Baptists in Germany

Last updated
Worship service at Cross Church in Hamburg. Kreuzkirche Harburg 01.jpg
Worship service at Cross Church in Hamburg.

Baptists in Germany can be documented as having existed since 1834, the year in which the first congregation was formed by Johann Gerhard Oncken, Barnas Sears and others, in Hamburg that became the nucleus of the Baptist movement in continental Europe. [1] [2] [3] Together with Oncken, Gottfried Wilhelm Lehmann and Julius Köbner formed the "Baptist cloverleaf" of Germany, having a great impact on the movement. [4] Most German Baptists belong to the Union of Evangelical Free Churches, which is part of the Baptist World Alliance through the European Baptist Federation. Other German Baptist congregations, some with Russian-German roots, joined together in new unions beginning in the 1980s. In addition, other smaller congregational networks and a number of so-called free Baptist congregations emerged.

Contents

History

Baptists are congregationalists, which means that their congregations are autonomous. Therefore, regional and supra-regional alliances play only a subordinate role. They have no function in relation to hierarchy, but serve primarily to deal with tasks that a single congregation cannot accomplish. These include, among other things, mission work, diaconia and the theological training of full-time and volunteer staff.

The following is a selection of Baptist unions and movements in Germany.

Union of Evangelical Free Churches

Logo of the Union of Evangelical Free Churches Bund Evangelisch-Freikirchlicher Gemeinden, Logo seit 2020.svg
Logo of the Union of Evangelical Free Churches
Emmanuel Baptist Church in Wolfsburg, affiliated with the Union. Wolfsburg Westhagen Immanuel.JPG
Emmanuel Baptist Church in Wolfsburg, affiliated with the Union.

The Union of Evangelical Free Churches in Germany (Bund Evangelisch-Freikirchlicher Gemeinden, BEFG; Baptist and Brethren congregations) has its origins in the first Baptist church in Hamburg founded by the German missionary Johann Gerhard Oncken in 1834. [5] [6] Founded in 1849, the Union of United Congregations of Baptized Christians in Germany and Denmark (Bund der vereinigten Gemeinden getaufter Christen in Deutschland und Dänemark; later: Bund deutscher Baptistengemeinden, Union of German Baptist Congregations) merged in 1942 with the Union of Free Church Christians (Bund freikirchlicher Christen, BfC), which originated in the Brethren movement, and thereby took its present name. [7] According to a census published by the association in 2023, it claimed 786 churches and 75,767 members. [8]

Evangeliumschristen-Baptisten

Evangeliumschristen-Baptisten chapel Weinsberg Baptistische Kirche 20080322.jpg
Evangeliumschristen-Baptisten chapel

The Evangeliumschristen-Baptisten  [ de ] ('Evangelical Christians-Baptists') are mostly of Russian-German origin. They were formed in 1944 from the merger of Evangeliums-Christen with the Baptists. [9] Later, other evangelical free churches joined them. In contrast to their Eastern European countries of origin, no unified union of Evangelical Christians-Baptists was founded in Germany. Some of the newly formed congregations have come together in congregational associations such as Bruderschaft der Freien Evangeliums Christen Gemeinden  [ de ] ('the Brotherhood of Free Evangelical Christian Congregations') or the Arbeitsgemeinschaft evangelikaler Gemeinden ('Working Group of Evangelical Congregations'). Another part is connected with German Baptists through the Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Evangeliumschristen-Baptisten in the Union of Evangelical Free Churches or is united with Mennonite Brethren congregations in the Bund Taufgesinnter Gemeinden ('Union of Baptist-Minded Congregations'). In addition, there are also congregations outside of congregational associations.

Bund Taufgesinnter Gemeinden

The congregations in the Bund Taufgesinnter Gemeinden  [ de ] ('Union of Baptist-Minded Congregations'; BTG) have partly Baptist, partly Mennonite roots. The federation was formed in 1989 from the merger of originally six Baptist-oriented congregations, which were primarily located in the region of Ostwestfalen-Lippe. The BTG has about 6000 members spread over 30 congregations. The Bibelseminar  [ de ] ('Bible seminary'), the theological training center of this association of congregations, is located in Bonn and offers a regular study program as well as a theological correspondence course and a theological evening school. [10]

International Baptist Convention

The International Baptist Convention goes back to church plantings by American soldiers. In Germany, 25 English-speaking congregations belong to it. From its beginnings in Wiesbaden and Frankfurt, a loose working group was formed in 1958, the Association of Baptists in Continental Europe, which was joined by other congregations and, from 1961, supported by the North American congregational association of the Southern Baptist Convention. In 1964, the Association adopted its current name. [11]

