(OSLO, NORWAY) The first-ever BWA-KIBC Evangelism Award was given to the 3D Church in Estonia, announced at the 22nd of World Baptist Congress. The award was presented by Baptist World Alliance (BWA) in collaboration with Kowloon International Baptist Church (KIBC) in Hong Kong.
BWA Commission on Evangelism member, Harry Lucenay, said, “The purpose of the Evangelism Award is to recognise a church modelling evangelism married to discipleship, who want people to come to faith in Christ and who grow in that faith of Jesus Christ. Therefore we want to recognise who is doing this well and learn from it.”
James “Butch” Tanner, a Senior Pastor of KIBC, said, “On behalf of Baptist World Alliance and Kowloon International Baptist Church, it is our honour today to recognise a body of believers that has been leading the way in evangelism and discipleship in one of the most secular nations in all of Europe.”
The 3D Church was planted by a group of young students in 2010 in a university city, Tartu, Estonia. In their journey of 11 years in its ministry, more than 200 people gave their lives to Jesus Christ. As the church flourished, it became the first multi-site church in Estonia. There are more than a dozen of missional communities today nationwide, impacting many lives through their combination of Gospel centred outreach and intentional discipleship. Jakob Remmel, a pastor of 3D Church, was part of planting this church with a call of the Great Commission at the age of 19 to reach his generation with the good news of Jesus Christ.
European Baptist Federation (EBF) General Secretary, Tony Peck, said “Ten years ago I was privileged to sit down with a group of young people in Tartu, Estonia, and pray together for a new outreach to their friends that was starting the following week in an evangelistic event in a cinema. Out of that small beginning, and inspired by their vision and faith in God’s leading, the 3D Church network was born. In Estonia, one of the most secular countries in Europe, many young people have come to faith in Jesus Christ through the work and witness of 3D. New disciples quickly became disciple-makers, and this has been a most effective means of reaching their friends with the Gospel. I am delighted that the innovative mission and evangelism of 3D has now been recognised by the global Baptist family in this first-ever BWA Evangelism Award. Congratulations to 3D! And we hope and pray that this award will greatly encourage the leaders and members of the 3D Church network to continue to be bold and innovative in reaching others for Christ.”
The award was presented at 3D Church by Helari Puu, a former president of the EBF. In accepting the award, Remmel said, “I think this award represents God’s reminder that he still moves in this faithless Europe, which is in some ways just sleeping. At the same time, I think for our church it reminds us that what we are witnessing with our own hearts is just not normal – it’s something miraculous that God is doing, and we should be glad and humbled by what we have been able to witness.”
Photo: Screenshot by Tim SolWoong Kim
Tim SolWoong Kim, EBF Communications Director - July 12, 2021