“What if a ravaged building could become a beacon of hope?” This question hangs in the air as we approach Społeczność Chrześcijańska Puławska in Warsaw. This Christian community stands as a testament to resilience and faith. It rose from the ashes of World War II.
Społeczność Chrześcijańska Puławska is a vibrant part of the Church of Christ in Poland. Its story began amid post-war devastation. The headquarters of the United Churches of Christ moved from Kobryn to Olsztyn. Key figures of the church settled there. In 1946, the Ministry of Public Administration officially renewed the church’s operation. Olsztyn and Lidzbark Warmiński became its administrative hubs.
However, church leaders wanted to move the offices to Warsaw. In 1947, they bought a house on Puławska Street. It was 80% destroyed. Konstanty Jaroszewicz from the United States provided the funds for this purchase. Immediately after buying the property, reconstruction began. Aleksander Jurkowski oversaw the work. He moved from Olsztyn to Warsaw. Mikołaj Kobus became the building’s caretaker. He came from Białystok.
In January 1948, Jerzy Sacewicz moved into the house. The first services were held in his apartment. In February, the headquarters of the United Churches of Christ moved from Olsztyn. In March, the church began publishing its magazine, Jedność. The official opening of the headquarters and a new chapel took place on April 18, 1948. The chapel was about 60 square meters. It was on the first floor of the building. Tadeusz Wolfenburg from the Ministry of Public Administration attended the ceremony. Feliks Teodor Gloeh from the Ministry of National Defense was also present. He was a delegate from the Evangelical-Augsburg Church. Representatives from other churches also attended. The building was only partially rebuilt at the time. Only one staircase was usable. The side of the house facing Malczewskiego Street was still just foundations.
The XII All-Poland Congress of the United Churches of Christ took place here in August 1948. A conducting course was held in November. In 1949, more families of fellow believers moved to the capital. The Theological Seminary of the United Churches of Christ also moved here. It had been in Lidzbark Warmiński. The congregation steadily grew. Jerzy Sacewicz remained the pastor.
However, difficult times were ahead. On September 19, 1950, the Ministry of Public Security carried out “Action B.” Church activists were arrested. The chapel and office were closed and sealed. Church bank accounts were blocked. The congregation could not open a new chapel on the ground floor of the building. This had been planned for December 1, 1950. The community also lost the right to rebuild the house. New tenants, not affiliated with the United Churches of Christ, moved in. For the next two years, church meetings took place in private homes. Some meetings were in a chapel on Aleje Jerozolimskie.
In 1952, Paweł Bajeński, the church’s vice president, arrived in Warsaw. He had returned from prison due to health issues. As a representative of the ZKCh board, he sought permission to unseal the chapel. He also wanted to finish building a new prayer room. Jerzy Sacewicz and Bolesław Winnik were released from prison a year later. The first choir was formed then. Winnik conducted it.
In 1953, the United Churches of Christ became part of the United Evangelical Church in the Polish People’s Republic. The community on Puławska Street became the Second Congregation of the United Evangelical Church in Warsaw. Jerzy Sacewicz remained the pastor. Witold Omeljanowicz became his deputy.
In the early 1960s, a conflict arose among the community’s leaders. It concerned the way the congregation was run. To avoid division, the United Evangelical Church appointed Kazimierz Muranty as the congregation’s commissioner. He served as acting pastor from 1962 to 1965. Tensions eased thanks to a meeting on May 16, 1965. Jerzy Sacewicz was re-appointed as head of the congregation. Paweł Bajeński, Bolesław Winnik, and Witold Omeljanowicz became his deputies.
In the autumn of 1965, Jerzy Bajeński returned to Warsaw. He had been studying in the United States. He developed the congregation’s activities. He also intensified youth work. This included summer and winter camps. In 1967, a new chapel opened on the ground floor of the church building. It faced Malczewskiego Street. Over the years, apartments in the house became offices and Sunday school rooms. In the 1970s, the basement became a youth club called “Under the Pulpit.”
Today, Społeczność Chrześcijańska Puławska continues its mission. It offers Sunday services and various community programs. It stands as a symbol of faith. It is a testament to the enduring spirit of Warsaw.