Missionsdienst der Freien Baptisten

The Missionsdienst der Freien Baptisten ('Free Baptist Mission Service') works together with Baptist Mid-Missions. [12] About ten congregations belong to it. According to their own statements, the Free Baptist congregations are more "theologically conservative" than the Baptists in the Union of Evangelical Free Churches. The main differences are their positions on women's ordination, the charismatic movement and ecumenism, as well as the understanding of the Bible. [13]

Baptists connected to KfG

The churches of the Missionsdienstes der Freien Baptisten and other free Baptist churches are associated with the Konferenz für Gemeindegründung  [ de ] ('Conference for Church Planting'; KfG). [14] Around 30 congregations are affiliated. [15]

Bibel-Baptisten

The Bibel-Baptisten ('Bible Baptists') include about 50 churches. [16]

Reformed Baptists

The Reformed Baptists, who are strongly influenced by Calvinism, include about ten congregations in Germany. [17]

Total statistics

The Religionswissenschaftlicher Medien- und Informationsdienst or REMID ('German Religious Studies Media and Information Service') gives a total membership for "Free Baptist and Mennonite congregations" of about 290,000 in "550 free congregations" in 2012. According to this, most members come from the area of the former Soviet Union. [18] Apart from the fact that these are explicitly not only Baptists, this figure, with the exception of the Union of Evangelical Free Churches, likely also includes some if not all of the above-mentioned groupings.

See also

Related Research Articles

Pietism, also known as Pietistic Lutheranism, is a movement within Lutheranism that combines its emphasis on biblical doctrine with an emphasis on individual piety and living a holy Christian life.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Evangelical Covenant Church</span> North American Christian denomination

The Evangelical Covenant Church (ECC) is a Radical Pietistic denomination of evangelical Christianity. The denomination has 129,015 members in 878 congregations and an average worship attendance of 219,000 people in the United States and Canada with ministries on five continents. Of Lutheran Pietist roots and founded in 1885 in North America by Swedish immigrants, the church is now one of the most rapidly growing and multi-ethnic denominations on the continent.

The Fellowship of Evangelical Bible Churches (FEBC) is a small evangelical Christian denomination with an Anabaptist Mennonite heritage. Most of the denomination's approximately 5000 members are in congregations located in the U.S. and Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Johann Gerhard Oncken</span> German Baptist preacher (1800–1884)

Johann Gerhard Oncken was a pioneer German Baptist preacher, variously referred to as the "Father of Continental Baptists", the "Father of German Baptists" and the "Apostle of European Baptists". Oncken, Gottfried Wilhelm Lehmann (1799–1882), and Julius Köbner (1806–1884) were known as the Baptist cloverleaf. J. G. Oncken helped direct and guide the growth of Baptists throughout Germany and across much of Europe for half a century.

The Union of Christian Baptist Churches in Romania is a Baptist Christian denomination in Romania. It is affiliated with the Romanian Evangelical Alliance, the European Baptist Federation and the Baptist World Alliance. The headquarters is in Bucharest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United and uniting churches</span> Union of Protestant churches of different creeds

A united church, also called a uniting church, is a denomination formed from the merger or other form of church union of two or more different Protestant Christian denominations, a number of which come from separate and distinct denominational orientations or traditions. Multi-denominationalism, or a multi-denominational church or organization, is a congregation or organization that is affiliated with two or more Christian denominations, whether they be part of the same tradition or from separate and distinct traditions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Union of Evangelical Free Churches in Germany</span>

The Union of Evangelical Free Churches in Germany is a Baptist Christian denomination in Germany. It is affiliated with the Baptist World Alliance. The headquarters is in Wustermark.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prussian Union of Churches</span> German Protestant church body

The Prussian Union of Churches was a major Protestant church body which emerged in 1817 from a series of decrees by Frederick William III of Prussia that united both Lutheran and Reformed denominations in Prussia. Although not the first of its kind, the Prussian Union was the first to occur in a major German state.

The International Community of Mennonite Brethren (ICOMB) was officially launched at the 1990 Mennonite World Conference in Winnipeg, Manitoba as a partnership of global Mennonite Brethren conferences.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Radical Pietism</span> Pietists who broke with Lutheranism

Radical Pietism are those Christian churches who decided to break with denominational Lutheranism in order to emphasize certain teachings regarding holy living. Radical Pietists contrast with Church Pietists, who chose to remain within their Lutheran denominational settings. Radical Pietists distinguish between true and false Christianity and hold that the latter is represented by established churches. They separated from established churches to form their own Christian denominations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ordinance (Christianity)</span> Religious rituals in Christianity

An ordinance is a term used by certain Christian denominations for a religious ritual that was instituted by Jesus for Christians to observe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ordination of women in Christianity</span> Taking place in Protestant churches

In Christianity, the ordination of women has been taking place in an increasing number of Protestant and Old Catholic churches, starting in the 20th century. Since ancient times, certain churches of the Orthodox tradition, such as the Coptic Orthodox Church, have raised women to the office of deaconess. While ordination of women has been approved in many denominations, it is still a very controversial and divisive topic.

