| Mission
Heroes
Johann
Oncken: Father of European Baptists
By
Angie Weston
His
motto was “Jeder Baptist ein Missionar: every
Baptist a missionary,” and Johann Gerhard Oncken was
truly a missionary with international vision. Born January
26, 1800, in Varel, Germany, Oncken was bound on a mission
to preach to nations. He was baptized as a Lutheran, but
while traveling around Great Britain, he became familiar
with the Presbyterians, the Independents and the Congregationalist
revival movement. He eventually, adopted Baptist beliefs
by 1826 after extensive Bible study and in 1834 was baptized
in a river during the night.
“In 1834 a little company of seven believers were
rowed across our beautiful Elbe, in the dead hour of night,
to a little island, and there descending into the waters,
were buried with Christ in baptism. . . The next day we
were formed into a church, of which I was appointed the
pastor. Germany's first modern-day Baptist church was born.”
German
authorities felt that “river dipping” was offensive
to public morals, and so many baptisms to follow took place
during the night. He was baptized by an American, Barnas
Sears, who was a professor at Hamilton College. The church
formed in Hamburg, Germany, after Oncken’s nighttime
baptism is today the oldest surviving Baptist church in
Europe. Oncken’s influence among people was tremendous
and his ministry continued to grow in Hamburg, despite persecution
by German officials.
In 1837, Oncken decided to baptize people openly, rather
than in the night. Against opposition, the church continued
to grow. He pursued a fierce path of bold preaching and
evangelism. Oncken was arrested and the persecution continued,
but the church still grew. After the Hamburg fire of 1842,
the German authorities loosened their grip of the church
because the Baptists gave so much help to the people of
the city.
By 1850, religious freedom in Germany was more attainable
and public preaching became more tolerated. The church sent
missionaries to many nations, including Bulgaria, Denmark,
Finland, Holland, Hungary, Poland, Russia and Switzerland.
Many of the churches of these nations regard Oncken as their
founder and father.
Oncken’s
zealous pursuit of sharing the gospel left a strong foundation
for the Baptist churches in Germany and across much of Europe.
He is recognized as the “Father of Continental Baptists,”
the “Father of German Baptists,” and the “Apostle
of European Baptists.” Oncken commissioned more than
280 Baptist churches and 1,222 preaching stations. He established
more than 170 churches in Scandinavia and the Slavic states.
Not only did Oncken begin the first Sunday School in Germany
in 1825, but he went on to form 770 more Sunday Schools
in Germany.
If that record wasn’t enough, In 1828 Oncken was appointed
by the Edinburgh Bible Society and spent more than 50 years
handing out tracts and Bibles. He estimated that by 1879,
he had given out in excess of 2 million Bibles. What a testimony
to what one mission-minded person can do for the kingdom!
Resources:
Christian History Institute
http://www.gospelcom.net/chi/DAILYF/2002/01/
daily-01-26-2002.shtml
The Baptist Heritage:
Four Centuries of Baptist Witness, by H. Leon McBeth
Wikipedia:
The Free Encyclopedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johann_Gerhard
_Oncken#References
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