It was nice to receive our first foreign guests last Saturday.
From Down-Under We had Andrea Burgess visiting. This Australian lady is here in Belgium from May 18 to June 10, for a Congress on child psychiatry.
From Great Britain, we had Brother Malcolm from Newbury visiting, who took advantage of the bank holiday in his country to visit Brother Steve from Mons.
It was a good idea of Méthode that everyone introduced themselves, so that we can form an idea of the path that everyone has travelled on a religious level.
Before the service, we went into further detail on the reasons why those who have not enjoyed full immersion as baptism at a nontrinitarian church cannot actively participate in the sacrificial meal. In the coming Services we will also talk about this further and consider how the first Christians saw their meetings and the breaking of bread.
In any case, we can be satisfied with how a sense of unity has already been created here in Anderlecht.
The hostess had once again provided a delicious meal, which everyone could enjoy while still a lot of thoughts were exchanged before everyone was satisfied to go to his own place.
Sunday morning, the very nice swimming pool was filled to be a gigantic baptismal font.
Pascal with Baptism certificateDonatien with Baptism certificateMéthode with Baptism certificate
After their baptism, the three new brothers were allowed to participate in the « Breaking of the Bread » for the first time.
Après leur baptême, les trois nouveaux frères ont été autorisés à participer pour la première fois à la « fraction du pain ».
Ils ont ensuite pu inviter toutes les personnes présentes à se joindre à eux pour déguster le délicieux repas offert par la famille Belanwa.
After which they were allowed to invite all those present to also join them in enjoying the delicious food provided by the Belanwa family.
On Sunday May the 5th the Christadelphian community in Belgium had a unique message to deliver, a unique song to sing, a unique act of love to bestow.
With pride and joy in our hearts, a few months after the start of the new ecclesia in Anderlecht, we were able to witness the first baptisms. After a few months of intensive study, we were able to have a successful interview and were finally able to welcome three new brothers into our community.
Early in the morning, a large pool awaited the christening candidates.
Gradually the crowd poured in from 10.30. There was certainly no lack of atmosphere. It was also nice that many had dressed in red and white to symbolise the blood of Christ and the whitewashing or purification by baptism.
Brother Marcus was allowed to do the honours as an elder and lead the service. This while the Belanwa family had taken fantastic care of the elaborate meal.
Some of those present, while others were still facing them and others were outside.
A few months ago, we started a trek with some mums that was to lead us past deep valleys, swamps, marshy meadows, but also past beautiful flowering valleys and beautiful mountains rising upwards.
During the trek, many rants were raised and Brothers Chris, Tim, Steve and Marcus tried to answer the questions and present good ground where there was doubt. Sister Miriam was given the honour a few weeks ago to ascertain whether the baptismal candidates were ready to fulfil their beautiful act of surrender.
Today is the day. Brother Steve left early this morning to pick up Brother Marcus to drive to Anderlecht together. On Saturday, Brother Method had already provided the swimming pool for the occasion. Today we expect to find it in his house filled with water.
For today, 5 May, is the big day. Our brand-new ecclesia will be able to greet its first baptisms in a few hours. From Newbury, our fellow brothers and sisters will join us for the service. They may start Sunday with their usual Sunday service at 10 o’clock English time (11 in the morning here in Belgium).
At 12 o’clock, Brother Marcus then initiates the baptism service, with first a look at the journey of many questions and answers. Then we testify that we are convinced that we may find a place of refuge in God’s House.
During the trek, everyone was allowed to meet the good shepherd whom the Great Chief Shepherdsent to this world and whose gate for the new sheep has also been opened.
After the scripture reading about what happened in Cornelius’ house, Brother Marcus will proceed to baptise Pascal, Donatien and Méthode, who will then be welcomed into our community as brothers. For the first time in their lives, they will then be allowed to join the table to eat the bread and winesymbolising the body of Christ.
And then the great family feast may begin! From then on, these new brothers will be allowed to join in the symbolic act and further proclaim the Good News to others to invite them also to the table of Jesus Christ.
For many, dealing with the past is difficult.
Chopping buttons is not always so easy.
Concerning faith, it takes courage to go a different way than the traditional paths proposed by the mainstream churches.
