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The Baptist Union of Denmark (Danish : Baptistkirken i Danmark) is a Baptist Christian association of churches in Denmark. It is a member of the European Baptist Federation, the Baptist World Alliance, and the World Council of Churches. Headquarters of the Union are maintained in Copenhagen.
The first work in Denmark generally considered Baptist began in 1836 when Julius Köbner, a Danish Jew, visited Hamburg, Germany and met some individuals with Baptist views. [1] [2] Köbner was an associate and co-worker of Johann Gerhard Oncken (1800–1884), often considered the father of European Baptists. [3] Oncken baptized these believers and established a church in Copenhagen in 1839. [4] Until 1849, when religious liberty was granted through the Constitution of 1849, Baptists were fined, imprisoned, and their infants baptized by compulsion. [5] The Baptists were instrumental in the obtaining of religious freedom in Denmark.
The Baptist Union was formed in 1849, and remained a part of the German Baptist Union until 1888. In that year, it was reorganized, influenced by the emigration of Danish Baptists to the United States, and the returning influence of American Baptists on the Danish. The New Hampshire Confession of Faith was adopted in place of the German Confession of 1847. A number of Danish pastors studied at Morgan Park Seminary in Chicago, Illinois. In 1918, they established their own theological seminary.
Doctrinally, the Danish Baptists have evolved from a generally Calvinistic closed Baptist tradition to a more Arminian ecumenical body. Open communion has been practiced since the 1930s.
According to a census published by the association in 2023, it claimed 4,937 members and 54 churches. [6]
The theological seminary is located in Tølløse.
Baptists form a major branch of evangelical Protestantism distinguished by baptizing only professing Christian believers, and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul competency, sola fide, sola scriptura and congregationalist church government. Baptists generally recognize two ordinances: baptism and communion.
Philip Schaff was a Swiss-born, German-educated Protestant theologian and ecclesiastical historian, who spent most of his adult life living and teaching in the United States.
The Baptist Union of Norway is a Baptist Christian denomination in Norway. It is affiliated with the Baptist World Alliance. The headquarters is in Stabekk.
Converge, formerly the Baptist General Conference (BGC) and Converge Worldwide, is a Baptist Christian association of churches in the United States. It is affiliated with the Baptist World Alliance and the National Association of Evangelicals. The headquarters are in Orlando, Florida. The current president of Converge is John K. Jenkins.
The Baptist Union of Southern Africa is a Baptist Christian denomination in South Africa. It is affiliated with the Baptist World Alliance and the Evangelical Alliance of South Africa. The headquarters is in Roodepoort in Gauteng province
Johann Gerhard Oncken was a pioneer German Baptist preacher, variously referred to as the "Father of Continental Baptists", the "Father of German Baptists" and the "Apostle of European Baptists". Oncken, Gottfried Wilhelm Lehmann (1799–1882), and Julius Köbner (1806–1884) were known as the Baptist cloverleaf. J. G. Oncken helped direct and guide the growth of Baptists throughout Germany and across much of Europe for half a century.
The Union of Christian Baptist Churches in Romania is a Baptist Christian denomination in Romania. It is affiliated with the Romanian Evangelical Alliance, the European Baptist Federation and the Baptist World Alliance. The headquarters is in Bucharest.
The Baptist Christian Church of the Republic of Poland is an association of Baptist Christian association of churches in Poland. It is a member of the Polish Ecumenical Council, the European Baptist Federation and the Baptist World Alliance. The headquarters is in Warsaw.
The Union of Evangelical Free Churches in Germany is a Baptist Christian denomination in Germany. It is affiliated with the Baptist World Alliance. The headquarters is in Wustermark.
The Union of Baptist Churches in the Netherlands is a Baptist Christian denomination in the Netherlands. It is affiliated with the Baptist World Alliance. The headquarters is in Amsterdam.
Barnas Sears was an American educational theorist and Baptist theologian.
Lutheranism is present on all inhabited continents with an estimated 80 million adherents, out of which 74.2 million are affiliated with the Lutheran World Federation. A major movement that first began the Reformation, it constitutes one of the largest Protestant branches claiming around 80 million out of 920 million Protestants. The Lutheran World Federation brings together the vast majority of Lutherans. Apart from it, there are also other organisations such as the International Lutheran Council and the Confessional Evangelical Lutheran Conference, as well as multiple independent Lutheran denominations.
Christianity is a prevalent religion in Denmark; in January 2023, 72.1% of the population of Denmark were members of the Church of Denmark. According to a survey based on a sample 1,114, 25% of Danes believe Jesus is the son of God, and 18% believe he is the saviour of the world. Aside from Lutheranism, there is a small Catholic minority, as well as small Protestant denominations such as the Baptist Union of Denmark and the Reformed Synod of Denmark.
Baptists in Finland have existed since the middle of the 19th century. They are part of the Baptist branch of evangelical Christianity and belong to three different Finnish church associations. Swedish-speaking Finns formed the Swedish Baptist Union of Finland, while Finnish-speaking Baptists are united in the Finnish Baptist Church ; two Finnish congregations are a part of the Seventh Day Baptists. In addition, a few independent Baptist churches exist, including Grace Baptist Church in Tampere. The congregation was formerly known as Perinteinen Baptistiseurakunta in Finnish and International Baptist Church in English. Agape International Baptist Church in Pedersöre is also among the independent Baptist churches.
Anders Wiberg was a preacher, missionary, and leader of the early Swedish Baptist movement.
Fredrik Olaus Nilsson, also known as F. O. Nilsson, was a pioneer Swedish Baptist pastor and missionary who founded Sweden's first free church, a Baptist congregation. He married Ulrika Sophia Olsson (1812–1903) on 7 June 1845.
Andreas Peter Førster (1819–1889) was a pioneer Danish Baptist pastor and missionary who contributed to the early growth of the Baptist church in Denmark as well as to its establishment in Sweden.
Julius Johannes Wilhelm Köbner, originally Salomon Købner,, was one of the founding fathers of Northern European Baptists, along with Johann Gerhard Oncken and Gottfried Wilhelm Lehmann, known as the Baptist "cloverleaf". In addition to his extensive missionary and teaching activities in the young free church, his work as a hymnwriter and author is notable.
Gottfried Wilhelm Lehmann was a German copper engraver and later founder and pastor of the first Baptist congregation in Berlin. Along with Johann Gerhard Oncken and Julius Köbner, together known as the Baptist "cloverleaf", he is one of the founding fathers of German Baptists.
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.