Baptists in Germany
There is evidence of Baptists in Germany since 1834. In that year, the first congregation was constituted in Hamburg, which became the nucleus of the Baptist movement in continental Europe . Most of the German Baptists belong to the Federation of Evangelical Free Churches , which is part of the Baptist World Federation through the European Baptist Federation . Other German Baptist congregations, some with Russian-German roots, joined forces in new unions from the 1980s onwards. In addition, other smaller church networks and a number of so-called "free Baptist churches" emerged.
Associations and working groups
Baptists are congregationalists , which means that their churches are autonomous. Therefore regional and supra-regional alliances only play a subordinate role. They have no function in relation to hierarchy , but primarily serve to cope with tasks that a single community cannot perform. These include, among other things, the mission, diakonia and theological training of full-time and voluntary workers.
The following Baptist alliances and movements in Germany (selection) exist.
Association of Evangelical Free Churches
The Federation of Evangelical Free Churches ( Baptist and Brethren Congregations ; abbreviation: BEFG) has approx. 82,000 members in around 800 congregations, of which 73,000 are Baptists in around 700 congregations. Founded in 1849 Confederation of the united communities of baptized Christians in Germany and Denmark (later Association of German Baptist churches ) joined in 1942 with that of the Brethren movement originating federal Free Church Christians (BfC) together and got it its present name.
Gospel Christians-Baptists
Most of the Evangelical Christians-Baptists are of Russian-German origin. They emerged in 1944 from the merger of the Gospel Christians with the Baptists. Other Protestant free churches were added later. In contrast to their Eastern European countries of origin, no uniform Union of Evangelical Christians-Baptists was founded in Germany. Some of the new congregations that have emerged here have come together in congregational associations such as the Brotherhood of Free Evangelical Christian Congregations or the Working Group of Evangelical Congregations. Another part is connected with German Baptists through the working group of Evangelical Christians-Baptists in the Federation of Evangelical Free Churches Congregations or is affiliated with Mennonite Brethren Congregations in the Federation of Baptist Congregations . There are also municipalities outside of municipal associations.
Association of baptismal congregations
The congregations united in the Bund Taufgesinnter congregations (BTG) have partly Baptist, partly Mennonite roots. The federal government was formed in 1989 from the amalgamation of originally six baptismal parishes, most of which were located in the East Westphalia-Lippe region. The BTG has around 6,000 members spread across 30 communities. The Bibelseminar , the theological training facility of this community association, is based in Bonn and offers a theological correspondence course and a theological evening school in addition to regular study programs.
International Baptist Convention
The International Baptist Convention goes back to church planting by American soldiers. In Germany it has 25 English-speaking communities. From beginnings in Wiesbaden and Frankfurt , a loose working group emerged in 1958, the Association of Baptists in Continental Europe , which other congregations joined and which was supported from 1961 by the North American congregation federation of the Southern Baptist Convention . In 1964 the association adopted its current name.
Free Baptist Missionary Service
The Free Baptist Mission Service works with the Baptist Mid-Missions . These include around 10 communities. Understanding the Free Baptist Congregations are, according to their statements, “theologically more conservative” than the Baptists united in the Federation of Evangelical Free Churches. The main differences are the position towards the ordination of women , towards the charismatic movement and towards ecumenism, as well as the understanding of the Bible.
Baptists with ties to the KfG
The congregations of the “Missionary Service of Free Baptists” and other “free Baptist congregations” are connected to the Conference for Church Planting (KfG). Around 30 communities are connected here.
Bible Baptists
There are around 50 congregations among the Bible Baptists .
Reformed Baptists
The Reformed Baptists , who are strongly influenced by Calvinism , include around ten congregations in Germany.
Total statistics
REMID specifies a total membership number of around 290,000 in “550 free churches” in 2012 for “Free Baptist and Mennonite Congregations”. Most of the members come from the former Soviet Union. Apart from the fact that these are expressly not only Baptists, this number should (with the exception of the BEFG) include some, if not all of the above-mentioned groups.
See also
literature
- Ian M. Randall: Communities of Conviction. Baptist Beginnings in Europe. Neufeld, Schwarzenfeld 2009, ISBN 978-3-937896-78-6 .
Remarks
- ↑ Compare Ian M. Randall: Communities of Conviction. Baptist Beginnings in Europe. Schwarzenfeld 2009, chapter Every Member a Missionary. German Baptist Expansion , pp. 59–69
- ↑ Internet presence of Bibelseminar Bonn eV , accessed on June 22, 2015
- ↑ Article on the Baptist Mid-Missions in the English language Wikipedia.
- ↑ Free Baptist Congregations in Germany: What are “Free” Baptists? ( Memento from September 1, 2012 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ a b Free Baptist Congregations in Germany: Free Baptist Congregations - Locations ( Memento from September 1, 2012 in the Internet Archive )
- ^ Homepage of the Free Baptist Congregations: Difference ( Memento from April 26, 2012 in the Internet Archive ), accessed on July 9, 2012
- ^ Conference for Congregation Foundation eV: Congregations - Complete List ( Memento of October 17, 2014 in the Internet Archive ), accessed on July 4, 2012
- ↑ Bible Baptist Church Darmstadt: Baptist Churches in Germany / Baptist Churches in Germany ( Memento from February 9, 2015 in the Internet Archive ), accessed on July 4, 2012.
- ^ Apologet.de: Reformed Baptist Churches ( Memento from January 31, 2013 in the Internet Archive ). Johnny Farese: Reformed Baptist Church Directory, Germany ( August 6, 2012 memento in the Internet Archive ), accessed July 5, 2012.
- ^ REMID: Religions & Weltanschauung Communities in Germany: Membership Numbers , accessed on July 4, 2012.