April 22, 1834: Johann Oncken was one of the first Baptists in Germany to be baptized. Born in Germany, but raised in Scotland and England, Oncken embraced believer’s baptism by immersion after much study and consultation. The Continental Society appointed him as a missionary to Germany where his ministry, although plagued by civil and religious persecution, prospered beyond his wildest expectations. In 1834, Barnas Sears, an American Baptist visiting on the continent baptized Oncken and his wife, along with five other believers, in the Elbe River. The following day they were organized into a Baptist church with Oncken as their pastor. It is estimated that Oncken was responsible for distributing over two million Bibles and untold millions of gospel tracts in Europe. His motto was “Every Baptist a missionary.”
