B e r l i n – After serving as General-Secretary of the European Baptist Mission (EBM) for 12 years Pastor Hans Guderian has returned to the pulpit of a local church. The 60-year-old-theologian was recently installed as pastor of the 160-member Baptist congregation in Berlin-Oberschöneweide. Guderian is one of Europe’s best-known Baptists. He has also been a member of the European Baptist Federation’s (EBF) Executive Committee for the past 14 years. He initially headed its Department for Mission and Evangelisation, and for the last 10 years, its Nominations Committee. The sermon at Guderian’s installation service in Oberschöneweide was held by Pastor Frank Fornaçon (Kassel), who was also once a member of the EBF’s Executive Committee. He encouraged the congregation to expect words of criticism from its pastor: ‘The congregation should expect that its pastor preaches not only that is pleasing for the ear’. But addressing the pastor he stated: ‘The measure of a good sermon is the joy which wells up when someone hears the Good News’. Guderian is looking forward to the new challenge and direct contact with congregational members. To support and strengthen their faith and to get new people enthusiastic about the faith is a vital task.

During Guderian’s term in office, EBM was transformed into a mission society organised in partnership terms. Today, EBM unites 26 Baptist Unions from Europe, Asia and Africa. According to Guderian, Christians from the North and South are ‘called jointly to world mission’. Before his term with EBM, Guderian served for eight years as Secretary for Congregational Development within the Home Missions Department of the German Federation of Evangelical-Free Churches. Prior to that he had served as a pastor in Southern Germany: in Munich-Perlach and Augsburg. Guderian will continue his volunteer work for EBF. To him, such efforts are important because ‘East and West belong together – in order to aid each other and to share their mutual wealth with the poor of the South in Africa, Latin America and Asia.’

Guderian’s successor in EBM is Pastor Christoph Haus, past head of the German Federation’s Youth Department.