Evangelical Church AB

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Evangelical Church A. B. is the self-designation of several Evangelical Lutheran churches in Europe, the origins of which lie predominantly in the domain of the Austrian Habsburgs , mostly in the former Austro-Hungarian dual monarchy . A. B. is used as an abbreviation for " Augsburg Confession ". While the municipalities still had to be called "acatholic" after the tolerance patent of 1781, today's designation goes back to changes in the patent as a result of the political upheavals of 1848/49 . Sometimes they were also referred to as the Evangelical Church A. K. (Augsburg Confession).

The following churches are called “A. B. “as part of their name.

Protestant Church AB of Alsace and Lorraine

The Protestant Church of the Augsburg Confession of Alsace and Lorraine , to which 210,000 Evangelicals belong, extends to the departments of Moselle, Bas-Rhin and Haut-Rhin and thus to the part of France that belonged to the German Empire from 1871 to 1918.

Evangelical Church AB in Austria

In Austria around 285,000 Evangelicals belong to around 200 parishes of the Evangelical Church AB in Austria , which corresponds to a population share of 3.2 percent. It all began on January 12, 1522, when Paul Speratus gave the first Protestant sermon in St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna . In the Evangelical Church A. u. H. B. in Austria works closely with the Evangelical Church H. B. in Austria , the Evangelical Reformed Church, in various areas.

Evangelical Church A. B. in Romania

City parish church in Sibiu (Transylvania)

Around 13,000 Evangelicals, mainly belonging to the German minority of the Transylvanian Saxons, are members of the Evangelical Church AB in Romania . Most of them live in Transylvania . Its beginnings go back to the 12th century, in 1546 the Reformation was accepted by Johannes Honterus , and in 1553, Paul Wiener, the first evangelical bishop, was installed. In 1572 the church introduced the Lutheran confessions .

The Evangelical Church AB was the national church of the Transylvanian Saxons for centuries . Since the mass emigration of most of its members to Germany , it has developed into a diaspora church.

The bishopric is Sibiu . From 1990 to 2010 Christoph Klein was Bishop of the Evangelical Church AB in Romania. His successor in office is Reinhart Guib as the 36th Bishop of the Evangelical Church AB in Romania.

Evangelical Synodal Presbyterian Church A. B. in Romania

Hungarian, Slovak and Romanian Lutherans in Romania mostly belong to their own Lutheran church, which was initially also named “A. B. ”had in her name. Since 2001 the church, which has 30,700 members, has been called the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Romania .

Silesian Evangelical Church A. B.

The Silesian Evangelical Church AB in northeastern Czech Republic has 15,000 members in 21 parishes. The bishopric is Český Těšín (Teschen). The Church, in which Polish and Czech are the languages ​​of preaching, is particularly marked by Pietism .

Evangelical Church AB in Slovenia

The Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in Slovenia has around 18,000 members. Most of them live in Prekmurje , in the north-east of the country. It was created in the 16th century as a result of the activities of Primož Trubar , who translated Luther's catechism and parts of the New Testament into Slovenian, and Jurij Dalmatin, who edited the Bible in Slovenian. In the parts of the country that formerly belonged to Hungary, the Protestant church survived the Counter-Reformation and was founded by immigrants in the 19th century.

Evangelical Church AB in the Slovak Republic

370,000 Lutherans belong to the Evangelical Church AB in the Slovak Republic , the largest Evangelical church in the country. With a 7 percent share of the total population, it is the second largest church in Slovakia. Three bishops and 186 pastors and 142 female pastors are active in preaching in the 326 parishes. The church has been a member of the World Council of Churches since 1948 as well as the Conference of European Churches, the Lutheran World Federation and the Leuenberg Church Fellowship.

The history of the Slovak Evangelical Church A. B. goes back to the 16th century. The first parish was founded in Žilina in 1610. By 1670 most of the inhabitants of Hungary were Protestant. The Church was hit hard by the Counter Reformation. In 1681 limited freedoms were guaranteed for Protestants in Hungary. However, equality with the Catholic Church could only be achieved in 1848.

The Slovak Lutherans welcomed the establishment of Czechoslovakia in 1918. After leaving the Hungarian state in 1921/1922, the Lutheran Church founded an independent Slovak church. The church was able to develop well until 1938. During the time of the first Slovak Republic , the Lutheran Church of Slovakia took a stand against National Socialism and the persecution of Jews. When the communists came to power in 1948, the church lost its schools and diaconal institutions. There was persecution of the clergy until 1989. In 1993 the church gave itself a new church order.

The church emphasizes the preaching, but is also represented in the diakonia with old people's and children's homes, schools for the deaf and blind. Individual congregations are also active in social welfare. There are three kindergartens and twelve Protestant schools. You can study Protestant theology at the Protestant theological faculty of the Comenius University in Bratislava . There is also a Bible school.

Slovak Evangelical Church AB in Serbia

The Slovak Evangelical Church AB in Serbia , the largest Lutheran church in the former Yugoslavia, has around 49,000 parish members. They are organized in 27 parishes and are looked after by 30 pastors. Since 1963 the church has been a member of the World Council of Churches as well as the Conference of European Churches, the World Council of Serbia, the Lutheran World Federation and the Leuenberg Church Fellowship. Most of the members live in Vojvodina near the Serbian-Hungarian border; its seat is accordingly in Novi Sad . Until the founding of Yugoslavia, the congregations belonged to the Lutheran Church in Hungary. The pastors are trained in Bratislava together with the pastors of the Evangelical Church A. B. in the Slovak Republic .

In 1967 there was a merger with the Evangelical Church of Serbia, which had 7,000 parish members and to which mostly Hungarian Lutherans belonged. In the meantime, many Hungarian members have resigned and today form the Evangelical Christian Church in Serbia-Montenegro with the church's headquarters in Subotica.

The Slovak language is most widespread in community life.

Evangelical Church of the Augsburg and Helvetic Confessions in Lesser Poland

The Evangelical Church of the Augsburg and Helvetic Confessions in Lesser Poland existed from 1920 to 1939. Its four congregations were in Galicia and Kraków . Most of the members were German .

Ukrainian Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession

The Ukrainian Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession was a Lutheran church of the Ukrainian population of Galicia in Poland from 1926 to 1939. It had around 10,000 to 20,000 members. The Ukrainian Lutheran Church has been its successor since 1996.

Evangelical Augsburg Church in Poland

Evangelical Jesus Church in Teschen , Poland

The Evangelical Augsburg Church in Poland ( Kościół Ewangelicko-Augsburski w Polsce in Polish ) also has the word “Augsburg” in its name. 75,000 members are organized in its 131 parishes. Its beginnings go back to the year 1518, when the first Protestant sermons were held in Danzig and Jauer . After Breslau was the first city to appoint a Protestant preacher in 1523 , the Reformation soon reached other parts of Silesia. The bishopric is Warsaw.

See also

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Numbers and facts. Evangelical Church in Austria, February 16, 2018, accessed on May 31, 2018 .