faq about the baptists in denmark
DESCRIPTION
The present booklet contains answers to the many of the questions, which Baptists are often asked – in addition to other things we would love to share with you! For example, there are testimonies of individuals’ personal experience of faith in daily life. Each of these reflects an important Baptist aspect that many have something to say and should be heard. We hope you find answers to some of your questions and there are many references to homepages where you can find additional information. You are, of course, always welcome to visit a Baptist church in the neighbourhood where you live. Enjoy your reading.TRANSCRIPT
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FAQ about BaptistsEnglish
It Begins and Ends with Jesus
Baptists do not believe anything different
about Jesus than other Christians do, but
we believe that the Christian faith must al-
ways be based on what Jesus said and did.
We believe that we hear God’s own
voice in Jesus’ words
We believe that Jesus’ actions show
us who God is
We believe that Jesus is the only salva-
tion for every man, woman, and child.
We believe that Jesus’ example shows
us how we ought to live
Because Jesus rose from the dead, we
know that there is hope for the world
The Central Question
Most, if not all Christians, will say yes to
all of the above. For Baptists, however, the
most important question is not actually
whether we believe all this about Jesus
and God – which would be merely a matter
of intellectual or emotional reasoning –
but whether we are willing to follow Jesus
as His disciples.
The first thing Jesus did when He
began his ministry was to invite some
men to follow Him – to be His disciples, as
they are called in the Bible. They walked
with Him and learned from Him. He taught
them to forgive and to love their neigh-
Where does one start and where does one end when speaking of the Chris-tian faith? Baptists begin with Jesus – with what He said and did, with His death on the cross and with His resurrection from the dead.
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What Do We Really Know about Jesus?Did Jesus Really Live?
Few historians deny that Jesus actually
lived in Israel about 2,000 years ago.
From where Do We Get Our Information
about Jesus?
In the Bible there are the accounts of four
evangelists, who wrote the first part of
what we call the New Testament. This is
the second half of the Bible, which tells
about the life, death and resurrection of
Jesus. The Jewish historian Josephus (ca
37-100 AD) also wrote about Jesus and his
brother James.
What Can We Say with Absolute Certainty about Jesus?
He was a Jew and His hometown was
Nazareth in Galilee.
He was born around year 0, and our
reckoning of time is based on His
birth.
He spoke Aramaic and possibly also
Greek.
There is nothing to indicate that He
was ever married.
He was revered by most of His fellow
Jewish countrymen as a ”rabbi”, which
is a Jewish religious teacher.
The Romans crucified Him around
33 AD.
bours and also, most significantly, to love
their enemies. He showed them that it can
be necessary to suffer for the truth.
After His resurrection, Jesus told His
followers to establish a worldwide move-
ment: ”Therefore go and make disciples of
all nations”1, which is to say, make them
people who follow me and learn from me!
Disciples of Jesus
To be a Christian is, therefore, first and
foremost a question of being a disciple of
Jesus. One can characterize a Christian as
a person who tries to live as Jesus taught
us and who teaches others to do likewise.
There are two things that Baptists view as
being inseparable: God became a human
in Jesus to save us and Jesus came to
show us that we are God’s children and
should strive to resemble Him.
To Baptists this means that to be a
Christian is more than merely being one
who identifies him/herself with Christian-
ity or belongs to a Christian culture – it is
to follow Jesus.
Baptism
You will read about baptism in many places
in this booklet. Baptists’ baptismal prac-
» A disciple is one who lives as
Jesus has taught us, and teaches
others to do likewise. «
tice is different from the Folkekirke (the
Lutheran, national church of Denmark). We
baptize individuals who profess their faith
in Jesus and their desire to follow Him.
When Jesus sent His disciples out He told
them that they were to make people His
disciples, baptize them, and teach them
to observe all He had commanded them.
Therefore baptism is an act in which our
lives become united with Jesus, who is
the Lord, in whom we believe, follow after,
and seek to be obedient towards. Baptism
unites us together in a community with
others who follow Him – the church (read
more about baptism on pages 9 and 18-19).
It is this understanding of Christianity
which is the basis of Baptist belief – and
which Baptists are compelled by. It is a lot
easier to speak about the faith than to live
it out in reality!
[ ] Ole Lundegaard
[ ] Natia Gotziridse Hansen
and Per Bækgaard
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31] Matthew 28:16-20 (NIV)
15 Missions are Many Things– Three portraits
16 Things We Are Often Asked– FAQ about Baptists
17 Worshipping with Baptists– Some typical traits
18 God’s Child – Throughout Life– The blessing of children, baptism and service
20 Yearning and Resistance– Spirituality and prayer
22 God Is on the Move– About the Holy Spirit
24 Faith, Politics – and Baptists– Faith in the public square
2 It Begins and Ends with Jesus– Essentially about Jesus
4 Who Are the Baptists?– Baptists in relation to the wider Chri-stian Church
6 The Importance of the Bible– How do Baptists view the Bible?
8 Torben’s Story– A new Baptist tells his story
10 On a Pilgrimage– Being a Baptist congregation
12 Working Together– The Baptist Church in Denmark
14 On The Edge of the Law– The first Danish Baptists
26 Faith Must Be Lived– Maria and her role models
28 When the World Came to Us– Integration of migrants
29 Baptists on the Run – and on the Way
– A chronology
30 Do We Care for the Earth?– Taking care of God´s creation
32 Baptists and Other Christians– Baptists take cooperation seriously
34 Which Religion Is the True One?– Baptists and Other Religions
36 When We Want a Breeze– A modern hymn
Contents – FAQ about Baptists
Front cover: Ann Lund Wahlberg and daughter Stella. [ ] Leif Christensen
baptist.dk
Editors of this issueLone Møller-Hansen, editorphone 0045 5695 1015 / 2347 4015, [email protected]
Bent Hylleberg, phone 0045 5918 5195, [email protected]
Ole Lundegaard, phone 0045 5919 [email protected]
Jacob Broholm Møller, phone 0045 3255 2046, [email protected]
Translation: David WilkinsThanks to John Mitchell for advice and to Frieda Nielsen for proof reading
Graphic Design: Pedersen & Pedersen, ÅrhusPrint: V-Print, HolstebroImpression: 1000
Donations for baptist.dk may be given at Bank Account 3201 10042879, marked ”baptist.dk”
The Baptist Union of DenmarkLærdalsgade 7, st. tv. 2300 København S.Phone 0045 3259 0708
Opening hours: Monday through Friday, 9.00-12.00
email: [email protected]: www.baptistkirken.dk
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Who Are the Baptists?als’ personal experience of faith in daily
life. Each of these reflects an important
Baptist aspect that many have something
to say and should be heard.
We hope you find answers to some of
your questions and there are many refer-
ences to homepages where you can find
additional information. You are, of course,
always welcome to visit a Baptist church
in the neighbourhood where you live.
Enjoy your reading.
[ ] Lone Møller-Hansen
Baptist congregations are not all alike,
not here in Denmark or in the rest of the
world, but we have many shared values
and convictions. These we wish to share
with you in this booklet called FAQ about
Baptists.
What Does FAQ Mean?
FAQ is an expression one often comes
across on the Internet. The letters stand
for ”Frequently Asked Questions”. The
present booklet contains answers to the
many of the questions, which Baptists are
often asked – in addition to other things
we would love to share with you! For ex-
ample, there are testimonies of individu-
The Baptist Church is one of the largest
Christian denominations in the world –
the largest is the Roman Catholic Church.
There are more than 100 million Baptists
in the world today and of these 41 million
comprise The Baptist World Alliance. The
number, in fact, recently increased by
4 million in the span of just 1 year. This
growing world organization, of which the
Baptist Union of Denmark is a member,
consists of 218 church associations in 120
countries.
The Baptist Union of Denmark, with
5,300 members distributed among 53
congregations, may seem insignificant,
but it is a part of a very large movement.
