Perhaps you’ve passed by Biserica Baptista Betania and felt a sense of history. This church has witnessed over 160 years of faith in Bucharest. Its story begins with Karl Johann Scharschmidt’s arrival in 1856.
Born near Budapest in 1820, Scharschmidt later moved to Hamburg. There, he encountered his faith and was baptized in 1845 by J.G. Oncken. Oncken was a pioneer of the Baptist faith in Europe. Scharschmidt came to Bucharest with his wife, Augusta. He gathered friends to share the Gospel in his home.
Soon, the group outgrew their home. Scharschmidt’s carpentry workshop became their meeting place. Bucharest had over 20000 Germans then. The group printed over 3000 evangelical brochures. They distributed them to those interested.
When the first family wanted to be baptized, Scharschmidt sought help from Oncken. He was not a preacher himself. August Liebig arrived in Bucharest in September 1863. Karl Friedrich Weigel, a locksmith with preaching talent, arrived in May 1864. Weigel funded the purchase of a building on Popa Rusu Street. The building became the church’s home. At that time, the community had about 15 German members.
The church’s work expanded quickly. They added a Sunday school for children. Young people formed a Christian association. Another association spread tracts and brochures. August Liebig started missionary work in Moldova and Dobruja. He founded two new churches in Iasi and Cataloi. Daniel Schwegler became the church’s pastor in 1878. He served until 1886.
Johann Hammerschmidt converted in 1883. He became the pastor from 1903 to 1910. During his service, the first Romanians joined the church. One of them was Constantin Adorian. Beniamin Schlipf was the pastor during World War I until 1922. Karl Ströbel followed until 1928. Ströbel openly showed his love for Romanians. Johannes Fleischer served until 1944. Johann Werner Abele was a responsible deacon from 1944 to 1947.
In 1962, a law led the German Baptist church to accept a group from Apele Minerale Street. This group had about 60 people. Florea Simionescu pastored them. They shared the church on Popa Rusu Street. Around this time, many ethnic Germans moved back to Germany. In 1963, the church had 153 members. 100 were Romanian, 45 German, and 7 Hungarian. Adolf Novak became the pastor of the German church in 1970. After Florea Simionescu retired, Iosif Sărac became the Romanian church’s pastor. He served until 1983.
In 1979, the German Baptist church gave all its property to the Romanian community. After Adolf Novak left for Germany, German services stopped. After Iosif Sărac moved to the United States, Vasile Al. Taloş oversaw Biserica Baptista Betania from 1983 to 1984. Ilie Ciucăndrea then took over. He served until 1993 when he became a professor at Emanuel University in Oradea. Liviu Căprar became the pastor in 1993. He was also the director of the Logos Baptist High School. In 1999, Soterius Tătaru joined as the youth pastor. Vasile Al. Taloş returned as overseer in 2002. Radu Oprea was elected pastor in 2005. He served Biserica Baptista Betania until 2017. Emanuel Dejeu became pastor in July 2017. Daniel Fodorean joined him as a fellow pastor in August 2021.
On June 9, 2024, Constantin Ghioancă became the overseeing pastor. On November 17, 2024, he was chosen as the coordinating pastor. Today, Biserica Baptista Betania continues to serve its community. It builds on a rich history of faith and dedication. It is a testament to the enduring power of belief.