Evangelical Community Association AB

Evangelical Community Association AB
legal form	Registered association
founding	1849
Seat	Karlsbad (Baden)
motto	Confessing Christ together
main emphasis	Pietist community association within the Evangelical Regional Church in Baden
Action space	Baden-Württemberg
Chair	Achim Kellenberger
Managing directors	Gunther Gottel
Website	www.ab-verband.org

The Evangelical Community Association AB (until 2012 Evangelical Association for Inner Mission of the Augsburg Confession ) is an independent community association within the Evangelical Regional Church in Baden , to which communities, mainly in Baden, belong. The abbreviation AB-Verband is often used colloquially . The term “ city mission ” is also used for the local communities . As a free "work of faith ", the association is organized independently and is financed exclusively from voluntary gifts and donations.

history

In Baden, Pietism was initially suppressed in the 18th century. However, the work of the former Catholic priest and later Protestant pastor Aloys Henhöfer (1789–1862) resulted in a greater awakening . In various places communities of Christians emerged who were shaped by his sermons. Various leaders of such communities together with Protestant pastors founded the Evangelical Association for Inner Mission of the Augsburg Confession on January 24, 1849 in Durlach . With the name of the association, the founders emphasized the unrestricted agreement with the Augsburg Confession , which had been restricted in its validity in the Baden Union deed of 1821 by various formulations.

The association hired travel preachers to visit the various communities that had previously emerged and establish new ones. While the first four preachers were still without theological training, the first preacher who had received a Chrischona training was added in 1856 . Since July 2015, their preachers have the title of community pastor or community preacher.

In 1903 the Langensteinbach pastor Theodor Böhmerle (1870–1927) was appointed full-time inspector of the association. He founded the "Bethanien" bible home in Langensteinbach in 1909, which still functions as the club's leisure home today.

Dissemination and focus of work

AB building in Karlsruhe

Organized in 22 districts association is mainly in formerly Baden represented areas of Baden-Wuerttemberg and extends from Main to Lake Constance. 24 preachers and some community deacons are employed full-time, who look after around 180 communities, 15 congregations, 80 house groups, 15 youth groups and other groups.

The purpose and aim of the association is to bring people closer to the Christian faith and then to accompany them. This happens in community work as well as in the structures of community work. The members hold Bible studies and help organize church services, make their house available for Bible studies and house groups, and get involved in children's, youth or diaconal work. They pray and do the work financially. The content of the work is the proclamation of the word of God as a faith and life aid for all people.

Other focal points are two old people's homes, which were created as part of the association and are today connected to the association as independent institutions, as well as the association's own kindergarten.

The "Bethanien" bible home in Langensteinbach has been the spiritual center of the association since 1909. The offer ranges from Bible courses and free time to training courses and seminars.

The office and the AB bookstore were located on Kaiserplatz in Karlsruhe until the 2010s .

Management and administration

The general assembly is made up of over 60 representatives from the districts. From a legal point of view, they are the actual members of the association. In addition, the board of directors is the body that has to decide in addition to personnel and financial issues in all important areas. The board of directors and two deputies manage the association and represent it externally. The chairman is Achim Kellenberger.

Periodicals

"Reich-Gottes-Bote" has been published every two weeks since January 1844 as a newsletter and devotional paper.
"Wegzeichen" booklet, has been published three times a year for community maintenance since 1990.
“Yearbook”, with theological topics and contributions from community life

Web links

Official website

Individual evidence

↑ http://ab-verband.org/ueber-uns/finanzen-spenden/
^ New job title for pietistic preachers , idea.de, message from July 10, 2015.
↑ The presentation of the section “History” largely follows the statements by W. Hauser: Evangelical Association for Inner Mission, Augsburg Confession. In: Helmut Burkhardt, Uwe Swarat: Evangelical Lexicon for Theology and Congregation. Vol. 1, R. Brockhaus, Wuppertal 1992, p. 575 f.
^ Structures of the Evangelical Community Association AB , ab-verband.org, accessed on May 7, 2017.
↑ media of the Association , ab-verband.org, accessed on July 19, 2015.

[1] ttp://ab-verband.org/ueber-uns/finanzen-spenden/

[2] New job title for pietistic preachers , idea.de, message from July 10, 2015.

[3] The presentation of the section “History” largely follows the statements by W. Hauser: Evangelical Association for Inner Mission, Augsburg Confession. In: Helmut Burkhardt, Uwe Swarat: Evangelical Lexicon for Theology and Congregation. Vol. 1, R. Brockhaus, Wuppertal 1992, p. 575 f.

[4] Structures of the Evangelical Community Association AB , ab-verband.org, accessed on May 7, 2017.

[5] the Association , ab-verband.org, accessed on July 19, 2015.