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World
Religions
Buddhists
Jews
Christians
Hindus
Muslims
Christians
Catholics
Orthodox
Protestants
Anglicans
Protestants
Churches with
believer’s
baptism
Churches with
infant baptism
World churches
with believer’s
baptism
Mennonites
Baptists
Pentacostals
The Importance of the Bible
The Bible contains reports and stories of
Christianity’s foundation. Most churches
have documents other than the Bible,
which also contribute to their beliefs. The
Roman Catholic Church has many scripts
written throughout the course of its history,
which supplement the Bible as the basis of
the church’s belief and teaching. The Dan-
ish Lutheran church also has scripts written
after the Reformation in the 16th century
and which contribute to the dogma of the
Evangelical-Lutheran church. Baptists have
no such supplementary scripts or confes-
sions. We believe the Bible is the only reli-
able source of study and guidance for each
generation and each Christian, and that the
individual has the right and duty to read
and interpret the Bible personally.
Easy and Difficult
It can be easy to understand what one
reads in the Bible and it can be difficult.
textbook. Nevertheless, it is not interpreted the same by all Christians and this is one of the rea-sons that one finds different church orientations. Baptists view reading and interpretation of the Bible as the core of the Christian’s being.
All Christians agree that the Bible is our
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Many stories that Jesus told are easy to
understand, while other texts can seem
strange and difficult. This is no surprise
because the books, which comprise the
Bible as a whole were written many years
ago in a cultural context very different
from our own.
Jesus as Centre
When the Bible is difficult to understand, it
is important to have a guiding principle by
which we can interpret it. Baptists believe
that everything in the Bible must be seen
in the light of Jesus’ life, death and resur-
rection. Much of the Bible can be unclear
to us, because some of the texts are old
and tell of times different from our own,
but what Jesus said and did is quite plain.
It is in our best interest, therefore, to in-
terpret the unfamiliar in light of that which
is evident, that is to say Jesus’ life, which
clearly tells of God’s love for mankind, of
forgiveness, mercy, justice and hope.
If something is difficult or strange, in
any doubt, Baptists believe it is appropri-
ate to ask: What would Jesus say about
this? What would Jesus have done?
In Community
An important principle of Baptist belief
is that the Bible should be interpreted
in community. We proclaim the words of
the Bible in church meetings. We read
them together. We discuss them together.
We try to understand and practice them
together. Neither the minister nor anyone
else can monopolize the interpretation of
the Biblical record and instruction.
Using the Bible
Baptists believe that it is more important,
once we have read what Jesus said and
did, to apply it to our lives rather than
simply retain it in our minds. Important is
not that we simply know a lot about the
Bible or Christianity, but that we live as
followers of Jesus.
The Bible is much the same as the
body’s metabolism. When we eat the
body’s metabolism converts food into
energy. Similarly, we read and digest
the words of the Bible and, along with
dialogue and study, it will strengthen us
– like a spiritual metabolism – to act in a
caring and just way toward others. This is
the standard, which we strive for.
[ ] Ole Lundegaard
[ ] Natia Gotziridse Hansen
and Per Bækgaard
» The life of Jesus tells clearly of God’s love for mankind,
of forgiveness, mercy, justice and hope. «
The Bible
”Bible” (Greek: Biblos) means
”book”. The Bible contains 66 books.
The first part of the Bible (The Old
Testament) consists of 39 books. It
is written in Hebrew and is shared by
both Jews and Christians.
The Second part (The New Testa-
ment) consists of 27 books, which
tell about Jesus and the first Chris-
tians. It is written in Greek.
The first four books in the New Testa-
ment are the Gospels, which tell us
about the life, death and resurrec-
tion of Jesus.
”Testament” means ”covenant” or
”contract” and refers to God making
covenant with us.
No other book is printed in as many
languages and known in as many
places as the Bible.
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Torben’s Storycondition, Torben has been able to take care
of a job and now his studies. It is also Tor-
ben’s impression that this improvement co-
incided with his path to Christ. The first step
in this walk was to stop abusing alcohol,
which he had been doing for many years.
”In any case”, he remarks, ”it was never
written on any prescription that whisky
should be used to wash the pills down”.
Torben also began visiting the Night
Church in Copenhagen’s Cathedral, where
he spoke with a worker: ”I simply did not
dare to speak to the pastor. I was so afraid
and angry with God”, he tells. At the same
time Torben sought out the Unitarians. Here,
however, he experienced that the direction
he was moving in was opposite to that of
the Unitarians: ”I approached a Christianity
which the others apparently were running
from” Torben states in hindsight.
Do You Want to Get Well?
A friend introduced Torben to the Baptist
Church, and in 2008, at the Baptist Sum-
mer Conference as well as in the local
Baptist church he had started attending,
he heard the question that Jesus once
addressed to a sick man, addressed to
himself: ”Do you want to get well?” ”I
became more and more open to admit: Yes,
» To be made in Christ’s
image is about being made with
the ability to choose to love
others. «
Torben Petersen being baptised
I would like that”, Torben says. Through
faith he is finding that the suspicion he has
felt for several years toward other people,
is diminishing: ”To be made in Christ’s
image is about being made with the ability
to choose to love others – and receiving the
proper help I believe I can learn to do that”,
Torben claims. He gets that help, among
other ways, through the Christian commu-
nity. According to Torben, it can counteract
the fear of close encounters with people
that those with or without mental afflic-
tions have toward each other: ”The oppor-
tunity is there to enter into broad, ordinary
fellowships, where we have an interest in
being there without necessarily being in
Torben went through his first episode of
mental sickness in 1986. After the death of
a member of his immediate family he had
to take time off work because of sickness
and after that he gave up his job as a tech-
nical assistant for a life on welfare. Several
periods of hospitalization followed and
Torben was diagnosed with such differ-
ent diseases as anti-aggressive behavior,
borderline psychosis and various degrees
of schizophrenia. At the age of 30 Torben
received invalidity pension which, for the
past 21/2 years, has been supplemented
by wages from a flex-job at Herlev Hospi-
tal’s journal archive. He has recently been
dismissed as a result of cutbacks. Now he
is studying mathematics to improve his
opportunities for employment.
On the Way to Christ
Years later, due to his generally improved
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Can a change that takes place over a pe-riod of several years be called healing? Torben Petersen, a new member in the Baptist church, believes so. After more than twenty years with a mental sickness he now finds that through God’s help things are gradually changing for him.
Along his journey, Torben experienced his
own need for an illustrative translation of
God. He had Joakim Skovgaard’s important
painting Christ in the Realm of the Dead
recommended and in many ways it turned
out to also illustrate Torben’s own situa-
tion. He explains: ”That picture shows me
that Christ let the light in to those who
were lost in darkness. He opens the door
wide, so you can see a way out. So if you
want to come, follow me”.
[ ] Morten Hedelund
[ ] Kurt Bøgsted
and Per Bækgaard
Facts on Torben Petersen
52 years old
Member of Korskirken
in Herlev
Staff member
in the Night Church
See www.kirke4byen.dk
QR-code
If you have a smartphone you can download a free scanning application. With this app you can use the phone´s camera to scan the code. This will automatically open the website to which the code refers.
agreement with everything. Being in com-
munity with other people is a very good
learning process for me” he states.
Follow Me
These days Torben is, among other things,
active in the Baptist church’s Night Church
in Nørrebro (Copenhagen) which he found
valuable for his own integration into the
church: ”It’s about accepting those who
enter, as they are. But also about creat-
ing some personal relationships”, Torben
says. And he continues: ”Conversation
with God is especially important, but one
often needs others to help interpret”.
9
On a Pilgrimagethere are at least three opinions in play!
There are disagreements about everything
under the sun and opinions on all things
big and small. Paths are disputed and the
practical aspects of the journey fuel hot
debates. But there is absolute agreement
on the objective – to become people who
live in agreement with Jesus’ words, loving
God and our neighbours.
Differences Are Welcome
Despite its differences, the Church should
be a community where everyone can join
no matter where one is on life’s journey.
The church should be a place where our
gifts and abilities are brought into play
– and where one has respect for each
other’s lives, abilities and talents.
It happens – even on the best of
journeys – that disagreements arise about
both the substance and fashion of the
journey and it would be dishonest to with-
hold the fact that to disagree is a part of
being a church. The challenge with being
a church does not consist in making it
conform to a one-way attitude in all cir-
cumstances, systems and structures – but
in keeping the focus on the objective: That
we, through faith in Jesus, become one
community. The tool we need to use on
The objective is the same. The peo-ple in the procession are different. We are all on the same journey.
