Evangelical Baptist Church 

 

	Our History
	The premises we rent have been used as a church since 1938, so many different people have worshipped there. Until 1984 it held services for the British Forces personnel and since then it has become the first Maltese language church in Malta. In August of 1986 Edwin Caruana became the first Maltese to be ordained as a "Protestant" minister. The church was officially recognized by the Maltese authorities in 1989 following a long ordeal. The Caruanas were among the first Maltese evangelical believers, and times were really hard at first. In 1981 there were only 4 members, but by 1983 the work started picking up again. In 1984 an American missionary came to help and shared the vision for a Maltese church. He encouraged Edwin to preach and gave him the responsibility of preaching in the Maltese language every Sunday evening. Later Edwin became the pastor and began working full time for the Lord, living by faith as the Lord provided through His people.
	When is a church legally a church?
	And what right does the government have to decide this? For five years, Edwin and Sylvia Caruana had a house church in their home in Malta. In 1983 a church was started in a building that had been used since 1938 as a church for foreigners. In 1989 came the real test.
	A couple who attended the church wanted to get married, but Edwin could not perform the ceremony because the church was not recognised by the Maltese government, which only recognised "historically established churches." Malta is 99 percent Roman Catholic.
	The Caruanas faced a situation experienced by many Baptists who live in countries where they are a minority.
	They heard about the Baptist World Alliance (BWA) and Edwin wrote the BWA for help. Denton Lotz, general secretary of the BWA, sent information about Baptists for them to take to their government.
	When Edwin went to the authorities with it, their church was recognised. The couple was married, and soon the sign on their church door was changed from "Evangelical Church" to "Evangelical Baptist Church." Today, the Caruanas lead a small church of 50-55 people.
	Living on an island made famous by the Apostle Paul, shipwrecked there in AD 58, the Caruanas are an example of what Paul calls, "my fellow workers in Christ Jesus." They are also an example of how the Holy Spirit works to start Churches around the world and prepare nationals to lead those churches, even when those leaders have no formal theological training.
	In 1971, when Edwin was 17, and Sylvia 15, they were baptised into the family of believers , and Sylvia had to smuggle her clothes out of the house so they could go secretly, without her parents finding out.
	"It is not simple to change your religion in Malta," Edwin said. Their baptism was done in secret. They went to secluded beach, and were baptised there by the Norwegian Christian who had introduced them to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
	"This started a long struggle within our Maltese community," Edwin said. For almost twelve years they were two of only six Maltese believers who met in their home. After British troops withdrew from Malta - and with them many Christians with whom they fellowshipped - they felt even more isolated.
	Once Edwin started preaching in Maltese they immediately noticed a difference. "When I started preaching in Maltese," he said, "we saw people coming to the church, and things started looking brighter."
	An unsuccessful effort to emigrate from Malta convinced the Caruanas God called them to establish and serve their small church and live by faith.
	"By this time I had a really good job, and with a wife and two children this was a big decision," Edwin said. "But the Lord convinced me this is what I had to do. Living by faith has been a blessing every week," he says.
	In 1986, Edwin was ordained to the Christian ministry. He has not attended theological school, and for more than 20 years he has studied on his own.
	The Caruanas do a lot of printing and translate Christian materials which they use to evangelise. "It is a slow process to get people to change," Edwin says, "but we continue to send literature that people can read and study for themselves. It takes many, many hours before someone is converted."
	The church meets in a basement flat which is now small for their needs so they ask you to pray with them for a church building, which is also one way to build more respect in Malta with its impressive Catholic churches.
	Do plan to visit the Island and like the Apostle Paul you will be given a warm welcome. You do not have to stay for three months, as Paul did, however do plan to stay long enough for a real church experience.
	Taken from an article in Baptist World Alliance Magazine. To eliminate spam try SpamArrest! Go to: http://spamarrest.com/affl?496710