BRIEF HISTORY OF THE BAPTIST CHURCH NO. 1 “BETHEL” IN TIMISOARA
Interethnic Church (German, Hungarian, Romanian): 1879-1923
- 1878: The Baptist evangelical work penetrates Timșoara through brother J. Flor, a German of the Baptist faith, sent as a Bible distributor by the British Bible Society in Budapest;
- April 17, 1879: baptism of the first convert, Sister Maria Schroot, by Brother Mihai Cornea from Salonta;
- 1885: Biserica Baptista Germană din Budapesta trimite ca misionar la Timișoara pe fratele Ludivuc Bodoky, care devine primul păstor al Bisericii Baptiste din Timișoara (până în 1891);
- 1885: The German Baptist Church in Budapest sends Brother Ludivuc Bodoky as a missionary to Timișoara, who becomes the first pastor of the Baptist Church in Timișoara (until 1891);
- 1891: the work is taken over by G. Szabo and G. Pokorny;
- 1893: Brother Max F. Kuss from the Theological Seminary in Hamburg is called as pastor; After the departure of Brother Pastor Kuss in 1896 and until 1905 the Church was pastored in turn by George Gerwich from Budapest, Stefan Fuchsa and Kristeu Potzner. Then, for 10 years, from 1905-1915, by Brother Iohann Schlier. During his pastorate, in 1909 the train on Frobl Street no. 28 (formerly Reșițta, currently Bv. Iuliu Maniu) was purchased, where a house of prayer was built, enlarged a few years later and still used today by the German Baptist Church in Timișoara;
- 1917-1923: The church is pastored by Adolf Zharhal from the Baptist Theological Seminary in Hamburg, followed by George Teutsch. From its beginnings, the Baptist Church of Timișoara emphasized mission, becoming involved in many localities in Banat, so that in 1922 the existence of 12 mission churches belonging to the Church of Timișoara is recorded. At that time, the church together with its branches had a total of 128 members.
Romanian Baptist Church Timişoara: 1923-1953 (various locations)
- 1923: Through the ministry of Brother Atanasie Pascu, the First Romanian Baptist Church of Timișoara was organized as an independent church. It held its divine services in the city’s fourth district, on Dimitrie Sturza Street, no. 18 (today Mangalia Street), until December 31, 1942;
- 1924: Primul botez al Bisericii Baptiste Române din Timișoara, oficiat în apa râului Bega de către fratele păstor Atanasie Pascu;
- 1929: The work is taken over for one year by brother Ioan Șchiopu (1929-1930);
- 1930-1931: The pastoral ministry of brother Gavrilă Moraru, on whose initiative the Sunday School was organized into classes, each class having a teacher and the name of a biblical character;
- 1931-1936: The church is pastored by Brother Moise Ciorba;
- 1937: Brother Ioan R. Socaciu is elected pastor, who serves in parallel, at certain times, as president of the Baptist Union of Romania, respectively director of the Baptist Theological Seminary in Bucharest. During Brother Socaciu’s pastorate, the church goes through some of the hardest years of its history. Thus, by decree law no. 927/1942, the Baptist Christian Cult in Romania is outlawed. This will be the eighth and most cruel persecution endured by Baptists in Romania. During the dictatorship of Ion Antonescu (1943-1944) Baptist churches are closed, Baptist believers being declared enemies of the homeland. Also at that time, Archimandrite Veniamin Pocitan, vicar of the Orthodox Patriarchate, asked Marshal Ion Antonescu to send all Baptists, Adventists and Christians according to the Gospel to Bug, in Transnistria;
- 31 Octombrie 1944: Regele Mihai I al României semnează decretul de lege nr. 533, prin care Cultul Creștin Baptist din România își reprimește drepturile. La redeschiderea bisericilor, credincioșii baptiști români din Timișoara s-au adunat pentru o vreme în Casa de Rugăciune a fraților maghiari, de pe strada M. Ciordș, nr. 6 (astăzi – Drubeta). Aici s-au închinat pîna la 1 iulie 1946, când au închiriat un local pe Bv. 23 August. În 19 noiembrie 1960, Biserica se va muta în localul din str. Odobescu, nr. 38, local ce devine proprietatea Bisericii;
- 1947: The church elects Brother Ioan Bâcu as pastor. At that time, it had 135 members;
- 24 September 1950: Baptist Church No. 2 is formed, through a nucleus of 32 believers from the Romanian Baptist Church in Timișoara who, under the pastorate of brother Sava Nicolae, plant the new church.
