Belgrade – Well over 1.000 persons have become Christians since 2002 thanks to the European Baptist Federation’s (EBF) church-planting programme entitled “Indigenous Mission Project” (IMP). That number was quoted by the project’s full-time coordinator, the Polish Baptist pastor Daniel Trusiewicz (Wroclaw), at the EBF-Executive’s most recent session. It convened in the Serb capital of Belgrade from 19 to 21 March. Presently, 58 church-planting initiatives are being supported in 24 countries located primarily in Eastern Europe and the Middle East.

The project is so conceived that the IMP financial support is terminated after the first five years. The largest number of projects was supported during 2007 and 2008 – 65. According to Trusiewicz, a negative downside of the programme is the fact that only a few congregations have truly succeeded in standing on its own feet following the termination of IMP support. The particularly successful congregation has been the 250-member “Church of Grace” pastored by Vladimir Omelshuk in the Ukrainian capital of Kiev. In all other projects, the pastor has needed to find additional income through a second place of employment. It is nevertheless encouraging that not a single project has needed to give up and cease its existence. The highest number of projects is presently financed in Moldova (7) followed by Romania (5) as well as Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Serbia and Ukraine with four each. For only the second time, a church plant in Western Europe is to be supported this year in the major Dutch city of Utrecht. Another church plant was started in Norway in 2006.

IMP is regarded to be highly effective by the 15 mission partners – mostly Baptist Unions in the USA and Western Europe – who contribute the funds required for the programme to operate. The annual budget in 2010 consists of 170.000 euros. IMP goal, according to Trusiewicz, is to use local missionaries to plant new congregations throughout Europe at those locations where a Baptist congregation does not yet exist.