Whether on a family camping vacation, a
12 hour bus trip with strangers crammed
into too little space – or a short trip by
plane to reach sun, warmth and a swim-
ming pool, the keyword is travel. But there
are many modes of travel and while the
purpose is the same, the road toward
the destination is different. Some people
want relaxation, comfort, peace and an
uncomplicated trip to the destination.
Other people are not concerned with the
settings, but rather with the company they
travel with or the means of transportation.
And then there are those who just need to
get there in a hurry.
The Church as a Procession
The Church is comparable with a proces-
sion in the sense that it should be a com-
munity of likeminded people on a course
led by the Holy Spirit. In the Bible we find
Jesus’ promise that where two or three
come together in His name, He is there.1
It has been said (humorously) that
where there are two Baptists together,
the way is the dialogue that we carry on
with each other.
God’s People on the Way
The Bible contains the basic story of being
God’s people. It is the story of how God
freed the Israelites from slavery in Egypt.
The way out of slavery and through the
desert was their journey to the land that
God had promised them. They were led by
God and they followed Him – and on the
way they helped each other: ”By the day
the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of
cloud to guide them on their way and by
night in a pillar of fire to give them light,
so they could travel by day or night”2.
This is the way Baptists believe the
church shall be: A diverse people who
are on the way. On the way toward being
the people God wants us to be. On the
way away from all the things that hinder
us from being His people. On the way to
a world where God’s love is experienced
and shared. On the way to a world with
freedom and justice.
[ ] Andreas Højmark
[ ] Anker Lundegaard a.o.
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1] Matthew 18:20 (NIV) 2] Exodus 13:21 (NIV)
Praying for the newly baptized – sent on life’s journey with prayer
Blessing of the children – walking through life with God’s blessing
International Christian students in Aalborg
gather for worship and fellowship
Gospel Choir – Gospel Music in Louise Square, Aalborg, with the theme: Taste the World.
MomsandMuffins – Mothers from New Zealand, China, Vietnam, Ghana and the USA gather once a month for fellow-ship in Bethelkirken, Aalborg.
Baptism – on a pilgrimage in an exciting world with Jesus as guide
Pilgrims – taking a walk during Baptist Summer Conference
11
Working Together
From the annual Summer Conference
rightfully assume that the main teaching is
baptism. All the Baptist churches practice
confessional or believer’s baptism, but their
views on baptism and admission of new
members vary (see page 18).
The teaching, which Baptists have in
common, concerns the relationship be-
tween God and man. Baptists believe that
before God all people are equal; therefore,
we are equal in relation to each other. This
belief is foundational to the Baptist convic-
tion about democracy and freedom. The
Church, therefore, is primarily a layman-
driven1 movement. The Baptists’ interde-
nominational engagement, in which many
of its members are involved, is influenced
by the same thoughts about equality.
Dialogue Guided by the Bible
This basic understanding demands an
ongoing interchange in a community of
equals. Teaching and preaching in Bap-
About 50 Danish Baptist churches constitute the community, which is called the Baptist Union of Denmark. Some are old – from the beginning of the 1800s. Others are the off-spring of the older churches. Most of the youngest churches have their origins with immigrants from other countries and continents.
Voluntary Community
Every local church is completely independ-
ent. The national body (i.e. The Baptist
Union of Denmark, BUD) has no authority
over the local churches, not in their practic-
es, teaching, or economy. The Baptist Union
is a voluntary and yet binding concept – a
working community with a common char-
acter based on its teaching, its history, and
its common challenges and needs. Since
”Baptist” means ”baptizer”, one might
The churches that make up the Baptist
Union of Denmark, are quite different from
each other, shaped not only by their own
individual stories, but also by the people
who actually take part in the community.
Visit any of these different Baptist church-
es, you might possibly ask yourself wheth-
er they are all part of the same church
community! Yet beneath the surface of this
onslaught of diversity is a strong bond of
faith between the churches.
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the vote. National meetings are led by the
Baptist Union›s elected leadership, aided
by a hired staff and a number of commit-
tees with each their own area of responsi-
bility – international missions, integration,
education etc. See below the graphic of
the local churches and the Baptist Union.
Things We Do Together
For many years Danish Baptists have
undertaken missions and development
in Burundi and Rwanda, and now work
together with their own national Baptist
churches, but we have other commitments
all over the world. The international mis-
sion comprises a number of projects of
both spiritual and practical nature, which
» It is the deliberations about common tasks that hold the diverse
community of Baptist churches together. «
1] ”Layman” means ”a man from among the people”, i.e. it is the opposite of being a pro-fessional. Baptists believe that all believers should be involved in church leadership, not simply professional pastors and other church leaders.2] For example the Universities in Copenhagen and Aarhus, or the new 3K education, see www.3k.diakonissen.dk.3] See www.ibts.cz Read more at www.baptistkirken.dk
are supported by the member churches.
But the world also comes to us. In Den-
mark we now face a challenge – the inte-
gration of migrants into the Danish con-
gregations (see page 28). The churches
assist each other in this task.
In earlier times the Baptist Union had
its own pastoral training in cooperation
with other churches in Scandinavia. Today
we are connected with both Danish public
education2 and international schools,
which include the European Baptist Semi-
nary in Prague3.
[ ] Søren P. Grarup
[ ] Kurt Bøgsted
[ ] Natia Gotziridse Hansen
The Church meeting – the supreme authority of each congregation
53 independent congregations in 2010
National Conference
National
Leadership
Staff – national office
Volunteers – committees, national
organisations (e.g. Scouts)
The Church Board The Church Board The Church Board The Church Board The Church Board
tist churches is based on this ongoing
conversation as we seek to be guided by
the Bible. Likewise it is the deliberations
about common tasks that hold the diverse
community of Baptist churches together.
The dialogue takes place in the local
church on many levels: in the church
council, in committees and in many infor-
mal fora. The local church’s main authority,
however, lies with the congregation at the
members’ meeting, at which all the mem-
bers can participate at an equal level and
where important decisions are made.
Many tasks are too big for the single
church and, therefore, the solutions are
sought in the national association, the
Baptist Union of Denmark (BUD). It is
primarily at the yearly summer Confer-
ence, which functions in the same way as
the church meeting that this takes place.
Here all Baptists have the right to speak,
while it is the church delegates who have
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On The Edge of The Law
without repression. The liberal press in
Copenhagen supported them until the
constitution secured the freedom of
religion 10 years later. But until then, they
were persecuted.
The Baptists’ leaders were jailed on
a diet of bread and water. Their newborn
children, who were ”kept unbaptized”,
as it was called, were baptized by force,
by a Lutheran pastor with the aid of the
police. The Baptists’ leader, P. C. Mønster,
was jailed five times for a total of 2 years
imprisonment. Whenever free he contin-
ued to preach and fight for freedom and
rights. He became bankrupt, when the
police sold all he owned at an auction.
He was the first to lobby the authorities
about ”Full Religious Freedom for Den-
mark” in 1840, but the bishop of Sealand
(the island where Copenhagen is situated)
would not discuss such ”insignificant mat-
ters”!
The Baptist Union of Denmark be-gan organizing in the 1800s as a part of the religious and social revival that also fostered two other Danish Church movements, Grundtvigian-ism and The Inner Mission. The first Baptist congregation was founded in 1839, but in doing so these first Dan-ish Baptists broke the Danish law.
On a cold morning in October 1839 a
dozen people walked to a location outside
Copenhagen. Here a German Baptist, who
was in the country illegally, baptized the
first Danish Baptists. The baptism took
place where Lersøparken is located today
and with that act they separated them-
selves from the state church and Danish
society. The authorities would not tolerate
this, since all citizens were expected to
belong to the same church as the King, i.e.
the Lutheran Church. Police and bishops
deliberated what to do.
Behind Bars
The first Baptists attended N.F.S.
