Members of Vilnius Church celebrated their 25th anniversary Nov. 15-16 in Lithuania.

The congregation was the first member of what became the Free Christian Churches of Lithuania, a Mennonite Brethren conference that has grown to 10 congregations that joined the International Community of Mennonite Brethren in 2014.

Vilnius Church was founded shortly after Lithuania declared its independence from the Soviet Union in 1990 and before the communist bloc recognized Lithuania’s independence in 1991.

The congregation has been joined over the years by another church in Vilnius, two in Panevezys, and one each in Kaunas, Siauliai, Klaipeda, Silute, Joniskis and Alytus.

LCC International University in Klaipeda, formerly Lithuania Christian College, has provided a unifying influence for the conference since it was established in 1991 by Mennonite Brethren supporters in Canada, Germany and Lithuania. For much of its history the university has been the only Christian liberal arts university in the former Soviet Union.

Vilnius Church was active in solidarity work during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, driving supplies more than 400 miles to Ukraine’s border with Poland.