Baptist churches were baptismal services and musical events. Preachers and pastors who served churches also emphasised education. In order to be effective in mission in Poland, unity was important, but the wider unity of evangelicals proved elusive. Nonetheless, there was a remarkable ethnic diversity in the Sla