In Brussels, we may greet some people who dared to take a different path. They have chosen to take the Way of God, which was prepared by the Nazarene teacher and his apostles, and has been paved out by their followers also in Belgium.
Of those who started the pilgrimage in Belgium,
three have now chosen to take that great step
and enter the waters that can wash them clean of previous sins.
With joy and full of expectations,
we now look forward to their baptism on Sunday 5 May.
As the apostles went around proclaiming the Good News, they sometimes came across brethren who went with them. For example, six brethren went along with Simon Peter to a man who had in his house a messenger from God (an angel) who had said to invite someone. Cornelius had thus heard that this Peter had something to say to him that would save him and all his household members. (Acts 11:12-14) Peter lets us know:
“15 And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them even as upon us also at the beginning. 16 And I remembered the word of the Lord, how he said,
John baptised with water, but *ye* shall be baptised with [the] Holy Spirit.
17 If then God has given them the same gift as also to us when we had believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, who indeed was *I* to be able to forbid God? (Acts 11:15-17 Darby)
However, when Peter announced the good news of those newly baptised, who were not Jews, many objected. Several believers were shocked because Peter had eaten with Gentiles and even enjoyed things which a Jew considers unclean. To admit gentiles into the Christian community without circumcising them has been the subject of much controversy in apostolic times. But Luke makes it very clear to us that the apostles were on Peter’s side.
In the earlier Scriptures, the prophets had often prophesied that after the coming of the Messiah, the congregation of God would be gathered from all nations. In those days of the apostles, however, this will first have been interpreted to mean that the Gentiles would join the Law of Moses to find a place in the community of faith. As more Gentiles wished to join « The Way« , they appeared to face an unprecedented dilemma. Could they simply allow those goy or Gentile without circumcision to also join the brotherhood in Christ.
To many, it did at first seem like a blot on God’s holy covenant when the Gentiles united with the children of Abraham in one body while abolishing certain Jewish customs. These people were not so quick to understand the mystery that Paul teaches was hidden from the angels from the creation of the world.
“and to enlighten all [with the knowledge of] what is the administration of the mystery hidden throughout the ages in God, who has created all things,” (Ephesians 3:9 Darby)
Everyone was supposed to be aware that God has a Plan with the world and in it all people fit. Thus, even Gentiles will be able to hear God’s voice and come to Him.
18 And when they heard these things they held their peace, and glorified God, saying,
Then indeed God has to the nations also granted repentance to life.” (Acts 11:15-18 Darby)
That conversion continues into our time where Gentiles still wish to join that community that wants to devote itself faithfully to Jehovah. Thus, last weekend we were able to receive confirmation that here in Belgium too, three men like Cornelius want to get into the boat with us to come under Christ.
We may now look forward to their baptism, where they will be immersed in water as a symbol of dying in the old worldly life with then rising in the new world of Christ.
On our trek, we were privileged to meet some fellow travellers who wanted to dedicate themselves to God. During the trek, they had many opportunities to compare and discuss their knowledge of the Bible. The time they went through during the pilgrimage also gave them the opportunity to grow in faith.
Together they set out with us, and this afternoon they underwent an interview to verify that they are ready to undergo baptism in the community of brothers and sistersin Christ.
With joy, we will now soon also be able to greet them as brothers after they are completely immersed in water.
Saturday January 6 was the time. It could be said that the Christadelphian ecclesiae have had a new brother or sister in Belgium.
Méthode Belanwa and his wife have expressed their willingness to provide their living space to build a house church. With their still unbaptised friends, they followed preparations every Sunday evening every Sunday evening to start a baptism soon.
Together they want to form a community of brothers and sisters in Christ and this was the official starting shot this Saturday.
After the welcome and opening prayer, Brother Marcus Ampe gave the youth and Bible reading and discussion of the Creation of the world and the first commission God gave to mankind. Reference was therefore made to the important task that we as Christadelphians should fulfil, showing respect for every living being, be it plant, animal or human.
Then we discussed how we would build our ecclesia in the future and hold services to serve God.
It was made clear that we do not have a worldly governing body or governing body, as the Christian Congregation of Witnesses have their Faithful Slave, and that we are completely independent here in Belgium. We are fortunate to be able to count on the patronage of the English ecclesia in Newbury, which has expressed its willingness to support us further. By the way, they have already done a lot of preparatory work, for the baptisms, when Marcus Ampe had been eliminated for a while for health reasons. Their support is therefore greatly appreciated.
