Working group of Protestant youth

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Working Group of Protestant Youth in Germany
(aej)
logo
legal form non-profit registered association
founding December 2, 1949
Seat Hanover , Germany
purpose Evangelical and ecumenical child and youth work
people Michael Peters (Managing Director), Michael Corsa (Secretary General)
sales 21,511,770 euros (2018)
Employees 48 (2018)
Members 32 member organizations
Website www.evangelische-jugend.de

The Working Group of Protestant Youth in Germany (aej) is the association of Protestant youth in Germany based in Hanover . The youth association has had its federal office in Hanover since 1994 and a branch in Berlin . As an umbrella organization, the aej represents the interests of its member associations at federal level vis-à-vis federal ministries , specialist organizations and international partners.

The chair is currently vacant. In November 2019, Dr. Sven Evers, youth pastor of the Oldenburg Church, resigned for personal reasons. Previously (2017) he replaced Bernd Wildermuth , regional youth pastor of the Evangelical Church in Württemberg, in office. Secretary General is Michael Corsa .

The working group is a signatory of the Transparent Civil Society Initiative .

history

The state youth pastors and the heads of the youth services formed the youth chamber of the EKD in 1946 , which had a forerunner in the youth chamber of the Confessing Church .

The youth chamber of the EKD expanded on December 2, 1948 to include the “youth work of the free churches” and thus formed the “Working Group of Evangelical Youth in Germany (AGEJD)”; this date is considered the founding date of the aej. The Youth Chamber East was continued in the east.

In 1971 the name was changed to “Working Group of Evangelical Youth in the Federal Republic of Germany and Berlin / West e. V. (aej) ".

In the GDR, the Evangelical Youth worked since 1972 within the structures of the Commission for Church Youth Work (KKJ) of the Federation of Evangelical Churches in the GDR. There was also the “Working Group of Christian Youth (AGCJ)”, in which the free churches were represented and the Catholic Church was invited to participate.

In 1991, the German association made it possible to merge Protestant youth work in East and West into the new aej: “Working Group of Protestant Youth in the Federal Republic of Germany e. V. (aej) ".

In 1994 the aej offices in Stuttgart and Berlin were merged into a new office in Hanover and the location in the new federal capital was given up.

On February 4, 2008, the change of name of “Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Evangelischen Jugend in der Bundes Republik Deutschland e. V. "is entered in the association register with its current name.

Members

32 members work together in this umbrella organization. The aej represents more than 1.35 million young people.

The (full) members of the aej include:

The extraordinary members include:

Ball cross of the Protestant youth

The evangelical youth also interpret the sign ♁ in the sense of Christ's world domination . In the time of National Socialism , during the church struggle between the German Christians and the Confessing Church , the spherical cross symbol became an expression of resistance. It symbolized what was formulated in the Barmer Confession of the “Confessing Church” of 1934 (especially Thesis 2). This rejects the political claim to Christians and affirms that Christians only recognize Jesus Christ as "Lord" in all areas of life.

The Evangelical Youth Chamber of the Confessing Church chose the symbol of the spherical cross as the symbol of evangelical youth work . Wearing this symbol was the expression of a resolute stance against attempts by the National Socialists to create an evangelical imperial church that was brought into line. It also symbolized the resistance of the independent Protestant youth organizations, such as the Christian Scouts , to be forcibly integrated into the Hitler Youth.

Many youth associations of the regional churches renounced as a reaction to a permanent membership of their members, which freed the Protestant youth from the compulsion to join the Hitler Youth . The resistance of the Protestant youth associations sparked mainly on the question of independence.

After the smashing of fascism in Germany and the end of the Second World War, the order of the Protestant youth in Germany adopted the ball cross as a symbol of the Protestant youth in May 1946. There was an authorization card for the symbol, which was issued by name to every bearer of the cross on the globe. On it the Bible verse was found: "Our faith is the victory that has overcome the world." (1. Joh. 5,4) On January 28, 1947 the youth chamber of the Evangelical Church in Germany  (EKD) decided in Bethel provisions for the issue of the symbol of the Evangelical Youth of Germany .

In the West German regional churches, the Protestant youths received the ball cross as a pin together with the award card. The prerequisite was membership of a group of Protestant youth.

In the East German regional churches there was no membership in an association or association. One belonged to a congregation through baptism and confirmation and was invited to the young congregation . As a rule, the young people received the pin after one year of regular participation in the events of the Young Congregation in a worship event (monthly armor or similar).

The Working Group of Protestant Youth in Germany e. V. the youth political union of all Protestant associations and structures (young community, district and state youth conventions, offices for child and youth work of the Protestant regional churches, CVJM , EC , VCP , RMJ ) uses this symbol. Mostly it complements the symbolism of the associations. The members of the Ring Evangelischer Gemeindepfadfinder , an evangelical, YMCA-oriented scout organization , wears the cross on the globe as an association badge in addition to the anchor cross and Luther rose .

tasks

As an association of Protestant youth, the aej performs the following tasks:

It represents the youth and church political interests of its members. It enables, organizes and maintains ecumenical and international contacts. It processes and distributes public funds for Protestant youth. It takes up content-related topics and priorities decided by the committees, provides for the publication of discussions and working materials for the Protestant youth. It organizes and hosts seminars and conferences. She works with other youth organizations.

The aej awards the Golden Ball Cross as the highest honor given to Protestant youth in Germany .

Content focus

The main focuses of the aej's work are:

See also

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Transparent civil society initiative. In: evangelische-jugend.de. Retrieved December 17, 2019 .
  2. ^ Articles of Association. In: evangelische-jugend.de. Retrieved December 17, 2019 .
  3. ^ Protestant youth has a new chairman , evangelisch.de, message from November 28, 2017.
  4. ↑ www.transparency.de ( Memento from September 5, 2017 in the Internet Archive ), accessed on February 27, 2014
  5. ^ Statutes and regulations of the aej , evangelische-jugend.de, accessed on November 28, 2015.
  6. ↑ https://www.evangelische-jugend.de/aej/die-arbeitsgemeinschaft/lösungen/unter-einem-dach/#c691
  7. ↑ Peter Helmberger: blue shirt and ball cross. Conflicts between the SED and the Christian churches over young people in the Soviet Zone / GDR (= Forum German History. Vol. 16). M-Press, Munich 2008, ISBN 978-3-89975-658-6 (also: Berlin, Humboldt University, dissertation, 2001).