Grundtvig’s church, but they left in 1839
when Grundtvig once again became a pas-
tor in the state Church. Their ways parted
over the issue of baptism. Nevertheless,
they joined Grundtvig in his quest for the
right of Danes to think and believe freely,
The Victory of the Folkekirke
English Christians visited Denmark and
appealed to the King to grant religious
freedom. German Baptists crossed the
border to install new Baptist pastors to
lead the churches. Progress was great
and in ten years about 1,000 Danes were
baptized and mission to both Sweden and
Norway was commenced.
Danish churches, however, were never
big in contrast to those in Sweden. This
was due to the fact that the Folkekirke’s
pastors – both Grundtvigian and Inner
Mission – so to speak ”captured” the
revival. In 1912 the local churches of the
Folkekirke got local church councils,
which together with the industry of the
state church pastors led to increased
participation in many parishes.
[ ] Bent Hylleberg
[ ] Linette Lund
Memorial stone in Lersøparken in Copen-hagen where the first Danish Baptists were baptized, erected in 1964 on the initiative of the Baptist Scout Organisation.
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Missions are Many Things
In the fieldMartine Emming (1897-1966)
Overseas missions began for Danish
Baptists in Burundi and Rwanda in Central
Africa after 1928, when the first mission-
aries landed and built a church, a school
and a hospital. One of the first of these
missionaries was Martine Jensen. Before
she traveled to Africa, she had been a
maid for nine years on a farm in Jutland,
where she began a Sunday school for the
area’s children. After taking French lan-
guage courses and training as a midwife
in Belgium, she traveled to central Africa
with her husband, Hans Emming, where
they worked until 1965. Their home was
open to all, with no regard to social stand-
ing. Their hospitality was legendary and
Martine became known for asking: ”How
much water in the soup today?” Through-
out her life she epitomized an old motto:
Every Baptist is a missionary.
In the frontP. C. Mønster (1797-1870)
Mønster ranks with Grundtvig as a ban-
ner bearer for religious freedom. While
a trained engraver he went on a six-year
educational trip through Europe. In 1830
he was married and began to go to church
with a ”godly pastor” in Slagelse. He
became one of the leaders in the revival
in southwest Sealand, before he moved
to Copenhagen. After 1835 he went to
Grundtvig’s church but soon found that
their understanding of the Bible differed.
After studying the New Testament, Mønster
came to adopt a Baptist view of baptism.
After 1839 he was ”the Baptists’ mission-
ary” in the whole country. Later his church
of 400 members came into conflict with
the leaders of the German Baptists and the
congregation was largely absorbed by the
Mormons who came to Denmark after 1849.
He died as a member of the State Church.
At the topKnud Wümpelmann (b.1922)
Knud Wümpelmann, Danish Baptists’
first General Secretary in 1964. Trained in
communication and theology, he served
as pastor in Pandrup and in Copenhagen
before studies in the USA. Enormous
work experience and a diplomatic mind
provided the background he needed as
he, 10 years prior to the fall of the Berlin
wall in 1989, traveled throughout eastern
and western Europe as General Secretary
for Europe’s Baptists. From 1990-1995 he
served as President of the Baptist World
Alliance leading Baptists worldwide. He
has visited Baptist churches throughout
the world, participated in theological
deliberations with other Christian commu-
nities and sought influence at the highest
levels, particularly in the areas of global
justice, freedom of conscience and oppo-
sition to racism and prejudice.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Do Baptists pay church tax?
– No, being a free church Baptists have
an independent economy. Baptists them-
selves pay a voluntary contribution to
cover church building, salaries, mission-
ary support and so forth.
May all people come to the worship
services?
– Yes, worship services and all other
events are open to all.
Do the State Church and the Baptists
believe in the same God?
– There is only one God, the Father of
Jesus Christ. The State Church and the
Baptists agree on that point, but they
differ in interpretation of few of the Chris-
tian faith fundamentals, such as church
organization and baptism.
[ ] Bent Hylleberg
[ ] Jørgen Grønnegaard
What differs from State Church
practice?
– Baptist churches are free, not controlled
by the state. The State Church is state
controlled and funded.
– Baptists do not baptize infants, but only
those who themselves wish to receive the
baptism as God’s gift and wish to serve
Jesus.
How are your children named?
– A child can be named by a Baptist pastor
as in other churches. Child-naming has
nothing to do with baptism.
– Baptists believe, therefore, that naming
is a civil matter, not religious.
Can one be married in the Baptist
Church?
– Yes, the Baptist Church has had author-
ity to perform marriages since 1952. If
either the bride or groom is a Baptist, then
the couple can be married in a Baptist
Church.
Where are Baptists buried?
– Baptists can be buried in Danish cem-
eteries as other Danes.
Word list
Kingdom of God – the most important
concept that Jesus used when He would
express that God comes to us with
peace (shalom). It includes love, justice,
mercy, and so on.
Disciple – is used in the New Testament
in reference to those who followed
Jesus. It means student or apprentice,
and (in the Bible) it is a specific iden-
tification of those working for God’s
Kingdom.
Church – means ”that which belongs to
the Lord” (Greek: kyrios)
Baptist – comes from the Greek word
baptismos, which means ”immersion”.
Originally ”Baptist” was used by oppo-
nents as a nickname.
Confessional baptism – baptism in
which the one being baptized confesses
his/her faith in God. It is the opposite of
infant christening where one christens
the infant into the faith of the godpar-
ents or the Church. Baptists refer to
baptism, therefore, as ”believer’s bap-
tism” or ”confessional baptism”.
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Worshipping with BaptistsForm and Content
The different aspects of the worship ser-
vice are also recognized by other church-
es. We sing, pray, hear stories from the
Bible and listen to a sermon. There may
also be a baptism and communion during
the church service. The form can vary a lot
from church to church, because there are
no rules dictating the form of any Baptist
worship service. Every church is free.
In most Baptist churches singing and
music play a significant role in worship.
Often a choir, for example a gospel choir,
is included in the service. In most places
one will sing a mixture of hymns and
modern songs. In some places organs are
used, in other places a piano or a band
accompanies the singing.
The meaning of life is to serve God. We should do this in every aspect of life and at every time – at school, at work, wherever we are. We should do it through living with love and doing what is right and just. To live thus every day, we need to gather together for worship on Sundays to thank God for life and to receive guidance to live the life that demon-strates love toward others.
The Sunday worship is a central part of
the life of all Christian churches. General-
ly, the worship service in a Baptist church
is less formal than in the Folkekirke. The
pastor may be either a woman or a man,
and wears ordinary clothing. God sees no
difference between us.
Many Participants
Often many individuals take part in con-
ducting the worship. One may lead the
service while the pastor will only preach.
Others may pray, read Bible passages or
share a testimony.
As a rule Baptists celebrate worship
service on Sunday morning. At another
point in time on Sundays or on another
day of the week, there are other forms of
service, such as a gospel song service,
services for children or young people or
a quiet service. All are welcome, whether
Baptist or not!
[ ] Ole Lundegaard
[ ] Natia Gotziridse Hansen
and Per Bækgaard
Celebrating Communion the Baptists distribute freshly baked bread and in most Baptist churches there is either
nonalcoholic wine or juice in the Communion glasses.
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God’s Child – Throughout Lifeand they are older by the time they are
baptized. But regardless of age the same
thing applies: In baptism we are thankful
that we are children of God; we profess
that we cannot live without God; and
we profess that we wish to live as Jesus
taught us.
Baptized into Service
After the baptism we pray for the newly
baptized while the pastor and others lay
hands on him or her. Baptists see baptism
as God’s embrace and as an initiation and
equipment to serve God.
Thus the prayer asks God to give the
power of the Holy Spirit to the one being
baptized, so that he or she will be kept
in the faith and have the chance to serve
Him.
Everyone Has an Assignment
As Baptists we believe that everybody is
equal before God. This is what usually is
called ”the priesthood of all believers”2.
It means that God has an assignment
for us all – but not the same one for all.
We have different talents and chances
to serve according to God’s will for our
lives. Some are good singers, others can
preach, some become involved in politi-
Children are God’s – from the in-stant they are conceived. We can-not earn this privilege nor do we deserve it. Yet, Baptists bless their infants and baptize people who pro-fess their faith in God. How does this all fit together?
Blessing the Children
When Baptists bless infants instead of
baptizing them it does not change the
child’s status with God. It shows that the
child is a part of God’s people, the be-
lieving community. This is the difference
between the Baptists and the Folkekirke.
