Biržai United Methodist Church
Biržai United Methodist Church is an active Methodist church in Biržai, Kęstučio st. 25. This is one of the 11 United Methodist Church (JMB) communities currently living in Lithuania.
The Biržai Methodist community was founded by priest Oskaras Kaufmanas in 1923. Services were held in a rented house. Since 1923 the Methodists published a periodical monthly newspaper "Christianity Guardian", which in 1926-1927 was allowed in Biržai.
After Lithuania regained its independence, the Methodists resumed their activities in 1995. JMB activity was restored in 1997 in the stock exchanges. At the beginning, it was located in rented premises on Station Street, the parish was served by priest Kingsley Halden. Priest Kingsley was born in Jamaica, came to England as a teenager and became a citizen of the United Kingdom, where he was later ordained as a priest. After the re-establishment of the Lithuanian JMB, he came here as a missionary. On his initiative, a building was purchased in Biržai, on Kęstutis street, and a house of prayer was established. Later, the black missionary of the Methodist Church went to Šiauliai, where in 2011 died Methodist volunteers from the USA also contributed a lot to the settlement work in Biržai and the renovation of the old building.
in 2001 a help center was opened near the church, where it was planned to provide help to people suffering from addictions. A year later, the center changed its direction of activity. Currently, there is a children's and youth after-school activities day center for children from socially disadvantaged families. A home care project is underway, where social care workers care for people with mobility disabilities. Women's day care centers, a women's group, regional family and addiction prevention programs are in operation. A family support center was also established in Pačeriaukšte. A Sunday school, a youth bell music ensemble, and children's summer camps are organized near the church.
Since 2004 priest Raimondas Piečia worked in the parish.
