Elim communities

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Elim congregations are free-church- oriented congregations. In terms of denomination they belong to the Pentecostal movement . Organizationally, some of the German Elim parishes belong to the Federation of Evangelical Free Churches , while the so-called Elim Christian communities belong to the Federation of Free Church Pentecostal Churches .

The US Elim Fellowship and the British Elim Pentecoastal Church are independent denominations that have developed independently of the German Elim congregations.

The Elim Christian community in Hanover has an architecturally interesting community center

Origins

Heinrich Vietheer (1883–1968), whose original spiritual home was the Gnadau Community Association ( community movement ) and the YMCA , is considered to be the founder of the Elim movement . Here he also experienced his conversion . He was involved in Jakob Vetter's tented mission , which was influenced by both the Welsh revival movement and the Pentecostal movement. In 1906 he was baptized in a baptismal congregation , whereupon the community association separated from him. Vietheer initially worked as a freelance evangelist and founded the “Zeltmission Berlin-Lichterfelde e. V. “The first“ Elim Christian Community ” arose from their work in Hamburg in 1926 . Believers gathered in it who had been rejected in other churches and free churches because of their charismatic experiences or their Pentecostal convictions. This community is considered to be the nucleus of the Elim movement.

Christ Centrum Harburg , since 2013 Elim Hamburg's south campus

Spread and further developments

In the twelve years of their independent existence, 42 municipalities were established in Germany. The geographical focus was on northern Germany, Saxony , East Prussia and Silesia . However, there were no church plantings abroad. In 1938 there were 4589 members in the Elim parishes. They were looked after by 24 full-time ministers . In 1938, 26 Elim congregations joined the Union of Baptist Churches . The first step towards this association took place in September 1937 at a conference of Christian magazine editors in Wittenberg . This was where the first contacts between the Baptist Federal Director Paul Schmidt and Heinrich Vietheer came about , which then led to the  merger of the two free churches in the following months - also under pressure from the National Socialists .

In 1942, Baptists and Elim congregations combined with some of the Brethren congregations to form the Federation of Evangelical Free Churches in Germany.

After the end of the “Third Reich” , a number of Elim congregations resigned from the Federation of Evangelical Free Churches - especially in West Germany - and chose the newly founded Federation of Free Church Pentecostal Congregations as their new spiritual home. In addition, there are also Elim parishes that do not belong to any umbrella organization and call themselves "Free Elim parishes".

Teaching and practice

An independent theology did not develop in the short period of its independent existence. However, there were special characteristics of this free church movement:

  • Baptism of believers, rejection of infant baptism
  • Emphasis on the effectiveness of the Holy Spirit : The confession of the Elim congregations states, among other things: "The Elim congregations are charismatic congregations ... It is important that the gospel does not only speak of the solution of the question of guilt through Jesus Christ , but also about the solution of the power question through Jesus Christ in the Holy Spirit. "
  • Prayer Services : The Elim congregations value worship services in which the New Testament spiritual gifts are practiced. This includes above all prophecy and speaking in tongues .
  • Evangelistic and missionary activities

See also

literature

Web links