The official teaching of the Folkekirke is
that the child must be baptized to become
a child of God.
Most young people go through a
phase in which they rebel. Some of them
deliberately turn their backs on God, while
others slide out of the community and yet
others return. The road to faith is not the
same for everyone. Some decide to be
baptized early, because they have grown
up with faith in Jesus. Others experience
conversion as a return to God’s embrace
and upon this conversion they are bap-
tized. Others begin late in life to believe
cal or social work, some visit the sick and
elderly, others want to serve God with
their handiwork – practical or artistic. God
needs servants everywhere. With the Holy
Spirit (read p. 22) we become capable of
understanding what God says to us and
act accordingly.
Personal Faith
Faith cannot be inherited. Every generation
and every individual must personally ac-
cept Jesus. We may have parents or other
Christians as role models, but at some
point we ourselves must take a stand and
mature in personal faith.
Personal faith is something other than
private faith. When we say that faith is
private it is often because we are timid
and feel that we are not ”enough of a be-
liever”. Jesus says that we should merely
have the faith of a mustard seed3 and
that is not very big! Personal faith grows
through sharing – faith as well as doubt –
with others.
[ ] Lone Møller-Hansen
[ ] Morten Kjær-Andersen
1] See Matthew 18:1-5 2] See 1. Peter 2:9-10 3] See Matthew 17:20
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» Uanset alder gælder det
samme: I dåben takker vi for, at
vi er Guds børn. «
Emilie Kjær Andersen comes from a family where her mother is
a Baptist. From the time Emilie was a little child, she went to the
Baptist church. ”I have always believed in Jesus. And I loved to
sing and pray”, she says.
As an 11 year-old she was diagnosed with diabetes. ”I prayed
a lot to God that He would help me and He did. God and my fam-
ily helped me through a difficult time”, says Emilie, who now lives
calmly with her disease.
Emilie chose to be baptized in the spring of 2010. ”I had attend-
ed Confirmation Class (Lutheran Church) with my class mates and
the pastor said that I could be baptized in the Baptist church and
confirmed in the Folkekirke. But the Baptist Church is my church
and it was here I wanted to be baptized and live”.
Baptismal ”grave”There is no baptismal font, but a baptismal ”pool” (in
Danish called a dåbsgrav, literally a baptismal grave). It is
a pool filled with water – enough so that the person to be
baptized can be submerged in the water for a brief mo-
ment. Before the baptism one is asked: ”Do you believe in
Jesus as Saviour and Lord?” After the one being baptized
has declared her or his faith, the baptism takes place in
”the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit”. The basis for
calling it a ”grave” can be found in Romans 6:4.
Blessing of a Child
Emilie Was Baptized at the Age of 14
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Yearning and Resistance
It is possible to encounter God’s love both when we yearn for Him and when we are angry with Him – or sad. Even when God does not like our thoughts, words or deeds, His love for us does not change.
All people both yearn after God and op-
pose God. As Christians we believe that
this yearning reflects the fact that we are
created in God’s image. Deep within us
lies a yearning to know God in the same
way that children yearn to know and expe-
rience their parents’ love.
Is God Angry?
Paradoxically we also have a resistance to
God in our human nature. This is as natu-
ral as the yearning and might indicate that
we are afraid of God, because we assume
that God will punish us for the things we
do wrong. This unfortunate picture of an
angry God has survived time. To this is
only to say that even when God does not
like what we think, say or do, His love for
us does not decrease. His love is shown
first and foremost through what Jesus said
and did. God is not out to punish us. On
the contrary, He will surround us with love
and help us to live in love.
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» It is fantastic that God not only meets us in our
yearning for him but also in our rebellion. «
Aversion toward God
We can also have an aversion toward God,
because of what we assume He thinks
about our lives. He does not force us to
believe but gives us free will. Freedom is a
gift from God and with it follows responsi-
bility. We are free but under obligation – it
comes with the territory of being created.
We are created for fellowship with God
and with man, but choosing to be a part of
this fellowship is not always easy.
God not only meets us in our yearning
but also in our rebellion. Whether we are
afraid, sad or angry, it is God’s greatest
wish that we come to Him with all our feel-
ings, especially those we want kept se-
cret. He knows them already but He wants
us to share all aspects of our life. There
are no feelings which are wrong – the
wrongs arise if we attempt to hide from
God. So how do we meet God?
Help to Meet God
We meet God when we pray – in other
words when we talk with God. Prayer is
both silence and words. In silence we
listen to God, and with our words we can
express what we think, feel and yearn
after. On the Internet and in books we can
find prayers that were expressed yester-
day – or many hundreds of years ago. We
may use them when we do not know how
to pray our own prayer. Jesus taught us a
special prayer, the Lord’s Prayer, which we
can resort to when we ourselves cannot
find words for what we would like to say
to God. It says what is necessary.
We meet God also when we read the
Bible. He talks to us. Baptists since the
old days have been known as ”people of
the Book”, meaning that reading the Bible
is very important to us. In the Bible we
get to know Jesus and He shows us God’s
face and spirit. It is from the Bible that we
get an idea about what God’s will is for us.
Jesus teaches us the values by which we
should live in accordance with the will of
God – He knows what is best for us!
To Seek God – Together
Baptists have always been involved in fel-
lowship, worship, Bible study and prayer.
We recognize that our yearning for God
and our rebellion and doubts are normal.
In worship where God is uplifted, and in
the conversations about what the Bible
tells us we find the right places to strug-
gle with both yearning and rebellion.
[ ] Lone Møller-Hansen
[ ] Per Bækgaard
Matthew
6:9-13 (NIV
)
Our Heart is Restlessuntil it rests in YouAugustine, Bishop in Northern Africa,
ca. 400 A.D|
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21
God Is on the Moveeverything good. The Holy Spirit is always
present – we just have to pay attention!
It Becomes Tangible
That is the story, which serves as the back-
ground when we talk about the Holy Spirit.
God’s Spirit is in individuals and in fellow-
ships. The Holy Spirit gives us courage
and hope – a hope that the world can be a
better place, when we listen to him. Be-
cause the Holy Spirit is an ”advocate” who
has come to inspire, enlighten and lead the
way. But how does this become tangible?
The Holy Spirit always turns our atten-
tion toward Jesus. The Holy Spirit gives
good advice so that we begin to live more
the way Jesus showed us. This can happen
in many ways. It happens when the Holy
Spirit calls our best abilities and talents
forward, when He encourages us to do
something about social injustice in the
thing is that these few scared disciples,
who were afraid that the Romans would
beat them to death, would be changed by
that encounter with the Holy Spirit. When
the Holy Spirit arrived they received faith
and courage to start the movement that
Jesus had asked them to undertake. And in
the span of a few hundred years they and
their successors played a role in turning
the Roman Empire upside down.
The first Christians were Jews, and for
the Jews God’s Spirit was present in the
temple in Jerusalem and in his prophets.
But now Jesus’ friends experienced the fill-
ing of God’s Spirit. The apostle Paul, who
wrote many of the letters in the New Testa-
ment, calls the people of God a ”living
temple” – God’s Spirit lives in them! When
we meet as friends over a cup of coffee,
eat together, or come together for worship,
God’s Spirit is present to inspire us for
Have you ever been surprised? A surprise
can be either negative or positive. 2,000
years ago there was a group of friends who
experienced negative surprise. They had
followed their teacher for three years and
looked forward to continuing in this activity
even longer. But Jesus called them together
and told them that He would soon leave
them. In His place He would send something
He called an ”advocate” – the Holy Spirit.
From Fear to Courage
The disciples did not understand what
Jesus was saying but they became wiser.
When Jesus died they hid behind closed
doors because they were afraid. Therefore,
it would be the first actual very powerful
encounter, which Jesus’ friends had with
God’s Spirit, the Holy Spirit, and on that
occasion they would be, in fact, accused
of being drunk! But the most interesting
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Water in the form of liquid, ice and steam
can be used as an illustration of what we
mean by God as the Trinity. One and the
same matter but in three different forms.
God Is on the Move
» The Holy Spirit gives us courage and hope. «
TrinityHow should we understand God? Basically God is a mystery.
