B e r l i n / P r a g u e – Hans Guderian of Germany (Dallgow-Döberitz near Berlin), president of the European Baptist  Federation (EBF), must step back for health reasons. Following a heart attack near the end of last year, various examinations, and surgery, and in the face of follow-up rehabilitation in Bernau near Berlin, the 64-year old announced that he will be reducing his volunteer workload for the EBF. “The heart attack was a first warning from God that I must not continue to overtax my body,” he said to the European Baptist Press Service. Indeed the first months of his two-year term of service, with the double load of being pastor of a church in Berlin and EBF President, were apparently more strenuous than he had realized.

For this reason, he will not be able to undertake any travel on behalf of the EBF, said Guderian. In recent months, Guderian has paid numerous visits to EBF member Unions – especially in Eastern Europe. His term of office will officially end in September of this year with the EBF Council in Bratislava, Slovakia. At that time, the current Vice President and president of the Romanian Baptist Union, Otniel Bunaciu (Bucharest), will be inaugurated as the new EBF President.

EBF General Secretary Tony Peck (Bristol/Prague) and the Assistant General Secretary, Helle Liht (Tallinn/Prague) visited Guderian a few days ago at his home near Berlin and assured him of the prayers of the EBF family. In an e-mail to all EBF member Unions, Tony Peck expressed understanding that Guderian should put the reestablishment of his health as priority number one, and therefore would be able to travel less in the future: “We shall miss Hans’ devotion and his enthusiastic service to the EBF.” In the same letter, Guderian expressed his thanks for the great sympathy he has so far encountered and for all the prayers. The EBF includes 59 member Unions and associated works, with over 600,000 members in nearly 13,000 churches.