Bethlehem Chapel — ECM Maranatha in Pilsen

ECM Maranatha is the congregation of the Evangelical Methodist Church that meets in the so-called Bethlehem Chapel on Husova Street in Pilsen — a building raised in the 1920s for the local Methodist community, seized by the state under communism, and returned to its congregation only after 1989. It stands out among Pilsen's mostly baroque and gothic churches as a rare piece of purist, near-cubist religious architecture.

Who built the chapel, and when?

The cornerstone was laid on 28 November 1926, and construction wrapped up the following year, in 1927. The design came from Prague architect Josef Blecha the younger, with the building work carried out by Josef and Václav Pašek. The new chapel — named Bethlehem Chapel — was built for a Methodist congregation founded in Pilsen in 1923, which at the time counted around 1,200 members across the city and its outlying stations. The name "Maranatha" is Aramaic, taken from the New Testament (1 Corinthians 16:22), where it carries the meaning "Our Lord, come."

What does the building look like?

The chapel marks a transition from interwar classicizing architecture toward purism — a style built on clean lines and a rejection of ornament in favor of function. The ground floor is cut by large rectangular windows set off by a prominent cornice, while the smooth, austere facade is broken only by shallow pilasters at the corners. A stylized iron cross sits above the entrance, and the building's clearest landmark is a corner tower fitted with clock faces. An attic conceals a low, practical roofline. Inside, the first floor holds the prayer hall with galleries running along the second level, while the ground floor contains a vestibule, classrooms, a lecture hall, a library, a tearoom, and a corridor connecting the chapel to the adjoining residential building.

What did the congregation go through under communism?

The chapel's history tracks Czechoslovakia's turbulent 20th century. Methodist church members faced persecution during the Second World War. After the communist takeover in 1948, the chapel was nationalized and handed over to a technical school; the congregation was left with the use of just one hall, and even that arrangement ended in 1964 when the lease ran out. By the 1980s the congregation had nearly died out, but a wave of evangelization at the end of the decade brought it back to life. The revived community bought a different building, but once that proved too small, it reclaimed the original chapel on Husova Street. The building was formally returned to the congregation in 1991, and its interior was restored close to its original layout.

What is the congregation like today?

In 1996 the Pilsen congregation split into three separate parishes: Plzeň 3 – Husova (the Bethlehem Chapel itself), Plzeň 1 – Lochotín, and Staňkov. Services at the Husova chapel are held on Sundays at 9:00, with a separate program for children, and evening prayer meetings follow later in the day. Each year the building opens to visitors during Noc kostelů (Night of Churches), giving tourists a rare chance to step inside a working Methodist chapel — an unusual find amid Pilsen's baroque and gothic churches.

Frequently asked questions

Where is ECM Maranatha located? On Husova Street in Pilsen's Jižní Předměstí district, inside the building known as Bethlehem Chapel.

Who designed the building, and when was it built? Prague architect Josef Blecha the younger, built in 1926-1927 for the local Methodist congregation.

What architectural style does the chapel represent? A transitional style between interwar classicizing architecture and purism — simple massing, smooth facades, minimal ornament.

What happened to the chapel after 1948? The communist state nationalized it and handed it to a technical school; the congregation only got the building back in 1991.

Can visitors go inside? Yes — notably during the annual Noc kostelů (Night of Churches) event, and otherwise it functions as an active place of worship with Sunday services.