Elaia Christian Churches
The Elaia Christengemeinden (ECG) are an Austrian free church . It was founded in 2006 as an amalgamation of several previously independent free church communities, in 2013 it became a legally recognized church (religious society) within the framework of the free churches in Austria .
She sees a special task in building and strengthening Christian- Jewish relationships.
history
In 2005 there were five free church-oriented communities as founding members. On April 13, 2006, they were given the status of a “registered religious denomination” by the Austrian Ministry of Education - with 380 members at the time. In the course of the following years two more independent free churches joined the association.
Since 2013, the Elaia Christian congregations together with the Federation of Baptist Congregations in Austria , the Federation of Evangelical Congregations in Austria , the Free Christian Congregation - Pentecostal Church in Austria and the Mennonite Free Church have formed the interdenominational association of free churches in Austria . On August 26, 2013, the Federal Ministry for Education, Art and Culture recognized it as a state-recognized "Church (religious society)" and thus the status of a corporation under public law .
Surname
The part of the name Elaia is derived from the ancient Greek έλαία (German: olive tree ) and wants to tie in with the statement of the Apostle Paul that the non-Jewish Christians in the "olive tree" Israel are only grafted into . The name should be understood programmatically:
"It is important that we as Christians, according to the Bible, allow ourselves to be inserted again as wild branches in the noble olive tree Israel and discover that our identity is the entire belief of the people of Israel."
Member communities
The group of Elaia Christian congregations consists of the following individual churches:
- Ichthys parish Wiener Neustadt
- Rhema community Linz
- Christian Center Vienna (CZW)
- Immanuel Parish Amstetten
- “Life in Christ” parish of Gmunden
- Word of Life, Vienna Community
- Christian Center Weinviertel-Rabensburg
literature
- Elaia Christian Churches (ECG) . In: Johann Hirnsperger, Christian Wessely (Ed.): Ways to Salvation? Religious confessional communities in Austria: Elaia Christengemeinden (ECG) […] (= theology in cultural dialogue ; 7c). Tyrolia, Innsbruck 2014, pp. 11–42 (from p. 13: Helmuth Eiwen: Introduction and History ; from p. 17: Statutes ; from p. 27: Foundations of belief ).
- Frank Hinkelmann : Denomination. Handbook of the Churches, Free Churches and Christian Communities in Austria . edition ea, Linz 2009, chap. V: The Protestant, state-registered religious denomination communities , pp. 140–144.
Web links
- ↑ Ichthys Parish (ichthys.at)
- ↑ Rhema community (rhema.at)
- ↑ Christian Center Vienna (czw.at)
- ↑ Word of Life Municipality Vienna (wortdeslebens.org) ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
Individual evidence
- ^ Free churches in Austria: Background information , accessed on August 31, 2013.
- ↑ Federal Law Gazette II No. 250/2013 .
- ^ ORF religion: Free churches in Austria officially recognized ; Accessed August 31, 2013.
- ↑ See Letter to the Romans , Chapter 11, verses 17–24
- ↑ Quoted from Elaia. Through Christ we have Jewish roots , freikirchen.at, viewed on August 31, 2013.
- ↑ Official website of the Elaia Christian Congregation: Elaia Congregations ( Memento from August 22, 2013 in the Internet Archive )
Coordinates: 47 ° 48 '23.1 " N , 16 ° 13' 48.4" E