History

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Aprillikuu infolehes kutsutakse kannatusajal abistama kannatajaid

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History

History of Tallinn’s Allika Baptist Church

Allika Church (allikas means ‘source’ in Estonian) had its beginning in 1904 when 45 people broke away from the Second Baptist Church of Tallinn and began holding their own worship services. The separation was motivated by disagreements over the handling of some of the church’s financial issues. Formally, they did not establish a new church but retained their name, the Second Baptist Church, Tallinn, until 1911. The splinter group first held their meetings in the sideroom of Mr. Kristjan Kontram’s sauna at Suur-Juhkentali Street 2, while they had their Lord’s Supper in the upper floor apartment of their preacher, Mr. Eduard Moring, at Tatari Street 24. Only in 1911 did the church take the name Allika Baptist Church. Eduard Moring, formerly preacher of a German Baptist congregation, was elected their first pastor immediately after the separation. The rooms they had were too small, so the church made a collection and purchased a plot of land at Allika Street 5. On February 28, 1905, Mr. Kontram donated 700 rubles along with 120 rubles’ worth of building sand and stove tiles, for the construction of the chapel. Mr. Anton Kaarman donated a railway car load of lime, Mr. Jaan Tikerpäe gave 107 square yards of limestone, and Eduard Moring gave tar paper for roofing. Many other members donated money according to their means. On June 12, 1905, the new building was consecrated by Mr. Moring, who pastored the church until 1906.

In 1906, Sunday School work was started on the initiative of J. Kadastik, and a choir came into being. The first song they performed was O Lord, Lead Me to the Source. The choir had many talented conductors like J. Aguraiuja, Jaan Tamm, his brother Anton Tamm, and others. At Jaan Tamm’s initiative, a string ensemble was started in 1909. In a brochure printed for the 25th anniversary of the ensemble in 1931, it is already called an orchestra. Allegedly the string ensemble of Allika Church was the first among the Estonian Baptist churches to have a double bass. Before World War I the work of the ensemble died down but a youth choir was founded. The choir’s repertoire included classical music (e.g. Haydn’s oratorio The Seven Last Words of Christ on the Cross) as well as simpler sacred music. In 1935, Anton Tamm’s cantatas St John on Patmos and The Jubilee Song were performed in the Estonia Concert Hall by the joint choir of Allika and Kehra Baptist Churches. The choir was formed for the 50th anniversary of the Baptist Movement in Estonia, which was also celebrated in the Estonia Concert Hall. The proceeds from the concert went for the construction of a new chapel. On February 3, 1935, a concert-service dedicated to the World Day of the Baptist Movement was also held there. On all these occasions the main sermon was preached by Mr. Osvald Tärk.