Baptist Church No. 1 Timișoara: 1954-1989 (Romulus Street)
- September 1, 1953: The ministry as pastor of the Baptist Church No. 1 was taken over by Brother Petru Popovici, known as Brother Pitt. The time of Brother Pitt’s pastorate coincided with a new period of persecution for the Baptist churches in Romania. The communist regime installed abusively and through fraud in 1946 began to show its true face. The years that followed were years of hard struggles, trials, surrenders and kneeling, but also of victories through grace. Praise be to the Lord that the Baptist Church No. 1 in Timisoara, together with its pastor, stood by the Lord even though this cost him the abusive removal of Brother Pitt’s pastorate (between January 1, 1962 and December 31, 1963). During this period, upon the recommendation of Brother Alexa Popovici, Brother Ioan Bulica, a graduate of the Baptist Theological Seminary in Bucharest, was called as pastor of the church. Brother Pitt continued to serve the Lord and the church as a deacon, the collaboration between the two being exemplary. Brother Bulica’s ministry was tragically cut short by his illness, which led to his early departure to the Lord, in June 1967. When Brother Pitt left for the USA in 1967, the church had 450 members.
- 1968: The church elects as pastor brother Liviu Olah, a fervent evangelist and man of prayer, who serves until 1972, when he is abusively transferred to the Sintești-Făget church circle. A period of interim church committee follows, led by brother Vasile Sâtnic (deacon of the church), and under the guidance of brother pastor Teodor Turcu, pastor of the Baptist Church in Lugoj.
- 1973: Brother Ioan Trif, transferred from Brăila, is elected as pastor. Brother Trif will pastor Baptist Church No. 1 in Timișoara from August 1, 1973 until his retirement in 1986. Throughout his pastorate, he also served in the leadership of the Baptist Community of Timișoara and the Baptist Union of Romania. With great wisdom, he contributed to the opening of Baptist Church No. 3 in Timișoara (in 1975), Baptist Church No. 5 “Betania” (on November 18, 1979), and the Church of the Gypsy Brothers (in 1985).
- 1985: Brother Petru Dugulescu, who at that time was pastoring the Baptist Church in Hațeg, was elected as pastor. The period from Brother Dugulescu’s election until his installation as pastor, on March 1, 1986, was one of great opposition from the authorities of the time. During his pastorate, the Church grew in number, reaching over 800 believers, although there were still four Romanian Baptist churches in the city. During the week of December 10-17, 1989, God fulfilled the old dream of Baptist Church No. 1, to have a new place of worship (built in 1987-1989). On this occasion, the church took on the name “Betel”.
Baptist Church No. 1 “Betel”, Timişoara: 1989-present
The inauguration of the new place of worship coincided with the Revolution, thus marking the church’s entry into a new stage, in which the work could be carried out in freedom.
- 1991: Ordination as pastors of brothers Petru Bulica and Ioan Cuzman
- 1992: Ordination as pastor of Brother Samuel Tuţac
- 2000: Ordination as pastor of brother Alexandru Neagoe
- 2002-2003: Brother Petru Dugulescu initiates the planting of a new Baptist church (Ecclesia), of which he becomes pastor.
- 2003: Construction of the church’s Education Center begins
- 2008: Inauguration of the Education Center
- 2009: Ordination as pastor of Brother Ioan Bugnărug
- 2009: Renovation of the main church building
- 2018: Brother Samuel Tuțac ends his activity as pastor of Bethel Church and plants Providence Church
- 2023: Brother Ionuț Pungilă is hired as pastor of Bethel Church
- 2024: Brother Petru Bulica ends his activity as pastor of Bethel Church