Something about the history of Cirkev bratská

We accept the basic Christian confession of faith, to world and home reformation and principles of evangelical movements. Our historical roots led to the period of Czech reformation. We believe in the spiritual message of Jednota bratská (Brethren Unity), whose bishop was Jan Ámos Komenský. It was established in the 15th century as a part of the revival movement in Europe, which spoke about the personal relationship between man and God. Our identity was formed in the 18th century by theological influences of the Scotch Presbyterian Church and the Boston mission of congregation churches (USA). Great spiritual revival was a result of the Modrý kríž (Blue cross) work. The Lord has used many people from our history within the last one hundred years to accomplish His great plans. These people include such personalities as Kristína and Mária Roy (founders of Modrý Kríž), professor Jozef Roháček (he has translated the Bible into Slovak), J.O. Markuš (pastor and theologian who brought several hundred Slovaks from Down Land to Slovakia after World War II), F. Ciesar (evangelist and founder of new churches), M. Jurco and O. Lupták (builders of new church buildings during communist period), J. Ros (a Nestor of diaconate work in Slovakia – today’s Betánia), I. Valenta (music composer and musicologist), Dr. L. Fazekaš (pastor and theologian, founder of the Department of Evangelical Theology and Mission at the University in Bánska Bystrica in 1993).

Something about the story of our local church

The beginning of our local church dates back to the years of totalitarianism (1960-1970), when Christian students from all over Czechoslovakia studying at the Transport and Telecommunication College in Žilina started to pray together and study the Bible illegally. The Lord listened to their prayers and He has honored the spiritual work of many of them in difficult periods of Christian persecution (K. Fojtík, Z. Zientek, S. Bolek, W. Siuda, J. Rzyman, Z. Benová, J. Hrabovská). Cirkev bratská (the Brethren Church) was officially registered in Žilina in 1981, but the establishment of the local church came 10 years later, in January 1991. In our young history God has sent us these pastors:

1982 – 1993 Dr. Vladimír Fajfr, Ing. Petr Mazur, Ing. Stanislav Stébel
1993 – 1996 ThMgr. Dušan Jaura, PhD.
1998 – 2016 Ing. PhDr. Tibor Máhrik, PhD DipTh.
2016 – Mgr. Marián Cabadaj (leading pastor), Ing. PhDr. Tibor Máhrik, PhD DipTh., Ing. Ján Máhrik

Something about relations of Cirkev bratská with other churches…

We are part of the universal Church, which is why we create relations with churches at the local, national and international level. Almost in every country in Europe and in well-developed countries around the world, there are churches similar to ours. Altogether they create 28 national unions that were united in the International Federation of Free Evangelical Churches. Through the World Reform Union we are the part of the World Council of Churches. The representatives of this meet together, pray and discuss spiritual questions. In Slovakia we cooperate with the Evangelical Alliance and we are a member of the Ecumenical Council of Churches. Here, in ®ilina, we cooperate in different fields with all regional churches open to ecumenism (EKUZA).