Project Areas: European: Historical Overview
ACWR in Europe reaches out to people whose heritage of faith is the same as the Apostolic Christian Church of America. It involves brethren of the Apostolic Christian Nazarene faith who struggle with unfortunate circumstances of life as they earnestly contend for the faith of their fathers. While their culture, daily lives and languages are sometimes very different from that of American Apostolic Christians, they nevertheless share a common bond of faith originating from the teachings of Brother Samuel Froelich in Switzerland in 1831. Basic doctrine and worship practices are much the same, with the Zion’s Harp used as the worship hymnal by both Churches.
Different words, but same songsThrough the working of the Holy Spirit in Europe years ago, many souls responded to salvation’s call as preached by Brother Froelich and his followers. During the 1800s, ‘Fellowship of Evangelical Baptists Assemblies’ were established in Switzerland, France, Germany and the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The faith eventually spread overseas as believers immigrated to America to escape European wars and religious persecution. In central Europe, the political unity of Austria-Hungary allowed brethren (called Nazarenes) to move freely over a large geographic area traversed by the Danube River. Over the years, hundreds of congregations were established in lands that today we call Croatia, Hungary, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, and southwestern Ukraine (Bukovina).
By 1900, Nazarenes in central Europe were estimated to number about 80,000. Many soon lost their lives to war and religious persecution while others fled overseas. After World War II, brethren in Eastern Europe were forced to live under atheistic communism and found themselves isolated behind what was called an iron curtain. Many churches were forcibly 
A sanctuary in Hungaryclosed or used for other purposes by the communists. Because brothers would not take up arms in the military, many were imprisoned or even killed. The believers had to assemble in secret, often in small groups to escape the notice of the authorities, and by God’s grace they endeavored to keep their faith. However in doing so, they were targeted for religious persecution and economic oppression by the communists. The severity of repression took its toll on the brethren. Many young people were not converted to the truth of the gospel, merging into the godless society in which they were surrounded. Thankfully in 1989 communist governments in Europe were forced from power and the iron curtain was raised.
During the years of communist oppression the light of faith grew dim, but by God’s grace it
did not go out. Today the believers can freely assemble together to share their faith, unhindered by the government. However the transition to a free market society in former communist countries has not been easy. The collapse of the old economic order and the restructuring of its currency ushered in unemployment, decline in government services, and hyperinflation that has diluted wages of workers and decimated savings and pensions of older brethren. Because of underemployment and low wages, young people who had opportunity to do so moved away to seek better employment, accelerating a decline in church attendance already reduced by death and attrition. For faith to survive, it was apparent to ACWR that assistance, hope and opportunity were needed.