Regional Church Leaders Inaugurate Hope Media Poland

On Saturday morning, March 29, in the auditorium of the Michal Belina-Czechowski School of Theology and Humanities in Podkowa Leśna, Poland, a unique thanksgiving service was held in connection with the establishment of a new missionary institution: Hope Media Poland.

Tadeusz Niewolik, director of the newly established Hope Media Poland, noted the unique nature of the gathering: to serve primarily to worship God together, as well as to recall the rich history of previous church missionary institutions in Poland.

The service was followed by a thanksgiving concert, a communal meal, and an afternoon meeting dedicated to the memories of the employees of these institutions

The New Institution

For several months the Polish Union Conference has been in the process of transforming existing institutions into one new one called Hope Media Poland. The thanksgiving service was held to express gratitude for the past performance of the church’s missionary institutions in Poland and the launch of the new entity.

Members of the Adventist church in Podkowa Leśna attended, as well as numerous guests from various parts of the country and former employees of church institutions that are being transformed. Niewolik expressed gratitude for the attendees and encouraged them to prayerfully focus and orient their thoughts on God’s guidance “in the past years and the coming future.”

A Unique Bible Study

Instead of the traditional discussion groups and Bible study, Peter Bylina, the church secretary, was invited to briefly summarize the current Bible lesson. He did so in poetic form, pointing out the most important idea—that God’s law is based on love for the Creator and for our neighbors. He pointed out that without a personal relationship with God, we are unable to properly fulfill the commandments of love.

The centerpiece of the service was the presentation of films telling the story of the four previous missionary institutions, whose activities are now being transferred to Hope Media Poland.

An Umbrella Organization

The new institution will group several organizations, including the publishing house, which opened in 1921 in Bydgoszcz. A film shown highlighted its role in the integration of believers and the development of evangelization in Poland, as well as the difficulties of the war period and the Communist era. Speakers after the presentation included Miroslaw Harasim, director of the Polish Publishing House, and the publishing house’s editor-in-chief Andrzej Siciński.

Another video mentioned Emanuel Beret, founder of the Correspondence Bible School, which has locations in Warsaw, Podkowa Leśna, and Bielsko-Biała and is engaged with tens of thousands of Bible correspondents. Lucyna Kurz, a worker in a long-time pillar of the school, mentioned the huge number of people enrolled in the courses, the need for constant prayer for the students and the latest activities, such as courses on depression, stress, and emotions. She paid special attention to people who found Jesus through correspondence and gained spiritual strength to overcome life’s difficulties.

The last film was devoted to the youngest of the presented institutions—“Voice of Hope”. It began its activities about 50 years ago. Voice of Hope helped radio listeners during the Communist era have access to biblical content without ubiquitous censorship, which gave rise to many spiritual pursuits. Cooperation with Adventist World Radio has enabled Voice of Hope to grow professionally.

Later in the service Niewolik explained that the Adventist Church in Poland is currently transferring the publishing, media, and training activities of its existing missionary institutions to one new missionary institution, Hope Media Poland. “The church is looking forward to new opportunities to spread the gospel in the form of printed materials, radio and television programs, and other online projects,” he said. “I appealed for prayer, financial support, and the involvement of followers, so that the message of hope can reach the widest possible range of Poles.”