Johann Oncken: Every Baptist A Missionary

In the early 1800s, the land we now call Germany was divided into many small states. In the Free City of Hamburg, everyone was expected to belong to the state church. Babies were sprinkled, names recorded, and faith assumed. But Johann Gerhard Oncken opened his Bible — and everything changed.

Through Scripture, Oncken discovered that baptism must follow belief, not tradition. His obedience led to the first Baptist church in the German states, founded in 1834 on the banks of the River Elbe.

When authorities told him to stop preaching, he famously replied, “The Bible is to blame.” He simply could not be silent when God’s Word spoke.

From Hamburg’s busy port to cities across Europe, Oncken spread the Gospel, handing out tracts and training others under his motto: “Every Baptist a missionary.” By the end of his life, more than 280 churches, 1,200 preaching stations, and 2 million Bibles bore witness to the strength of one man’s conviction.

Oncken’s life reminds us that God’s Word is stronger than tradition, and that one believer, anchored in truth, can spark revival across nations.

📖 Learn more about Baptist history and download free lesson guides at https://faithsaves.net/baptist-history-lessons/.