Evangelical Baptism (part I), Al’shany 2010. Эвангеліцкае хрышчэньне (частка І), Альшаны 2010 год.
See also photos for July 21-22 and 24-25, 2010. Гл. таксама фотаздымкі 21-21 і 24-25 ліпеня 2010 год.
The large evangelical Protestant church in Al’shany in the central Pripet area of Polesia holds a communal baptism every year at the beginning of summer. In 2013 the ceremony took place on June 30.
Baptist and other evangelical Protestant churches in central Polesia have a vigorous, century-old tradition, dating from the time when emigrants to the United States returned and planted churches in their home villages. Today adherence to the Protestant churches in this area is growing steadily. Congregants have large families (there are currently 900 children enrolled in the youth programs of the Al’shany church). These families have grown prosperous as truck farmers producing cucumbers and other fruits and vegetables for Mjensk and for export to Russia. There is a vibrant link between the Al’shany church and a church planted by new emigrants from the area in Spokane, Washington.