Our independence means that we are also open to anyone from the Christadelphian communities and beyond. By the way, one does not have to be baptised to celebrate services with us. Only are not baptised people, not allowed to participate in the symbols, but they may be present.
A selection of Bibles presented for the ecclesia – Een selectie van bijbels gepresenteerd voor de ecclesia – Une sélection de Bibles présentées pour l’ecclésia – Uchaguzi wa Biblia uliowasilishwa kwa ajili ya eklesia
Everyone is also invited to read together from the « Sainte Bible Gros Caractères Segond -NEG », which we took as the standard Bible for the service. In addition to this French-language Bible of the « Société Biblique de Genève » (Genfer Bibelgesellschaft), many Bibles were proposed, under which the members of the ecclesia can choose to use for Bible studies. In doing so, we indicated that everyone is free to use any Bible translation for those study moments or beyond.
For the children’s service, the choice was made for « La Bible pour les enfants » published by Mame. But the question was also asked whether a Dutch-language Children’s Bible could also be provided. Brother Marcus had already searched for this before, but had not yet found a solid version that always kept a clear difference between God and Jesus.
A selection of Bibles presented for the ecclesia – Een selectie van bijbels gepresenteerd voor de ecclesia – Une sélection de Bibles présentées pour l’ecclésia – Uchaguzi wa Biblia uliowasilishwa kwa ajili ya eklesiaThe Northern Christadelphian Choir singing at Leeds Grammar School in 2001
The question arose among the women about songs, hymns or anthems, cantiques and gospels in our services. The African men also came forward with their wishes that they like lively music, in which dance also plays a role. Brother Marcus who was a dancer by profession and previously was able to attend services full of dance and lively music in the non-trinitarian Baptist community, had ear for this and assured that if good African and European music could be found, never testifying to the wrong person, we could also use it in the service. Brother Marcus and Steve Robinson assured those present, that in our services we would also use the excellent source of music produced at the Williamsburg Organisation, Christadelphian music organisation, The Northern Christadelphian Choir, and many Australian Christadelphian music groups owned by Brother Marcus al Cd’s. For the music recorded by brother Peter Clausen from Ohio, on mp3 system for the Christadelphian Hymns, we have yet to find a French version.
In any case, I now also have the music of Joel Lwaga of which we will use his « You are the Way » at our next meeting.
It was also quoted that, as in the other ecclesiae that Brother Marcus is going for, he will also regularly open the service with some Psalm, as there.
Furthermore, it was indicated that in our independence how to perform the service, and without a fixed order, our services will not always run the same, but different sequences may be followed. By the way, that variation keeps the whole thing fresh and makes it adaptable to the events of the day.
Subsequently, it was discussed how to work towards the upcoming baptisms and where and how we would let them take place. It was agreed to check whether we could use the church of the Philadelphia faith community or the Free Protestant Church in Anderlecht on a Saturday afternoon in February. That would be the most ideal if we could use a baptismal basin in such a church building without idols. In case this would not work, it was proposed to have baptism in a public swimming pool or in a bath, provided it will still be too cold for a pond or water outside.
We were able to conclude that everyone was very enthusiastic about the start of the ecclesia, as well as the good prospects of soon welcoming several members and baptised people into our community.
Steve Robinson then gave the prayer for the evening meal, after which everyone could chat with the tasty food that the women had foreseen.
Early in the morning, a large pool awaited the christening candidates.
During the trek, many rants were raised and Brothers Chris, Tim, Steve and Marcus tried to answer the questions and present good ground where there was doubt. Sister Miriam was given the honour a few weeks ago to ascertain whether the baptismal candidates were ready to fulfil their beautiful act of surrender.
Today is the day. Brother Steve left early this morning to pick up Brother 
It was made clear that there are many different Christadelphian groups, such as the 
It was made clear that we do not have a worldly 
Everyone is also invited to read together from the « Sainte Bible Gros Caractères Segond -NEG », which we took as the standard Bible for the service. In addition to this French-language Bible of the « 
Brother Marcus and Steve Robinson assured those present, that in our services we would also use the excellent source of music produced at the 
Kanisa la Christadelphian huko Anderlecht 