December 4, 2008

First Baptist Church, Knoxville, Tenn., and the Croatian Baptist Union have formed a Strategic Partnership to support the work of the Pastoral Center in Cakovec, Croatia, and to provide seminary extension textbooks and classes for Baptist pastors and church members enrolled in the Baptist Institute of Croatia.

The Strategic Partnership has three purposes:
1) Provide resources for writing, translating, and publishing five textbooks for the Baptist Institute.
2) Enlist professors to teach in the Baptist Institute.
3) Assist with the development of the Pastoral Center in Cakovec.

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Toma Magda, president of the Croatian Baptist Union, said, “The Baptist Institute is an interactive educational program started by the Croatian Baptist Union to help and equip pastors and church members who are actively involved in the church life and ministry.” Currently, 700 people have participated in this program in six regional centers. The textbooks of the Baptist Institute are used by lay leaders to help in their ministry of teaching and preaching. In addition, the Baptist Institute provides in-depth training for lay leaders and offers intensive week-end seminars to churches without trained pastors on important topics of effective faith or systematic doctrine. On-line courses are planned for the near future.

The Pastoral Center in Cakovec, the first visible beacon of Baptist faith in Croatia, offers spatial possibilities for retreat and seminar training as offered by the Baptist Institute. Beginning next year, the Center hopes to be able to offer courses on parenting, conflict resolution and peace building, support for victims of substance abuse, victims of abuse in general and the like to a non-churched but interested public to help in situations of need.

The Pastoral Center in Cakovec is the main center where the Baptist Institute is coordinated. The Center is also the link to First Baptist Knoxville. Zjelko Mraz, General Secretary, added, “In the last 15 years, the number of Baptist churches in Croatia has doubled (from 24 to 50) as well as the membership (1,142 to 2,062) in these churches. The number of full time pastors grew from four to 27. For further growth, we need a quality discipleship program both for pastors and members. This was the role of Baptist Institute so far. The partnership with First Baptist Knoxville enables us to continue our development towards Christian maturity. I believe that both sides will benefit from this cooperation, and that this can be a healthy model of cooperation in the mission field. May the Lord bless this partnership.”

Ksenija Magda, director of the center said, “The Baptist Institute is determined to serve the church in our transitional society by equipping its lay leaders and potential leaders through a systematic teaching in doctrine as well as in the living out of faith taking into account the needs of society.” In the past, any social work was carried on by the state. In the transition from communism to democracy, this infrastructure is slowly deteriorating. Churches must be swift in starting to walk their talk and show practical love to the needy. Ksenija Magda added, “Our new partners in the U.S. have the experience and the skill to help us in this.”

Don Garner, former chairman of the Religion Department at Carson-Newman College, and Bob Money, former pastoral counselor at First Baptist Knoxville, were the first teachers to go as part of this strategic partnership in January 2007.

First Baptist Knoxville participated in missions projects at the Pastoral Center in 2004, 2006, and 2007. Carol McEntyre, community minister at First Baptist Knoxville, will lead a medical trip to the Romani people outside of Cakovec in September 2008.

In July 2008, Elaine Childs began a one-year residency at the Pastoral Center to support their work at the Lighthouse, a residence home for youth in Cakovec.

For more information, contact:

Bill Shiell, Senior Pastor, First Baptist Church of Knoxville
(865) 246-4652
shiell@fbcknox.org

Toma Magda, President, Croatian Baptist Union

385-40-311-231
tmagda@baptist.hr

Zjelko Mraz, General Secretary, Croatian Baptist Union
385-1-481-3168
zmraz@baptist.hr

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By Carol McEntyre, Community Minister
     From the moment we pulled into the Romani Village, located just outside of Cakovec, we were surrounded by children. They saw the vans and began jumping up and down, running along side us, following us down the dirt road. When we stopped, Karmen Horvat, who runs the ministry in the village, decided that we would walk through the village going door to door looking for minor surgery cases for Fred Kaserman. As we walked around the village, the parade of children with dirty faces, ratty clothing and bright smiles grew. The adults approached us with a mixture of curiosity and apprehension, but the children embraced us as if we were celebrities. They showered us with love and hugs; our team felt overwhelmed by the experience.    
     We were able to conduct four days of club with the children, two clubs a day, morning and afternoon. We taught the children the Hokey Pokey, the story of Jesus and the Leppers, the Feeding of the 5,000 and If You’re Happy and You Know It. Fred Kaserman, assisted by Michelle Decker and Teresa Reed, was able to perform about 30 minor surgeries. One highlight of the week was when the village president, or ‘Elder,’ came by and asked Fred if he would come back every year. He also asked Karmen if she would work with him to build a community center. Karmen responded with a resounding “yes” because in the past he has tried to prevent her from ministering in the village. Our trip was able to create a lot of good will with the village, which should make Karmen’s job easier in the future. Thank you for your prayers and support. The trip to Croatia was a blessing to the romaine people and to the FBC Missions Team.