Since the olden times Christians have used the concept trinity
to express the fact that we believe in one God whom we know
in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We believe that
God is our Creator (Father), that it is God who saves us from evil
and death (the Son – Jesus is the Saviour), and that God is still
with us, leads us and gives us courage (the Holy Spirit). It is this
belief in God – as Father, Son and Holy Spirit – which defines the
Christian Church.
But it is difficult! How can God be one and yet three? We
often use metaphors to make things more understandable.
For example we can think of water, which can be in the form
of liquid, ice and steam; one and the same matter but in three
different forms. We can also say that a man can be a father, son
and husband at the same time.
The word ”trinity” is not found in the Bible. It is our way of
describing how we experience God.
world, when we take care of the sick and
pray for them and when we build a com-
munity where people can find security and
care and where faith in God can grow.
Come in A Shock!
Some have compared the Holy Spirit to
electricity. Electricity is there the whole
time but it doesn’t function until you
switch on. So it is with God’s Spirit: it is
always there but the first time the Holy
Spirit touches us we receive strength and
clear-sight to live a life that points to Jesus
– to live a life where people, through us,
come to experience everything God wants
for us and the world: healing, care, love,
joy, freedom and justice.
[ ] Thomas Willer
[ ] Natia Gotziridse Hansen
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Faith, Politics – and Baptistswe negotiate our way to solutions, but other
places in the world we find political systems
we do not care for, such as dictatorships,
where people are suppressed.
Faith and Politics
Christians have always discussed the
connection between faith and politics.
In Denmark many people say that faith
and politics must not be mixed. One can
» Jesus’ message is more about the life of my neighbour than about the next life «If Baptists could choose, church and state would be separated, but not faith and politics. Is this possible?
see the mind of Martin Luther behind the
wording of that idea. He believed that
God controls the world with two hands:
With the left He controls politics, which
are in charge of creating laws and exercise
power; with the right hand He controls
the Church through the proclamation of
the Gospel of His love. The conclusion is
that politics and the Gospel are best kept
separate. Most Baptists would disagree.
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nity as a whole. It is about making deci-
sions, delegating responsibility and exercis-
ing power. It can be done in many ways. As
Danes we are happy with democracy, where
prepared to take society’s punishment.
In other words, they followed their con-
science. Civil disobedience is not, however,
a subversive activity but can be necessary
to achieve a better democratic society.
Jesus’ Practice
Jesus’ message is about establishing
peace with the neighbour on the other
side of the hedge – and in the world. It is
about acting justly by sharing with each
other – in the Danish society and globally.
It is about a new understanding of power
– violence and injustice are always a
misuse of power. In Jesus’ practice, power
is demonstrated as the power of love for
others. Jesus’ message is really more
about the life of our neighbour than about
the next life. His message outlines a new
order of society, which creates life and
opportunities for everyone. As Christians
we are to promote the project.
New Patterns
It is, therefore, not accidental that Jesus
says: ”You have heard that it was said by
1] See Matthew 5:21-48 (NIV)2] See Romans 12:1-2 (NIV)3] See Revelation 21:1-5 (NIV)
them of old time…but I tell you…” – and
then gives specific directions for new pat-
terns of life1. Paul also writes to the Chris-
tians in Rome: ”Do not conform any longer
to the pattern of this world, but be trans-
formed by the renewing of your mind.
Then you will be able to test and approve
what God’s will is – His good, pleasing and
perfect will”2. Revelation, the last book of
the Bible, underlines that ”everything will
become new”3.
It is the task of Christians to work to-
ward the goal that a new reality may break
through – even here and now. This can be
done in many ways and, therefore, from
a political perspective the Baptists are
also varied in their views. They are found
in all the political parties. But the above
perspective is the basis for most Baptists.
When in 1840 the Danish Government
forbade one of the first Baptists, P. C.
Mønster, to hold church services, baptize
and celebrate Communion, he wrote ”I
have no intentions of following a single
one of these rules and, while I strive to
give to Caesar, what is Caesar’s, I will not
forget to give to God, what is God’s”.
[ ] Bent Hylleberg
[ ] Mette Rostrøm
God’s Politics
Baptists believe that Jesus’ message
remains the standard by which we live in
this world. We do not live in two separate
worlds – one on Sundays and another the
rest of the week. Baptists have a differ-
ent ideal: Jesus became a man to show us
how we ought to live in fellowship with
each other. Jesus came to teach us some-
thing new. This new thing, which we could
call ”God’s politics”, is a new pattern of
life, which people should practice. We go
to church to learn this and try to practice
what we hear every day.
Church and State
Baptists also believe that church and state
ought to be separate. Neither the Queen
nor Folketinget (the Danish Parliament)
should decide what Christians believe.
The people of the church should not pas-
sively accept the politicians’ decisions.
Throughout time many Baptists have
taken a stand against the Kings’ power
and laws with which parliament has
agreed. This form of opposition is called
civil disobedience.
Baptists have often taken part in civil
disobedience. The first Danish Baptists
are an example of this. They willfully broke
the law but not in a violent way. They
defended their actions publicly and were
In November 2010, Kristuskirken – a Baptist church in Nørrebro, Copenhagen – hosted a public dinner for 150 homeless people, who sat together with other citizens enjoying gourmet food and sharing with each other, while members of the church served as waiters and washed the dishes.
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Maria Klarskov from Copenhagen
Historically speaking, Baptists have in
a way been a progressive people who
have been willing to suffer deprivation
and perhaps even death for what they
believe in. I think it is both a privilege and
a great responsibility to belong to that
tradition. It is a great challenge to think
that I should continue this way of life in a
culture of self-centeredness! How should
I get the strength to take part in changing
the world?
Role Models
To be able to walk in the footsteps of my
Baptist predecessors it is necessary that I
know them. I must know who they were,
what they did and in that way perhaps
learn what I can do.
The first Baptists in Denmark were
actually good role models when it comes
to putting your mark on society and cul-
I have been a Baptist for 25 years. At first because I was born into a Baptist family, but now for the past 11 years, every day I have actively chosen to be a Baptist. Why? Because the world should not be allowed to stay the same!
Faith Must Be Lived
ture. They participated in establishing
freedom of religion. The Baptists would
not let their children be baptized in the Lu-
theran Church as the law required. There-
fore, infant baptism was often forced on
their children. Today, when I think about
how much we appreciate a country with
democracy and freedom for everyone, it
is cool to follow someone who fought for
religious freedom. And they fought, mind
you, for everybody’s right to do that! The
fight for spiritual freedom for all is one I
still want to engage in.
A Black Role Model
A Baptist that humbles and inspires me
to act is Martin Luther King Jr. He was not
Danish but is all the same a role model
I follow and we do come from the same
large church family. His story is far better
known than that of the first Danish Bap-
tists, but it is a story with the same theme.
It is about challenging the authorities with
non-violent means when they use their
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Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968) was
an American Baptist minister and civil
rights activist. He is most known for his
speech, ”I have a Dream”, in Washington
DC in 1963, which contributed to his Nobel
Peace Prize in 1964. He was murdered in
1968. In USA his birthday, January 15’th, is
a national holiday.
See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Martin_Luther_King
Maria Klarskov’s role model,
the American Martin Luther King Jr.
» It takes courage to be a
Baptist if one is to live the same
way as they did in old times. «
power unjustly. King was a black American
and lived during a time when he was sup-
posed to give up his seat on the bus if a
white person wanted the seat. There were
separate restaurants, schools, churches,
theaters, toilets etc. for black and white.
He Died for a Dream
In 1955, the 26 year-old King led the then
largest black, non-violent demonstration
in the USA: The boycott of the busses in
Montgomery, Alabama. The boycott lasted
a good year and ended with the Supreme
Court declaring that the law allowing
whites to have first rights to seats on the
buses was illegal. For the next 13 years
King fought for a non-violent change of
the USA. In 1964, as the youngest ever, he
received the Nobel Peace Prize. He gave
all the money to the struggle for the rights
of coloured people. Four years later he
was murdered at a motel in Memphis, Ten-
nessee. He was only 39 years old and yet,
consider what a difference he made!