Brethren is a name adopted by a wide range of mainly Christian religious groups throughout history. The largest movement is Anabaptist.

Julius Johannes Wilhelm Köbner, originally Salomon Købner,, was one of the founding fathers of Northern European Baptists, along with Johann Gerhard Oncken and Gottfried Wilhelm Lehmann, known as the Baptist "cloverleaf". In addition to his extensive missionary and teaching activities in the young free church, his work as a hymnwriter and author is notable.

Gottfried Wilhelm Lehmann was a German copper engraver and later founder and pastor of the first Baptist congregation in Berlin. Along with Johann Gerhard Oncken and Julius Köbner, together known as the Baptist "cloverleaf", he is one of the founding fathers of German Baptists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ivan Prokhanov</span> Russian and Soviet religious figure, engineer, poet and politician

Ivan Stepanovich Prokhanov was a Russian, Soviet, and emigre religious figure, engineer, poet, preacher, theologian, and politician. Brother of the Molokan theologian Aleksandr Prokhanov, father of the botanist Yaroslav Prokhanov Yaroslav Prokhanov, great-uncle of the writer Alexander Prokhanov.

References

  1. Randall, Ian M. (2009). "Every Member a Missionary. German Baptist Expansion". Communities of Conviction. Baptist Beginnings in Europe. Schwarzenfeld. pp. 59–69.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  2. "Baptist - History". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 2022-01-26.
  3. Randall, Ian M. (July 2000). "'Pious wishes': Baptists and wider renewal movements in nineteenth-century Europe" (PDF). Baptist Quarterly . XXXVIII (7).
  4. Lehmann, Joseph (1896). Geschichte der deutschen Baptisten (PDF) (in German). Hamburg: Druck und Verlag der Baptistischen Verlagsbuchhandlung.
  5. Brackney, William H (2009). Historical Dictionary of the Baptists. Lanham: Scarecrow Press. pp. 248–249. ISBN   9780810856226.
  6. "Union of Evangelical Free Churches (Baptists) in Germany". Baptist World Alliance . Retrieved 2022-10-22.
  7. Melton, J. Gordon; Baumann, Martin (2010). Religions of the World: A Comprehensive Encyclopedia of Beliefs and Practices. ABC-CLIO. p. 2955.
  8. Baptist World Alliance, Members, baptistworld.org, USA, retrieved May 5, 2023
  9. Lösse, Esther (2011). Zwischen Austritt und Ausschluss. Exklusion und Distanzierung aus evangelikalen Gemeinden russlanddeutscher Aussiedler (in German). Kassel: Kassel University Press. p. 61. ISBN   978-3-86219-184-0.
  10. "Home". Bibelseminar Bonn (in German). Retrieved 2022-10-20.
  11. John H. Y. Briggs, A Dictionary of European Baptist Life and Thought, Wipf and Stock Publishers, USA, 2009, p. 144
  12. "Was sind "Freie" Baptisten?". Freie Baptisten-Gemeinden in Deutschland (in German). 2012-09-01. Archived from the original on 2012-09-01. Retrieved 2022-01-26.
  13. "Unterschied". freie-baptisten.de (in German). Archived from the original on 2012-04-26. Retrieved 2012-07-09.
  14. "Freie Baptisten Gemeinden - Standorte". Freie Baptisten Gemeinden in Deutschland. 2012-09-01. Archived from the original on 2012-09-01. Retrieved 2022-01-26.
  15. "Gemeinden – Gesamtliste". Konferenz für Gemeindegründung e.V. (in German). Archived from the original on 2014-10-17. Retrieved 2012-07-04.
  16. "Bible Baptist Church Darmstadt". baptistengemeinde.de (in German). Archived from the original on 2015-02-09. Retrieved 2012-07-04.
  17. "Gemeinden reformierter Baptisten". apologet.de (in German). 2013-01-31. Archived from the original on 2013-01-31. Retrieved 2022-01-26.
  18. "Mitgliederzahlen: Protestantismus – REMID – Religionswissenschaftlicher Medien- und Informationsdienst e.V." (in German). Retrieved 2022-10-20.

Further reading