Leichlingen – One could claim she has surpassed the age of the prophets: The pedagogue Elisabeth Flügge, who served as President of the European Baptist Women’s Union (EBWU) from 1962 to 1967, celebrated her 100th birthday on 24 January. This Dutch woman spent almost all her life in Germany. She has lived in the “Diakoniewerk Pilgersheim Weltersbach” - a retirement centre near Düsseldorf, since 1981. She has been bound to a wheelchair since suffering a stroke. She is also almost blind but still enjoys a healthy and active mind. That was very apparent to the roughly 150 guests who came to celebrate her birthday. The birthday child served the German Union as a Travelling Secretary from 1953 to 1964 and from that year on until 1976 - as a Chairperson of its women’s programme. She was involved in the training of leaders for women’s groups. As a member of the EBWU, she also belonged to the presidium of women’s work within the Baptist World Alliance.

Hartmut Riemenschneider (Marl), the president of the German “Federation of Evangelical-Free Churches” and its General Secretary Regina Claas (Elstal near Berlin) described Elisabeth Flügge as ‘a model a mother in Christ whose faith and love to Jesus became a unique example for people around.’

Elisabeth Flügge also became acquainted with suffering during her life. Her husband - Baptist pastor Paul Flügge - was killed in an accident in 1952. Today this childless widow states it was her faith in Jesus Christ that gave her strength during those trying times. She describes her own life as ‘very rich.’ She readily recalls events during the initial years following the Second World War: ‘Woman participated in the meetings were often asked to bring along half a coal briquette to take care of the heating.’

During Elisabeth Flügge’s term of service every Baptist congregation in Germany had its own women’s group. Since then many of these groups have been disbanded. Nowadays women’s work is experiencing a phase of transition and regeneration.