With a Rebellious Spirit
The first Baptists were often rebellious
with an indomitable spirit when they
challenged the culture in which they lived.
They felt driven by the Spirit of God. They
did not simply subdue society’s norms
and conventions. If they would not be al-
lowed to live a different life with justice for
themselves and others, they did not give
up. It takes courage to be a Baptist if one
is to live the same way as they did in old
times. As a Baptist, I am a part of a tradi-
tion, which requires me to fight for what I
believe in, even if it is not what the state,
culture or neighbours dictate.
[ ] Maria Klarskov
[ ] Kasper Klarskov
and Wikipedia
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churches, it is natural that the new Bap-
tists form their own churches. In the past
years, the Baptist Church has supported
the establishment of such ”migrant
churches” financially and otherwise.
These migrant churches have been estab-
lished particularly in Copenhagen and the
other big towns.
Gift and Task
Danish Baptists consider it an enrichment
that this development has forced us to
think outside our own traditions. We have
become challenged both in our abilities
to include the foreigners and in our pre-
paredness for change. Apart from that it
is an important task to help refugees find
a good life in Denmark; therefore, many
Baptists are active in integration work.
One of the big tasks for the coming
years will be to have the ethnic churches
truly be a part of the Danish churches. It is
a matter of giving the migrants the op-
portunity to unfold their life on their own
terms, in the common life of the Baptist
Union of Denmark.
[ ] Poul Erik Jensen
[ ] Kurt Bøgsted
Within a short space of time the church landscape in Denmark has changed. The world is coming to us. This entails change in the ethnic makeup of the Baptist churches. Today, a variety of people from other countries live inter-mingled with Danish Baptists.
Songs in many different languages are
heard in Denmark. Several hundred Chris-
tian refugees have come to Denmark in
the past years, many of whom belonged
to Baptist churches in their homelands.
They are refugees and migrants from
Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Myanmar (Burma),
and countries in central Africa, where civil
wars and persecution forced them to leave
their countries and homes.
New Challenges
Several Baptist churches are, therefore,
today not quite so ”Danish” as before, be-
cause Baptists from many countries now
populate them. Some places integrate
refugees into existing churches and in
many cases they bring vital renewal with
them. Other places hold church services in
their own languages.
In regions where there are no Baptist
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When the World Came to Us
New Danes
In 2009 11,968 persons came to Denmark
from western countries and 9,551 from
non-western countries. About 70% had
a Christian background. There are no
Muslim countries among the ”top 10” of
places from which the new Danes originat-
ed. Today the Baptist Union has nine new
churches, which are of other ethnic origins
than Danish. In all 20 ”Danish” churches
have bigger or smaller groups of new Dan-
ish Baptists. Most Baptist churches have
new Danes attending.
Baptists on the Run – and on the Way
2002
Baptist and former US president Jimmy
Carter receives the Nobel Peace Prize.
1989
More than 5,000 Danish Baptists celebrate
150 years of Baptist life in Denmark.
1948
Danish Baptists become members of
the newly established World Council of
Churches (WCC).
1905
Baptist World Alliance (BWA) is estab-
lished; Danish Baptists are part of it.
1849
The national community of Baptists in
Denmark is established with around 1,000
baptized – Grundloven (the Danish con-
stitution) later that year grants religious
freedom.
1839
The first Baptist church in Denmark is
founded with 11 members – persecution
sets in.
1834
The first Baptist church in continental Eu-
rope is established in Hamburg, Germany.
1792
William Carey, an English Baptist, travels
from England to India as a missionary –
under Danish flag and protection.
1639
The first Baptist church is established in
USA (Rhode Island).
Gilbert Rukundo, born in Burundi in
1960. A Baptist pastor from 1993-2001,
and General Secretary of the Baptists
in Burundi 1996-2001. A refugee in the
Democratic Republic of Congo during
1972-1976, in Congo 1994-1996. Came to
Denmark 2001. Danish studies and BA in
theology and management (2009). Pastor
in International Baptist Church in Amager
(Copenhagen), one of the new migrant
Baptist churches.
See more at
Kirkernes Integrations Tjeneste – in English: Church Integration Ministry.www.kit-danmark.dk
www.migrant
menigheder.dk
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Do We Care for the Earth?
humans want a future it will be one, which
is inextricably tied to nature’s future.
In the creation accounts it is empha-
sized that the human’s task is to ”rule”2
over creation. A little later it is said that
we must ”work and take care of”3 the
earth in the way a gardener or farmer
would. Certainly, we must acknowledge,
in these days, that we have ”ruled” more
than we have ”taken care”. We have seen
the earth simply as an unlimited store-
Man and woman were created ”in God’s
image”. This means that we should man-
age the creation on God’s behalf. We have
obligations in two areas.
Creation, Nature and Environment
The fact that God created the world un-
derlines that we are dependent on both
God and all that is created. Nature is our
source and, therefore, our home. Here we
share a destiny with all creation. If we as
Baptists believe as other Christians do, that God created the world. The time frame can be discussed but the essentials are that God created the world from nothing and that God supports everything in the eco-sys-tem: plants, animals and people.
The first page of the Bible tells about the
creation of the universe and our planet1.
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Every creature, every plant
Every rock and grain of sand
proclaims the glory of its Creator
worships through colour, shape
scent and form.
A multi-sensory song of praise.
Creator God, may we join
with the whole of Your creation
in praising you, our Creator
through the fragrance
and melody of our lives.
Grøn kirke (Green Church)
www.gronkirke.dk
Orphans in Burundi
and Rwanda
www.baptistkirken.dk/
index.php?id=99
Against trafficking
www.mitlivditvalg.dk
Emmanuel – home for
orphans in Honduras
www.baptistkirke.dk/
aktivmission/honduras
house of raw materials. We have pursued
a form of progress at the expense of
nature and the environment.
In the last generation we have been
encouraged to think of ourselves as ”man-
agers”. We must manage our planet with
”sustainability” in sight. We must control
the consumption of the earth’s resources.
This must be done, and not only for our
own sake, but for coming generations.
We Live in Relations
The fact that mankind has its place top-
most in the eco-system and is created ”in
God’s image” sets us in relationship with
God, with other humans, with the earth,
the air, animals, and plants. Such a view of
humanity is ”ecological” in the sense that
man is created as part of this big commu-
nity of life. Life is a whole and, therefore,
cannot be sliced up in single parts – a
deer here, an owl there and a person in
a third place. All life has its place in the
larger whole.
In Christian reasoning, therefore, it
is a sin to ruin life. This devastation oc-
curs not only when we exploit creation,
but also when we exploit and abuse one
another. It is important to Baptists that
all people should be treated equally and
justly. This is manifested in many ways.
Since 1928 we have worked alongside
Baptists in Burundi and Rwanda, support-
ing the local church and its work, in youth
education and development of these
impoverished countries. In later years
Danish churches have built friendships
with churches in other parts of the world.
Examples of this are projects for orphaned
children not just in Africa but also in South
America. The churches network with other
Christians as well to fight injustice – such
as trafficking of women in Europe.
Is there Hope for the Earth?
Yes, there certainly is! Many negative
forces destroy the good, but God works to
renew His creation. It is the church’s task
to work toward this future. The church’s
message is of salvation, but it is a salva-
tion that can be experienced here and
now. We are all in a battle against pollu-
tion and the destruction of the environ-
ment, working toward viability in nature.
The goal is to facilitate life and dignity for
people everywhere in the world.
[ ] Jacob Broholm Møller
[ ] Natia Gotziridse Hansen
1] Genesis 1:1-31; 2:4-24, where two stories about Creation are found side by side 2] Genesis 1:283] Genesis 2:15
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Baptists and Other Christianshave divided ourselves into a number of
”families” with different traditions, we
nevertheless belong to the same ”kin”.
People should be able to see that we serve
the same Lord, in the fact that we live and
work together. It does not mean, however,
that all barriers between the churches are
gone. There is still work to do!
Baptists’ Contribution
When church communities communicate
and work together everyone has some-
thing to contribute. Every church has
something that is crucial to put forward.
