This letter was written by Samuel
Verhaeghe, president of the Union of Baptists in Belgium soon after
the partnership was begun.
Needs in Belgium
By Rev. Samuel Verhaeghe
The Union of Baptists originated in
1892 and until 1989 we had nine churches and six pastors. The union
also had one department, the Home Mission Board. All churches were
French speaking. It was only in 1985 that we started the first Flemish
speaking Baptist Church in Middelkerke. This Church needed to move
because of space to another location in Lombardsijde. Now we have 29
churches and and a pastor in every one of them, who is a real
blessing. We now have also five departments -- Home Mission Board,
Education, Mission, Women and Youth.
Because we were seen for a long time
as a cult, it was very difficult for us to grow and develop well.
Being considered a cult, made it very difficult for our churches to
rent buildings, so we need to buy them. Because the registration costs
for the Government for the purchase of a building are so high, the
churches needs to buy big buildings with growth possibilities. On top
of that, they also need to pay for their own pastor. The taxes that
the church has to pay for a pastor's salary are very high. To buy a
piece of ground and build a Church is financially impossible.
It is therefore that the Union helps
the churches by finding appropriate buildings. We need to buy second
hand and big buildings with work to do and that is all we can afford.
Before we buy the buildings we have meetings with the Local
Authorities and Fire Brigade to look if the building is Ok to serve as
a Public Building, a Church. In the past we were able to make plans
and remodel the buildings year by year. Churches could do every year a
change, pay for it and then do another and so on. For our churches who
have an average of 40 to 60 members it is already a big challenge and
burden to have to pay the salary and taxes for their pastor, repay the
mortgage and the remodelling of their buildings. In the past we were
also able to do a lot of remodelling and maintenance ourselves.
This suddenly changed because of a
new law on public buildings. Everything changed and everybody needs to
directly apply by this law. We bought two buildings under the old
system but were placed without notice under this new law. Every public
building needs to be fire-free totally before it can open its doors.
Where once we could do a lot of works ourselves we now need to ask
contractors who can give us the necessary attestations. Where once we
could use normal materials we now have to do everything in firefree
materials and this all triples the expenses.
If we will need to buy new buildings
now, we will need to look on the buying price but also make a budget
on what needs to be done immediately before going on with it but with
this two last buildings we were caught in the middle, without any
notice.
One of the two buildings in Liège was
closed till we did all the necessary work and we gave full priority
with our Union to do it, so that we could open the church as soon as
possible. We emptied all our accounts to do so. We now still have one
big burden and this is the Church of Lombardsijde. We need to do all
the necessary works and make the entire building fire free etc. The
total that we need is +- 371.840,29 € and till now I already have
123.946,76 €. We are not allowed to do a part of the works, we need to
do them all at once and that is impossible for our church.
I really want to stress the very
critical situation to all of you who reads this. Our churches are very
important in this dark Belgium and we want to keep this church open.
We need your prayers and your support to realise this. Let us not
forget that Belgium is still a mission field. Belgium is seen as a
rich country and the heart of Europe but we do not see the difficult
situation of the churches who really have to fight to survive.
I am well aware that some churches or
people cannot give big amounts but even little amounts will help us.
Some people or churches are giving amounts on a one-time basis and
others are giving one to five years of monthly support.
I really want to express my gratitude
to you all for making it possible to share this burden with you and
pray that our heavenly Father will guide you all it the to taken
decisions.
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