Evangelical Baptism (part I), Al’shany 2013. Эвангеліцкае хрышчэньне (частка І), Альшаны 2013 год.
See also photos for July 1-2, 2013 and July 21-22 and 24-25, 2010. Гл. таксама фотаздымкі 1-2 ліпеня 2013 г. ды 21-22 і 24-25 ліпеня 2010 г.
The vibrant evangelical Protestant church in Al’shany in the central Pripet area of Polesia holds a communal baptism every year at the beginning of summer. At this year’s ceremony 26 young women and eight men were baptized. As many as a thousand people attended from the Al’shany congregation and daughter churches in surrounding villages.
Baptist and other evangelical Protestant churches in central Polesia carry on 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 is growing steadily in this area. 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.
Waiting patiently for your book. How many Americans know that Protestants thrive in Belarus and have such interesting ceremonies.
🙂