We cannot do without each other as
churches and our different contributions
to the whole. Here are some of the major
issues that are important for Baptists in
the conversation – even though we do not
have a patent on these issues:
Faith: Faith is first and foremost a
personal relationship with God. From this
relationship, which we enter accompanied
with baptism, springs the engagement for
our neighbour and for a just world.
Church: ”Church” is first and foremost
every local church, which professes faith
in Jesus and seeks to follow Him. Baptists
warn against alliances between the State
and national Churches.
Bible: The conversation about faith
and life always takes a starting point in
Many people think it is strange to find so many different churches when all Christians believe in the same God! It actually drives home a sen-sitive point! There are historic rea-sons for the many church communi-ties, but fortunately in our day we no longer kill each other in God’s name!
Today there is cooperation between most
Christian church communities. For that to
be possible, we must be willing to accept
each other as Christians. Fortunately, this
acceptance has grown through the years.
For many years Baptists did not recognize
that infant baptism could be considered
a Christian baptism. We only considered
the baptism of people who professed their
faith as a ”true” baptism. It meant, for
example, that a member of the Folkekirke
could not be a member of a Baptist church
without being baptized anew.
To Recognize Others
While Baptists only baptize persons who
themselves have chosen to be baptized,
most Baptist churches, since the middle
of the 1980s, have accepted those into
membership who have been baptized as
infants. The reason for this comes from the
recognition that, even if we, as Christians,
the Bible, especially in the Gospel stories
about Jesus.
Conscience: No state or political
system should dictate the beliefs of the
individual. Baptists are, therefore, very
concerned about human rights, not the
least religious freedom.
Locally, Nationally and Globally
Danish Baptists work locally, nationally
and globally with other Christians in many
different contexts. On the opposite page
you can see different forms of interchurch
work where Baptists participate. In
Denmark there are at present 53 Baptist
churches, approx. 2,300 state churches,
approx. 45 Catholic churches and other
separate church communities as well as
independent free churches.
[ ] Bent Hylleberg
[ ] Kirkernes Integrations Tjeneste
New Danish Christians have turned Prayer Day, a national Danish holiday, into an international manifestation in several places in Denmark.
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» Danish Baptists work locally, nationally and globally
with other Christians in many different contexts. «Interchurch Cooperation in the International Context:
In the individual countries, Baptist churches are typically united
in one or more church societies, usually called either unions or
societies www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baptists
European Baptists pursue a common theological education in
Prague www.ibts.cz
The Baptist World Alliance (BWA) is a cooperative among 218
Baptist Unions (of which The Baptist Union of Denmark is one)
with approximately 41 million baptized members distributed in
more than 120 countries www.bwanet.org
The Baptist Union of Denmark has been a member Church of
The World Council of Churches since its establishment in 1948
www.oikoumene.org
About Danish Baptists
Congregations www.baptistkirken.dk
Children and youth www.bbunews.dk and www.dbs.dk
Boarding Schools www.tpoe.dk and www.rebildefterskole.dk
Interchurch Cooperation with Other Christians in Denmark
Danish Council of Churches www.danskekirkersraad.dk
The Danish Bible Society www.bibelselskabet.dk
Evangelical Alliance www.evangeliskalliance.dk
Danish Mission Council www.dmr.org
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Which Religion Is the True One?
There are many religions in the world and throughout history many wars have been fought over which one is ”the true religion”. ”My God is better than your God”, can still be heard to-day. Nevertheless, most so-called re-ligious wars are rather political strug-gles between different people groups than conflicts about the content of the religion. But that is another story.
Religion Can Be Abused
In spite of Jesus’ words about how one
must love his enemy, Christendom has
also been abused to justify wars and to
force people to change religion. Today,
one can still hear religious fundamental-
ists who, in a misguided impression of
what it means to be faithful to the ”Truth”,
claim that they have the right to kill peo-
ple who believe differently than them.
Truth Is Immortal
The concept of ”truth” is important to
Baptists. Actually, in Europe, during the
Reformation of the 16th century, many Bap-
tists were killed because of what they be-
lieved was true. When they were baptized
with believer’s baptism (se p. 18), they
were persecuted by all other Christians of
that time period. Nevertheless, they stuck
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1] See John 14:6
Read more about historic personalities
Balthasar Hübmaier
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balthasar_Hubmaier
Thomas Helwys
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Helwys
Roger Williams
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Williams_(theologian)
William Carey
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Carey_(missionary)
» Baptists believe, first and last, that truth is
a person – namely Jesus. «to the truth they had found – even to the
point of death. Some were drowned, oth-
ers hanged, after they left the churches
of that day and established their own free
churches. When one of the early Baptist
leaders, Balthasar Hübmaier, was burnt
on the stake in Vienna in 1528, his last
words were: ”The truth is immortal!”
Freedom of Religion
The Baptists were often persecuted by
the rulers and state churches in Europe.
Therefore, the struggle for the individual
person’s right to follow his conscience
in the matter of faith and life has always
been a central issue for Baptists. Often the
Baptists were persecuted in their home
countries and had to flee to other places.
It was in the USA that the struggle for
freedom of conscience in modern times
first succeeded. It happened when Roger
Williams, coming from England, founded
the state of Rhode Island in 1639. He
called the capital Providence, because
here the dream about religious freedom
was realized. Today, a marble statue of
Roger William stands in Washington D.C.
on Capitol Hill. His watchword rang out:
”I will fight for both my own as well as for
my opponents’ rights to think, believe and
talk freely, as I, at the same time, reserve
my right to disagree with them.”
To Serve the Truth
Even if it is a personal matter to find truth,
it is not unimportant how we handle it.
Truth is something to rejoice in, never
something we should gloat over. We
believe that truth’s deepest insight is a
gift from God and, therefore, the Christian
message must always be expressed with
humility. At the same time, truth matters
to us as it challenges our lives and makes
us ready – in the name of love – to take
care of people and of creation.
Baptists believe, first and last, that
truth is a person – namely Jesus1. In him
we see the true life that God created us to
live. The only way to communicate truth is
to seek to live as Jesus lived.
Baptists do not believe that all reli-
gions are ”equally good”. And as a reli-
gion, Christianity is also not exclusively
known to be good. But we believe that all
religions are ”equally subordinate” – sub-
ordinate to Jesus Christ!
[ ] Bent Hylleberg
[ ] Per Bækgaard
and Wikipedia
English Baptist, William Carey, initiated the first Bap-tist mission to India in 1793
The motto of Roger Williams: ”I will fight for my own as well as for my opponents´ rights to think, believe and talk freely, as I, at the same time, reserve my right to disagree with them.”
Balthasar Hübmaier
was burned at the stake
in Vienna in 1528 as a punish-
ment for his beliefs
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Baptistkirken
i Danmark
Lærdalsgade 7, st. tv.
DK-2300 København S
ISSN 1901-4635
When We Want A Breeze – You Send A Storm
Many new hymns and poems have been written which take their inspiration from the
preaching of Jesus. Here is a hymn about what God might do when we choose our own
comfort, or when we ignore what God is doing in the world He loves. Thus, He turns the
perspective upside down to make us see our world and ourselves as He wants.
It is an expression of a way of thinking which all Christian churches acknowledge.
In the old language of the Church (latin) it is called Ecclesia semper reformanda (The
Church perpetually letting itself be reformed). As a church we must always be prepared
to let ourselves be reproved – or reformed – in the light of the ever fresh words of Jesus.
When we want perfection
and fancy designs,
You draw us irregular sketches
When we want a straight face
You poke a hole
on premises born out of tightness
When we want our habits,
routines and control
of all that we think and we see
You turn inside and out
all that is right,
slamming a lid on Sir Used-to-be
When we want your church
with all we possess
– a bundle of dreams on our back
Remind us, O Lord,
of who is with us:
Jesus, who’s part of the pack.
Troels Thorndal, 2008
When we want a breeze,
You send us a storm
and flapping canvas and hinges
When we’d be content,
You beckon us forth
to yearning’s smoldering twinges
When we want some neatness,
that just combed style,
You leave us with hair that’s a mess
When we want to focus
on healing and peace,
You talk of pains, sores and stress.
When we want sweet songs
and meditative calm,
You tumble in with distortion
When we want good moods
and soothing peace,
You tactlessly act without caution
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