BRETHREN CHURCH
Církev bratrská

History

The  beginnings of this church go back to the years 1860-1880. At first the people´s awakening occurred in the area of north Bohemian town of Náchod and it led to the foundation of the congregation of the first Free Evangelical Czech Church with the contribution of the Free Scottish Church, which was active in neighbouring Prussia. In addition in 1880 a congregation of the Free Reformed Church was established in Prague as a result the activity of American congregational missionaries from Boston. Both churches joined in one church – the Free Reformed Church, which was further growing. After the emergence of the Czech Republic in 1918 this church extended its activity even in Slovakia and the Sub-Carpathian Ukraine. After adopting a new name – the Czech Brethren Unity, the church  acknowledged the spiritual heretage of the old Brethren Unity and has gradually created the presbytarian-congregational system of administration. In the communist era, in 1951, after the abolishment of religious associations, this church incorporated a substantial part of the association The Blue Cross (Modrý kríž), which had been active in Slovakia, and of the association The Resolute Christians (Rozhodní křesťané) in the area around Český Těšín in Silesia, in which Polish nationality prevailed. The growing number of Slovak and Polish members made the church change its name and so in 1967 it addopted the name Brethren Church. It belongs to the family of evangelical and reformed churches, it is a member of IFEC, WARC, CEC and ERC CR.

Mission

Brethren Church lays stress on the authority of the Scripture. It builds congregations out of the believers, who personally decided for the life with Christ and who were in their repentance spiritually born to the new life, as it is revealed in the New Testament. In addition to full members the church has also members in preparation. Full membership is accessible only to those baptised Christians who confess Jesus Christ as their Saviour and Lord and apply for the membership. The admission in the church takes place after a talk with the elders, public confession of faith and the promise before the congregation. The baptism of adults prevalis though the baptism of children is also made possible. Newly born children are usually brought by their parents to the congregation for blessing. At this dedication the parents take a vow of responsible Christian upbringing of their children. The baptism from other Christian churches  is aknowledged. As a rule, once a month the Lord´s Supper is administered in congregations and their extensions. The church sees its main mission in preaching and exegesis. The proclamation of gospel is focused on evangelisation with the emphasis on the turning from the old life to the life with Christ and to the spiritual birth from the Holy Spirit. The stress is laid on catechesis, spiritual growth and active discipleship.

Brethren Church wants to be a community with distinctive integration of lays, who are led to and instructed for the testimony, and some also for the proclamation and preaching of God´s word. Special attention is paid to the spiritual education of children, young people and young families. The proclamation is connected with the instruction to prayers in privacy as well as in prayer communities. It is stressed that every newly born Christian has a certain charisma, through which he or she is to minister as a lively member in the body of the church. Each congregation is considered to be a miniature church. The elders of congregations help in the church by preaching and by personal pastoral care. For the development of further ministry groups of workers are formed in congregations, as well as choirs, music and evangelisation groups, Bible study groups, prayer groups etc. The church has always connected the proclamation with the diaconical  ministry within the congregations and church institutions. At present different events take place that are focused on the revival and extension of various charitable facilities.

Organisation

The reformed and evangelic character of the church reflects in its presbytarian-congregational administration, which enables the congregations to be independent, while the unity of the church is preserved. The congregations are administered by the leders, headed by the shepherds of the church. For preserving the spiritual unity the congregations are regulated by a common constitution, confession of faith, order and principles, which were adopted by the whole-church convention, which is the supreme body of the church. The executive body of the church is a seven-member Council of Brethren Church, which is elected for a four-year period. In head of the Council are the representatives of the church, namely the chairman and the secretary, who also represent the church in public. Among the members of the council are also always at least two lays.

The splitting of Czechoslovakia in 1993 resulted in the new administration of Brethren Church. At present there are two independent churches, which are registered in their countries, namely the Czech and the Slovak Republics. In 1993 the common convention of both parts accepted an agreement on mutual cooperation. It says that every other year a common convention of both parts will take place. This convention has the right of changing the confession, the constitution as well as the order. All the other matters, including the representation of the church in local as well as international gremiums are regulated by the Czech and the Slovak part separately.

The church issues a monthly “Bratrská rodina“ (Brethren Family) and together with the Bible Unity it publishes by its own publishing house Oliva an ecumenical aid “Mana“ for daily worshiping. Brethren Church is an establisher of the ecumenical Evangelic Theological Seminary in Prague, which is an alternative for the intsruction of preachers, evangelists and diacons of the church.

Statistics

At present (1999) the church has 48 congregations, 13 independent preaching stations and 100 preaching stations in the Czech Republic. It has 8,532 members, including children and members in preparation. There are 61 preachers in the church.

In Slovakia Brethren Church has 9 congregations, 30 preaching stations and 2,135 members and children.

Addresses

The Council of Brethren Church

Rada Církve bratrské
Soukenická 15
110 00 Praha 1

phone/fax: 02-22 31 81 31
e-mail: rada@cb.cz

http://www.cb.cz

The Evangelic Theological Seminary - VOŠT

Evangelikální teologický seminář - VOŠT
Stoliňská 2417/41a
193 00 Praha 14 – Horní Počernice (Chvaly)
phone: 02-81 92 17 34
fax: 02-81 92 29 89

e-mail: info@etspraha.cz