Samuel Heinrich Froehlich (1803–1857) was an evangelist responsible for organizing the Evangelical Baptist Church in Western Europe, which eventually spread to become known as the Nazarener-Gemeinde in Eastern Europe[1] and the Apostolic Christian Church in the United States of America during the 1830s and 1840s. Froehlich, a young seminary student in Switzerland, experienced a dramatic conversion, causing him to come into conflict with the state-church. He was excommunicated in the aftermath of his refusal to submit to an order that required the Heidelberg Catechism to be replaced by a new rationalistic catechism. He had sympathies with the Mennonite faith, but soon became convinced they were in a lukewarm state. Some of the Reformed and Mennonite persuasions followed Froehlich and were soon known as "Neu-Taufer". They later adopted the official name of Evangelical Baptist Church.
At age 24 he began to preach with zeal and power about the sinfulness of mankind and the need of God's grace, this sparked a great awakening and many came to faith in Jesus. Many came from the surrounding region to hear his sermons, so that the church building, previously poorly attended, was now full. A major conflict with the national church council occurred three years later when Fröhlich refused to replace the Heidelberg Catechism with a new rationalistic man-centered Catechism for instruction of children. This conflict escalated into a complete excommunication.
Froehlich continued to preach despite the government prohibiting him to teach. Officers throughout Switzerland received strict orders, if he enters their jurisdiction, to have him arrested and reprimanded and sent back to his home town. He was continually in danger of being jailed and had to travel from town to town at night to avoid arrest.
During this time he became affiliated with Baptist, Mennonite and Anabaptist workers. He was re-baptized in February, 1832, as an adult. Through preaching in private meetings, new churches were planted. The work continued and in thirty-five years an estimated 110 congregations were established.
Froehlich was deeply influenced by the Anabaptists (who were known as the radical reformers in sixteenth century Europe). He embraced the following Anabaptist teachings:
Froehlich sent Benedict Weyeneth (1819–1887) to America at the request of Joseph Virkler, thus encouraging the foundation of the denomination in the United States. The church spread as Nazarénusok (Nazarener-Gemeinde) in Hungary through the work of a young blacksmith Lajos Hencsei (1814-1844) and 1,000 members survive today in Romania.