To Poland with Love - Recalling the 1988 Mission during a Communist Era 12

Chrześcijan Baptystów (First Baptist Church) in Warsaw, Poland by Rev’d Paul Collings

Link to St Nicholas Methodist Church, Topsham Online Service 20/09/20

Revelation 21:1-5 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.

He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!" 

That evening we gathered with a full congregation in the First Baptist Church in Warsaw. 

After the war, only 14 people remained out of the 100-strong pre-war Baptist congregation, and the new communist authorities seized the property of the pre-war church for the purposes of multi-family housing.

During the 1950s the congregation began to grow again and so they were in need of a new home. With support of the Billy Graham organisation funds where raised and a ceremonial opening of the new chapel with a seating capacity for 300 building at took place on September 9, 1961.

We also learnt that during the construction and digging of the foundations, builders discovered the remains of Jewish children victims of the Nazi’s final solution.  

The high point of the church's evangelistic work in the 1970s was the mission campaign of popular American preacher Billy Graham who visited the church in 1978. But the 1980s saw great difficulties for the church society, and a curtailment of their work.  It was in such an atmosphere that we came to share the gospel in music and word.

With knowledge of the atrocities that took place on that site I included within the programme a Tone Poem called “Faith Reborn”. This piece of music written by a good friend of mine, Major Leslie Condon, tells through music the sad day when the Seoul Salvation Army Boys’ Band form the orphanage where they lived was forcefully marched into the Democratic People's Republic of Korea by the communist forces, never to be heard from again. 

I carefully prepared, mindful of the ever present political police in attendance, a note for our translator to preface the piece of music for the congregation expressing it in terms of how faith in Christ can overcome the darkest of situations. I think that the significance was plain for those with ears to hear. 

At the conclusion of the evening, the minister Konstanty Wiazowski, spoke emotionally how Brian Hart had come to their aid during the bad days of the early 1980s “like an angel of God, like ravens to Abraham. 

The whole evening cemented in my mind, that out of the darkest of times and the most dangerous situations the triumph of God in Christ can not be buried and forgotten but leads to resurrection and new life.  Today, in Seoul, the work continues and once more the music of a Salvation Army boy’s band can be heard. In Warsaw’s First Baptist Church within months of our visit and the end of martial law the congregation were once more empowered to renewal of their evangelisation and charity work in line with the slogan "evangelisation through friendship".

May today there be peace within.

May I trust God that I am exactly where I am meant to be.

May I not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith.

May I use those gifts that I have received, and pass on the love that has been given to me

May I be confident knowing I am a child of God.

Let this presence settle into my bones, and allow my soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love.

It is there for each and every one of us.

- St. Therèse of Lisieux and St. Theresa of Avila