B ü l a c h – European Baptist Mission’s new General-Secretary will be Baptist pastor Christoph Haus (Elstal near Berlin), until now Director of the German Federation of Evangelical-Free Church’s Youth department (Gemeindejugendwerk - GJW). The EBM Executive Committee meeting in Bülach/Switzerland unanimously chose the 49-year-old as successor to Pastor Hans Guderian (59). This appointment was reported by EBM-President Helmut Rabenau (Vienna) in an email addressed to the unions who are EBM-members. Haus’ appointment still needs to be approved by the EBM-Missions Council convening in Rome from 17 to 19 April. It was also indicated that Guderian’s service will end officially after the Rome Council sessions, but that he will remain Acting General-Secretary until January 2009. Haus’ work as GJW-Director will terminate at the end of 2008; he is presently busy preparing for the Baptist World Alliance’s youth conference scheduled for 30 July to 3 August in Leipzig, Germany. Up to 10.000 young Baptists from thoughout the world are expected to attend.

Following theological studies at his union’s seminary, Haus spent six initial years as Youth Pastor for the Baptist North-West German regional association. From 1992 to 1993 he served as development worker and missionary for the Technical Centre in Maroua/Cameroon, which is an arm of the German GJW. For the next five years he was a local church pastor in Northeim/Germany until becoming GJW-Director. Since 2003 he has also been a member of his union’s Executive Committee.

Hans Guderian has been EBM-General-Secretary since 1996. After being a pastor in Munich-Perlach and Augsburg, he served for eight years as a consultant in his union’s Missions department. The press release states that as of January 2009 the then 60-year-old will be open for an appointment outside of EBM. Guderian also heads the EBF-Executive’s Nomination Committee.

The EBM, which is active primarily in Africa and South America, supports more than 100 workers, many of whom are indigenous nationals. Eighteen European, seven African and six Latin American unions belong to EBM.