There Are Many Spies In Poland
A stranger who had attended the Wednesday
evening prayer service for the first time,
surprised Chris Osiecki by saying; “There
are many spies in Poland…” The
man later admitted that he had secretly
recorded the entire service on behalf of
a priest who requested the information.
He went on to tell him that when the tape
was played back, the priest was deeply moved
by the accuracy and depth of the discussion
concerning the temptation of Jesus from
the fourth chapter of Matthew. He was also
challenged by the simplicity and sincerity
of the prayers of the church members.
This little event illustrates vividly what
it is like to plant a Bible believing church
in this deeply Roman Catholic nation. Workers
are so often confronted with ignorance,
intimidation and suspicion. Poland, a nation
of around thirty-nine million people, is
a nation as Roman Catholic as some Arab
countries are Muslim. Roman Catholic practices
are so entwined in the culture that all
outside the Catholic church are viewed with
a degree of caution and suspicion. A priest
hiring someone to secretly tape a Baptist
prayer service supports this point. Most
people have never met a Bible believing
Christian in their entire lives.
The Sopot Baptist Church began as a small
Bible study in the flat of church planters,
Chris and Kasia Osiecki, in 1998. The first
official worship services began in the autumn
of that year in a rented office. That place
was quickly filled, but finding somewhere
else to rent a building was a bit of a challenge.
For example, the director of a housing development
refused to rent to them when he found out
a Baptist church wanted the use of the hall.
He said, “I don’t want trouble
with the residents.” A school later
opened its doors to them and they met there
until the church was able to buy the bottom
floor of a two-storey building. After a
short time the owner of the flat above the
church sought to have them removed.
They had visits from the building inspector,
police and the sanitation department. There
were three lawsuits and a criminal investigation,
all with the intent of driving them out
of the city. The Lord used it all to strengthen
the church and during that period they actually
grew large enough to be legally recognized
as a church. In time, through the miraculous
intervention of God, all the lawsuits ended
and the church is now in possession of the
entire building, which is down in the heart
of the city. Being in Sopot, the seaside
holiday resort for many Poles, means that
visitors stop and stare at the sign informing
them that a Baptist Church is in the building.
Many of them have never seen any church
other than a Catholic one, in their entire
lives. They are thankful for the Lord placing
them where He has and blessing them with
His presence through the difficult times
of the establishment of the church.
The Sopot Baptist Church has about fifty
people in attendance on Sunday, which includes
children and non-members seeking to know
more about the Lord. We ask for
your prayers that God will continue to guide
the church in the future as He has done
so clearly in the past.
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Chris and Kasia Osiecki and
family from Sopot, Poland |
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