What Is Evangelical Poland (EP)?
After eight years of working for Bread of Life, during which Tatiana also became fully involved there from the summer of 2025 onward, we are now “suddenly” active for another foundation: Pro Novis, the organization behind the Evangelical Poland project.
So… are we no longer active for people in need? Has that calling somehow come to an end?
Absolutely not! The projects within Bread of Life were primarily aimed at giving volunteers in local churches the opportunity to actively respond to their calling to help others, and to make the local church more visible within society. At the same time, we always wanted to avoid becoming a kind of Red Cross providing aid “without witness.”
Besides various forms of formal leadership, my role often revolved around networking — making Bread of Life as effective an extension of the local church as possible. But also connecting Bread of Life with other organizations: evangelical organizations in other regions or with different specializations, in order to provide the broadest possible response to requests for help.
I had already been involved in this form of networking since 2020, as director of Bread of Life, through Evangelical Poland — networking for so-called “social ministries.” Something I have always greatly enjoyed!
Since March, I have been given the possibility to do this in more areas, as COO, or operational director, of Evangelical Poland.
But… what exactly is Evangelical Poland, or EP?
First, a brief sketch of Poland.
Despite various persistent stereotypes of a grey and poor country, Poland has undergone an astonishing transformation over the past 35 years following the fall of communism. The country is now recognized as an “economic tiger,” recently joined the G20 as the world’s 20th-largest economy, and increasingly seems to be becoming something of a model nation, no longer lagging behind the rest of the EU in many respects. Not everything looks polished yet, but facilities and infrastructure are now more than adequate.
In the 1990s, Poland’s triumph over communism was also a victory for the catholic church — a beacon of freedom against an evil atheist regime. This reinforced a centuries-old tradition that a true Pole was expected above all to be a true catholic. More than 95% of the population was catholic; other churches were viewed as sects, or more commonly: simply unknown.
But… due to several poorly considered political choices by the Polish catholic church, combined with the scandals known throughout the world, the church has increasingly alienated the population during those same 35 years. And now, years later than in many other European countries, secularization is also taking hold in Poland.
That may sound familiar, except for one thing… For centuries there was hardly any room in Poland for a christian church other than the catholic church! For many years, evangelical christians made up only around 0.2% of the population — 0.2 percent! In absolute numbers, fewer than 100,000 people in a country of 38 million! Across the entire country there are no more than 750 registered evangelical churches, congregations, or groups, the vast majority of which are small fellowships consisting of only a few dozen members. In large parts of “provincial Poland,” there is no evangelical church at all — and that includes the full spectrum of denominations, from traditional reformed churches to charismatic pentecostal congregations.
So… what choice does someone have who comes to faith but happens to live outside a major city? Not much. Start a small circle within their catholic parish? Along with all the theological questions that come with it?
In 2018, with the blessing of Polish church leaders formally organized within the Evangelical Alliance, the Evangelical Poland project was launched. Something the Evangelical Alliance wanted to do, but did not itself have the capacity for.
A project aimed at “facilitating” cooperation from the level of local churches — from the grassroots upward.
A project to encourage people to look beyond the walls of their own church.
A project to give people the opportunity to build relationships and trust.
A project to help people start doing things together.
A project to make the evangelical church more visible.
A project to convince people that there is more than only the catholic church.
A project to help people searching for God find a home!
A project with a clear vision for 2050:
Growth in the number of evangelical christians in Poland from 0.2% to 1%, and growth in the number of evangelical churches from 750 to 5,000!
Still far fewer than in most countries, but nevertheless a fivefold increase! What a privilege and challenge to be able to contribute to that!
