Liebenzeller Mission International marked 50 years of spreading the gospel in Bangladesh with festive events honoring its longstanding partnership with the Bangladesh Baptist Church Sangha (BBCS), a network of 350 churches, 150 pastors, and 20,000 members across 10 districts.
The celebrations last month drew 800 guests and featured tributes from current and former missionaries, including Daniel Mattmüller, head of the mission’s Central and South Asia department, and past team leaders Michael Kestner, Waldemar Lies, and Samuel Strauß.
“We are grateful that the presence of God and his blessing have become visible in the 50 years of cooperation,” said missionary Benedikt Tschauner. “New impulses for the future of missionary work have been initiated. As the Liebenzell Mission, we have received much gratitude and praise for what we have contributed in theological training, in the children’s villages, in personal relationships and other projects.”
BBCS, one of Bangladesh’s largest church networks, traces its roots to William Carey, the renowned missionary and “father of modern mission,” who began his work in the region in 1793 when it was known as East Pakistan. Since then, the network has grown with support from the Baptist Missionary Society in England and the addition of numerous tribal churches, particularly after 1995.
Liebenzeller Mission’s involvement began in 1974 when missionaries Albert and Marianne Rechkemmer, alongside missionary sisters Charlotte Anders and Gertrud Endlich, arrived to assist with medical needs at a state hospital. The women operated an X-ray machine delivered by a German company, which had gone unused until their intervention.
The celebrations included events at a children’s village in Khulna, 250 kilometers southwest of Dhaka, followed by a two-day national pastors’ conference attended by 200 pastors. A key moment was the unveiling of the Bengali translation of Albert Rechkemmer’s book, Just Do It, featuring over 900 pages of diary entries from his four years as a missionary in Bangladesh.
In Dinajpur, the mission also celebrated the anniversary at a village where it runs a boarding school for students. Today, Liebenzeller Mission continues to support theological studies and social work in Bangladesh, with a focus on employee training.
Challenges for Christians in Bangladesh
With a population of 169.5 million, Bangladesh is a Muslim-majority country where Christians comprise only 0.6%, or about 950,000 people, according to Open Doors. The persecution charity describes severe restrictions and violence faced by converts to Christianity, particularly tribal Christians, who are also ethnic minorities.
“Since religious beliefs…are tied to the identity of the community, choosing to follow Jesus can lead to accusations of betrayal,” Open Doors states, adding that many Christians worship in house churches to avoid attacks. Tribal Christians face additional threats, including land seizures and violence, exemplified by the 2023 killings of eight tribal Christians in the Chittagong Hill Tracts region.
The 50-year partnership between Liebenzeller Mission and BBCS highlights the resilience and dedication of missionaries and Bangladeshi Christians in the face of such challenges.
