Count From Poland to Speak at BCM
Posted on: February 3, 2021
Tigerville, SC (March 28, 2019) Count Richard Dieterich of Poland will speak at a Baptist Collegiate Ministry (BCM) meeting on Thursday, April 4 at 7 p.m.
“Count Richard is a passionate Christian and a great evangelistic speaker,” said Director of Community and Ministry Mobilization Joshua Gilmore. “He also happens to be the last royal heir to the Polish empire.”
Dieterich decided to surprise his wife, Brenda, with a vacation to Poland. During their trip, they visited the City Hall in Żary, Poland to learn more about their family tree.
Much to the surprise of the Dietrich’s and the city officials, they discovered Brenda is a direct descendant of the royal von Promnitz family. Polish officials had previously thought that the Promnitz family line had died out.
In the 1700’s the von Promnitz family invited chapel masters and musicians into the country to promote music and art and now the Dietrich’s have been invited back to Poland for the same reason.
In 2012, the Dietrich’s worked with Polish officials to host the Promnitz Tour, a celebration of American and Polish music. The Dietrich’s gifted the people of Poland with a large variety of musical styles, ranging from pop and gospel to jazz and indie rock.
“The Promnitz family has not chosen to claim riches, titles, and properties for personal glory or comfort, but instead to use their new position as an open door for building ongoing relationships and honoring God in Poland,” wrote CW Allen, Christian musician who performed in the Promnitz Tour.
Dieterich spoke at a micro-conference for youth ministry ten years ago in Chicago. Gilmore happened to be one of the 20 people in attendance. After the meeting, Gilmore took Dieterich out to coffee and the two strummed up a friendship.
“However, it was completely unknown to Richard Dietrich or anyone else in the world that he was royalty at that time,” said Gilmore. Dieterich served as a youth missions pastor in Arizona.
A few years after Gilmore’s encounter with Dietrich, it was discovered that Dietrich was royalty. “I celebrated along with the nation of Poland,” said Gilmore.
Gilmore recently reached out to Dietrich and asked him if he remembered him–Dietrich said he did. “[Gilmore] was the only guy with a southern accent in Chicago,” Dietrich told Gilmore.
A small window of time opened when Dietrich plans to visit the United States, during which Gilmore invited Dietrich to speak at BCM.
The Dietrich family is currently partnering with Dean River Productions to create a movie about their royal discovery.
“The Monarch” directed by Jim Schmidt will depict, “The remarkable true story of an average American family, deeply rooted in the heartland of the Midwest, who discover they are the only known bloodline to a long-thought-extinct Polish monarch, and suddenly now heirs to lands, properties–and the expectations of the Polish People.”
The entire NGU community is invited to attend BCM on Thursday, April 4 at 7 p.m. in Turner Chapel. This is a free event and no tickets are required.
Article written by NGU Communications Intern Hannah Hurst (expected ’19).