During World War II, Ruudi Nõlvak, a violinist who turned to Christ, became the choir director.
In 1918, the church’s Youth Society started meeting. One can get a sense of the society’s musical activities by reading the programs of their anniversaries and concerts. Not infrequently Mr. Tärk and the Youth Society visited branches of Allika Church in Haapsalu, Narva, and elsewhere. One memorable occasion was the 1936 visit to Tartu Immanuel Church when the Society’s members had a whole railway car at their disposal. Mr. Tärk arrived at the church when the service was already underway as he had also been preaching at Kolgata Church.
The Youth Society performed in community centers as well as chapels. In 1934, they held crowded worship services in community centers at Türi and Paide; and in 1932 they even went to sing in Helsinki, Finland.
Youth work did not consist only of musical activities. Young people from the church also took an active part in both high school and university student movements. Often Allika Church served as a venue for the Baptist Union conferences. In summertime, youth camps were organized. News of the activities of the society appeared in the magazine Elukevade (Spring of Life).
After Eduard Moring’s first term in office, the church was served by several other pastors: A. Kuusik from 1906 to 1910, Eduard Moring again from 1910 to 1911, A. Johannson from 1911 to 1918, J. Kadastik as deputy pastor from 1918 to 1920, and T. Peipmann from 1920 to 1930. In 1930, Osvald Tärk, a 24-year-old man from Hiiumaa, with a theology degree from the United States, became pastor and served the church until its incorporation into Oleviste Church in 1950. It is also worth mentioning that in 1935 another young man from Hiiumaa, also trained in the United States, became a minister – Evald Mänd, who is better known outside the church by his literary pseudonym, Ain Kalmus. While working as pastor of Allika Church, Osvald Tärk directed the theological seminary of the Baptist Union. There he taught a number of biblical subjects as well as the Greek language.
From 1922 onwards, Allika Church cooperated closely with Petesda Baptist Church, which became independent in 1919 as Jälgimäe Baptist Church ceased to exist. On March 23, 1922, the two churches held a joint service at the Allika Street chapel. For the next few years, cooperation between the two churches was fruitful but a major setback occurred in 1926 when 28 members separated, on religious grounds, from Allika Church and later formed a Pentecostal church.
On November 25, 1932, Petesda Church, which had shared the chapel with Allika Church, joined the latter. In 1932, the church had 252 members, and in 1934, there were 302 members. In 1933, including the church branches at Järlepa, Paide, Türi, Kurksi and Velise, the church had 5 Sunday Schools with 210 children.
In 1939, plans were made to build a new chapel at Falkpargi Street 8 to replace the old and worn-out one. During the summer months, Osvald Tärk and young people from the church went on the site to hold follow-up services after the morning service. Unfortunately, the Soviet regime cut these plans short.
In July and August 1940, the chapel at Allika Street 5 as well as the living quarters and another building had to be vacated for use by the Soviet military. The chapel served as accommodation for a Red Army unit and was later turned into a storehouse. Thereafter services were held in the church at Kalju Street. Evald Mänd, now pastor of Kalju Church, and Osvald Tärk took turns preaching. During the German occupation, the building was returned to the church’s use. In 1946, Mr. Tärk sent the Soviet authorities a petition asking for the denationalization of the chapel but received a blunt reply: “… all the buildings were nationalized in accordance with the law.” In 1950, the church was required to vacate the chapel rooms and stop their activities at this location. Mr. Herbert Tammo remembers that the atmosphere at the last service was gloomy. They had to leave the building they held dear.
The second half of the authorities’ plan concerned most of the evangelical churches in Tallinn – Baptists, Evangelical Christians, Pentecostals, and priilased – they were to be moved to Oleviste Cathedral. One of the seven was Allika Church. On September 17, 1950, they held their first joint service at Oleviste. Prior to that, negotiations between the heads of the joining churches had lasted throughout the summer. More than 3000 people participated at the opening service in the war-battered church.
The war had been hard on Allika Church. A number of brothers were forcefully recruited into the Red Army. Some of them perished at sea, while others remained in Russia for good. In the 1941 deportation, two engineers who were congregation members, brothers Leinvall and Veerus, were taken away. In the Russian bombing of Tallinn in 1944, one member of Allika Church was killed, one was wounded, and the homes of 22 people were damaged in fire. During the Great Flight of 1944, Mr. Tärk and Mr. Nõlvak as leaders of Allika Church had a choice to make. But God’s plan was for them to stay.
Hard times only served to increase the religious zeal of the people. In 1948 there were 340 members in the church. Choir practices did not cease. On December 14, 1947, a magnificent evening devoted to J. S. Bach’s music was held with the choir, the quartet and soloists singing and the string ensemble playing.
The church met all kinds of indirect obstacles from the authorities. Bureaucracy was rampant: the authorities required thorough reports from the church as well as lists of people in the church’s governing bodies. The right to preach was accorded only to a limited number of people, and only after the church had applied for each such permit. In any given church, there could be only up to seven preachers. New permits were required whenever the church wanted to hold a memorial service at the cemetery or baptize new members at a public place.
In 1993, when Estonia had regained its independence, Mr. Edgar Tamm and Mr. Ülo Meriloo paid a visit to the houses and the plot at Adamsoni Street, which had both been the property of the church. Unfortunately, there was nothing much to see. Nevertheless, old memories galvanized the people who had once been members of Allika Church to seek fellowship together once again. In June 1993, Edgar Tamm invited former Allika church members to an informal conference at Nõmme Baptist Church at Puuvilja Street 4. There were many people who helped reestablish the church, but most of the work was done by Ms. Irene Paldre and Ms. Niine Lintrop. The restoration meeting called by the initiative group was held on June 25, 1994, in St Mary’s Chapel of Oleviste Church. By this time, 28 people had applied for membership in the church. Edgar Tamm was elected chairman of the board and deputy pastor.
The opening service of the newly independent Allika Baptist Church was held on October 30, 1994, at Mustamäe tee 33, in the offices of the Map Center, where Edgar Tamm’s workplace had been. 50 people were present.
On the initiative of Katrin Tammo and Helle Liht, a Sunday School was started. A mixed choir, conducted by Anu Kõlar, often took part in the services. August 13, 1995, the church elected Mr. Helari Puu, then vice president of the Estonian Union of Baptist and Evangelical Christian Churches, as their pastor. A youth chamber choir, conducted by Doris Bärenson, also started during that period. The latter work has been carried on by Ms Raili Vahermägi. Close ties have developed between the church and the Kristiine district municipality. The pastor, often accompanied by singers, has been paying visits to the district’s Day Center. The church youth has organized a number of sports events and competitions.
In 2002, after Helari Puu had taken up the office of the president of EUECB, the church elected Mr. Heldur Kajaste pastor. In 2003, Mr. Puu was once again called on to fill the pastor’s office, which had become vacant. He stayed in that capacity until the summer of 2004, when Mr. Erki Tamm, who had until then lived and worked in Kärdla, Hiiumaa, was elected pastor.

Compiled by Erki Tamm