Wiard Popkes supported and shaped generations of Baptist theologians

L ü n e b u r g – One of European Baptists’ most influential theologians has passed on: Professor Wiard Popkes died at the age of 70 on 2 January in Lüneburg, Germany. By 2002 he had spent 33 years as an Instructor for New Testament at the German Federation of Evangelical-Free Churches’ (BEFG) seminary in Hamburg and, after 1997, in Elstal near Berlin. He also taught at Hamburg University and at the International Baptist Theological Seminary (IBTS) in Prague. He was also active as a volunteer on various committees of the Baptist World Alliance.

Denton Lotz (Falls Church near Washington/DC), General-Secretary of the World Alliance, lauded Popkes’ „international vision“. As a member of the war generation, he had been passionately engaged in the post-war struggle for global Baptist cooperation.

IBTS-Rector Keith Jones (Prague) noted that Popkes took over the chairmanship of the IBTS Board of Trustees after responsibility for this institution was transferred from the Southern Baptist’s (USA) Foreign Mission Board (FMB) to the European Baptist Federation (EBF). He served in this capacity until 1995. He also oversaw the seminary’s move from Rüschlikon near Zurich to Prague and chaired difficult negotiations after the Southern Baptists withdrew financial support for the seminary in 1989. From 1998 until his death he was himself Research Professor in Biblical Studies at IBTS, taught courses in the Masters programme and served as mentor for numerous doctoral students. He was also Co-Director of the IBTS-Institute of Biblical Studies from its inception in 2004.

Popkes was honoured above all in Germany for his service. In the name of the Federation’s directors, Andreas Lengwenath und Pastor Christoph Haus (both Elstal) recalled Popkes’ teaching: “Throughout his many years of service as seminary lecturer, Wiard Popkes decisively supported and shaped the lives and learning of generations of students.“ The pastors and many church members will miss him greatly.

Following his theological studies in Rüschlikon, Popkes had served as pastor in Münster for three years before transferring to Hamburg’s Theological Seminary. He leaves behind his wife Irma and two adult children.