Today, on 23 August 2017, Karen and Knud Wümpelmann celebrate their 70th marriage anniversary. Karen and Knud give thanks to God and say: “We both have been given grace to live long.” Karen is 93 years old, and Knud celebrated recently his 95th birthday.

Knud Wümpelmann is a Danish pastor who has given much of his life for the worldwide Baptist family. He served as President for the European Baptist Federation (EBF) from 1978 to 1980, General Secretary for the EBF from 1980 to 1989 and President for the Baptist World Alliance from 1990 to 1995.

It is significant, that much of today’s good relationships within the EBF family are built on the ministry of Knud Wümpelmann. His priority during his time as the EBF General Secretary was to build fellowship between Baptist churches in Western and Eastern Europe. He made twenty visits to former USSR and visited Baptist churches behind the ‘iron curtain’. At the end of his time as the EBF General Secretary he was glad to be able to report:

New things are really happening in Europe these days: signs of spring are obvious: new life is breaking through; this sometimes means struggle, but it certainly also – and first of all – means renewal and new expectations and hope.

We congratulate Karen and Knud Wümpelmann wholeheartedly,
and wish them much love, joy and peace, and God’s blessings for the days to come!

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Photo: Baptist Union of Denmark

Short historical comment is based on the book by Keith G. Jones, The European Baptist Federation: A Case Study in European Baptist Interdependency 1950-2006 (Paternoster, 2009).