Miracle of the Mundane: The Continuing Legacy of Interdependence in The Estonian Baptist and Free Church Union

Abstract

This article examines the origins of interdependence in the formation story of the Estonian Union of Evangelical Christian and Baptist Churches (EECB) and demonstrates how ongoing commitment to interdependence in the form of congregational partnership enables EECB congregations to pursue their missional calling. The consistent choice to embrace the tensions and challenges of what historian Toivo Pilli characterises as a ‘mosaic movement’ have provided the Union with a rich theological legacy and an untapped well of strategic advantage for vibrant witness in challenging times.1 Evidence of this strategic advantage is presented by introducing a novel approach to the study of inter-congregational partnership networks. Closing remarks address critical concerns associated with network methods and weigh the promise and limitations of viewing and actively developing baptistic interdependency using relational network analysis.