Skip Navigation

From Here There Will Be More

Ronald Barnes, Czech Republic

The Otakar II Square in Budejovice

The first church planted in the southern Czech region was started in Ceské Budejovice. This city was named by Bohemian King Premysl Otakar II who founded it on the confluence of the two, large Bohemian rivers, the Vltava and Malše, in 1265, to strengthen his position of power in South Bohemia. Interestingly, the name Budejovice is literally translated “from here there will be more.” 

Now, five years after beginning the first church, two new ministries are springing forth from Ceské Budejovice: another new church plant and also a Czech Baptist seminary.

New Church Plant: Ceský Krumlov

For years, many have been praying for what would be the second church to be planted in southern Bohemia. Most thought the city of Ceský Krumlov was a perfect location, and we at ABWE have agreed: it is a significant city, reasonably close to the ministry in Ceské Budejovice, which could help and encourage the new church. But the issue we continue to have is a lack of trained and willing men with whom to partner. Recently, the Czech Baptist churches wrote an article in their periodical stating that they are looking for a candidate for this new church plant. Surprisingly, one couple, Milan and Misha Pis whom we have known for some time, came forward. Last summer we were together in Krumlov, where I, half jokingly, suggested he would be the church planter we would work with there. He shared they had been thinking about the new church plant during an internship with an established church in Slovakia. We have just begun talking about a strategy and plan for Krumlov, and we have a lot more work to do and a lot of preparations to make. Please pray in the coming days, weeks, and months, that we would follow God’s lead in this ministry and that we would be wise in our ministry partnership.

Milan and Misha Pis came forward to become
candidates for leading the new church plant
in Krumlov.

Opening Fall 2007: Biblical Theological Seminary

Currently in the Czech Republic, there are thirty-six Baptist churches and thirty pastors. It is hard to start new churches when we can’t even get enough pastors to cover the ones we have. Since there is no Czech-speaking facility to train pastors, they are forced to go elsewhere for training if they are English speaking. Then few, if any, return.  Compounding the problem, in the next five years, many of the pastors who are aging will be forced to retire. Hence, we are in a leadership crisis. We have been discussing for the last few years what to do to start a Czech Baptist seminary, and one man in particular, Vlada Donat, Jr. (son of our national partner), began to develop a burden for the seminary. He is studying in the United States right now, working on his MDiv, and will graduate in May. He will then move back here to lead this new venture, and we will partner to see this seminary off the ground. The facility is strategically located northwest of Ceské Budejovice in a town called Pehlrimov. The fact that Pehlrimov has no church is actually a part of our strategy in starting the seminary there.

The facility for the seminary,
northwest of Budejovice in Pehlrimov.

It has been exciting to watch God work in this, to see others desiring to be a part, and to see the physical progress. But in order for this project to come to fruition, so much more will need to be done, particularly between now and the summer. Since the seminary has raised about $250,000 to purchase the land and seminary building, it is currently paid for. The next phase is to finish the work by this summer so that classes can start this fall. It will require enlisting the help of work teams from the United States. The architect estimates the total cost in materials alone will cost about $100,000, but a lot of man hours will be required to pull it off. Besides the construction, a lot of work still has to go into securing instructors for each of the courses as well as the legal paperwork associated with starting an educational institution. If you would like to help or have further questions, please contact us at barnes@abwe.cc. 

Thank you for your continued prayers for these two new, exciting ministries God has advanced from the church in Ceské Budejovice. Certainly, we will also be able to say of the new church plant in Ceský Krumlov and the new seminary, “from here there will be more.”