Jan Kalwin in Poland - Gerry Wisz
Originally published in Christian Renewal, 19th of July 2009
The Polish port city of Gdansk (known as Danzig when under Germany) was once 90 percent Protestant, says Pawel Bartosik, the minister of a fledgling Reformed church in this European metropolis on the outer edge of a predominantly Roman Catholic nation. “One year after Luther’s 95 theses, there were Lutheran churches in Gdansk,” he said.
In commemoration of the 500th anniversary of Calvin’s birth, Bartosik and members of his congregation reminded city residents of their town’s heritage with a giant poster and enumerated historical events tied to the Reformation. The poster and accompanying book table, piled with Reformed theological and devotional literature translated into Polish – and some by Polish Reformers -- were more than well received, he said. The evangelism project lasted two weeks, and protestants from other churches in town came by with sandwiches and hot tea.
