Evangelical community work

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Karl Stettler von Rodt, longstanding chairman of the EC

The Evangelical Community Work (EGW) is a pietistic community and renewal movement within the Evangelical Reformed Church of the Canton of Bern . It wants to convey a true-to-life faith in Jesus Christ and values ​​of the Bible and the Gospel to people of all ages, promote people and create community.

history

Under the influence of the Réveil , that of Geneva outgoing West Swiss revivalism that was on 3 September 1831 in Bern Lutheran Society of the Canton of Bern (ETUC) was founded. It consciously wanted to be an internal church gathering movement of the evangelical reformed faith, which turned against theological liberalism, which denied or weakened the cross, resurrection and second coming of Christ. The goal was to follow Christ through mission, evangelism, expanding the kingdom of God, and personal renewal. The first meetings of around 50 people took place in the house of the blind Eisi ( Elisabeth Kohler ) in the old town of Bern. Other long-standing spiritual leaders of the ETUC in the 19th century were the first president Karl Stettler-von Rodt (1802-1870), the revival preacher Elias Schrenk (1879-1886) and the theologian Franz Eugen Schlachter (1882-1907), the translator of the butchers -Bibel , who sold the magazine Brosamen von des Herr Tisch to the community in 1893 . This still exists today under the name wort + warch .

Shortly after it was founded, 20 so-called aid associations were founded throughout the canton of Bern, often headed by a pastor. Believers and interested parties were gathered and, in addition to the Sunday services, they met in Bible, prayer and missionary hours. In 1834 the first evangelist was hired for the preaching ministry, later other travel preachers followed.

Members of the Evangelical Society, who were also Bernese patricians , including Eduard von Wattenwyl , were also involved in the so-called "Zeller trade" in 1847 and unsuccessfully defended themselves against the appointment of the liberal theologian Eduard Zeller from Tübingen to the chair . They lost the judicial process and were fined, which was a major political setback. In 1866, committee member and city president Otto von Büren campaigned against the new guidelines for religious education that were to be introduced. Because he wanted a Christian guide, but he couldn't get his way. So they thought about their own new diaconal and educational institutions. The new girls 'school was founded and built up in 1851 , the youth club in 1853, the Muristalden teacher training college in 1854, now the Muristalden campus , the Lerberschule in 1859, the free high school in the city of Bern, the girls' club in 1863 and the Salem hospital in 1888 .

The missionary and preacher Elias Schrenk worked for the Evangelical Society from 1879 to 1886. He was even described as a “pioneer of evangelism” because he was one of the initiators of a pietistic revival movement in the canton of Bern, which demanded repentance and sanctification of the audience. As a result, many club houses were built, 23 preachers were hired and the meetings at 200 locations were well attended.

After this heyday, in which the mediating pastor and president Friedrich Gerber died in 1905, the state church community of the canton of Bern split off in 1908 due to differing views on being righteous and holy and in 1909 an association of the Free Blue Cross , the In 1914 it became the Evangelical Brothers Association (and has been called the Church for Christ since 2008 ).

Since 1957 women can also be accepted as members. During these years, the pastor of the Heiliggeistkirche Lorenz Lutz in Bern was active as a diaconalist and founded the telephone pastoral care with the Evangelical Society, Die Dargebotene Hand , the midnight mission, in 1973 a pastoral care and recovery home in Sursum and a station for drug addicted girls.

In 1996 the Evangelical Society of the Canton of Bern (EGB) and the Association of Regional Church Communities of the Canton of Bern (VLKG) reunited under the name of Evangelical Community Work (EGW).

Size and structure

Membership development
year 1926 1936 1946 1976 1986 1996 2006 2016
Members 2006 2102 2144 3786 3969 4510 3828 3653

Around 1900 the Evangelical Society had the most members and visitors, but figures are not available. Until 1957 only men could become members, since then women and men from the age of 17 who confess Jesus Christ as Lord. In 2016, the Evangelical Community Organization had 37 congregations, so-called districts, with 3,653 members and additional friends and visitors. 70 people work full-time or part-time in the entire plant, in the districts or in diaconal areas. The Berchtold Haller publishing house and the Hotel Sunnehüsi in Krattigen are also part of the work.

The assembly of delegates appoints the management, which consists of nine people; Monika Haldimann holds the co-presidency. The second co-presidium is vacant. The leadership is responsible for the direction of the work and makes key decisions taking into account the needs of the districts and for the promotion of the kingdom of God and his honor. The operational management is carried out by three people from the office.

The EGW sees itself as a movement within the Evangelical Reformed Church and at the same time as a bridge builder to the Evangelical Free Churches. It is a member of the Swiss Evangelical Alliance (SEA) and the Free Churches Association (VFG).

literature

  • Rudolf Dellsperger , Markus Nägeli, Hansueli Ramser: On Your Word: Contributions to the history and theology of the Evangelical Society of the Canton of Bern in the 19th century. B. Haller, Bern 1982, ISBN 3-85570-082-6 .
  • Karl-Hermann Kauffmann: Franz Eugen Schlachter, a Bible translator in the field of the sanctification movement. Johannis, Lahr 2007, ISBN 978-3-501-01568-1 .
  • Franziska Rüegsegger: The identity of the EGW - a position assessment , IGW Zurich 2008 (final thesis)

Personalities

See also

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Evangelical community work on website freikirchen.ch
  2. ^ Wilhelm Risto: Geschichte EGW / Flühli , website EGW Steffisburg , accessed on June 16, 2018.
  3. ↑ Christian Fuhrer: History of the evangelical community work EGW , history on website egw.ch , accessed on May 20, 2018.
  4. ↑ Franziska Rüegsegger: The identity of the EGW - a position determination , IGW Zurich 2008 (thesis)
  5. ↑ Membership in the EGW statutes , accessed on June 17, 2018.
  6. ↑ Head of the entire EGW plant
  7. ↑ EGW districts
  8. ↑ Portrait EGW