Greek Evangelical Church
| Basic data | |
|---|---|
| Surface: | |
| Confession: | Reformed churches |
| Leading clergy: | Meletis Meletiadis |
| Membership: | World Fellowship of Reformed Churches |
| Church districts : | |
| Parishes : | |
| Parishioners: | approx. 5,000 |
| Share of the total population: |
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| Official Website: | gec.gr |
The Greek Evangelical Church ( Greek Ελληνική Ευαγγελική Εκκλησία , EEE ) is a Reformed Church . It is the first evangelical congregation that arose in Greece .
history
prehistory
The Greek Evangelical Church sees itself in the succession of the reform efforts of the Syrian dynasty in the 8th century and of Patriarch Kyrillos Loukaris in the 17th century, who translated the New Testament into the Greek language of the time and was guided by Calvinism . In addition, it refers to the theological approaches of Adamantios Korais (Αδαμάντιος Κοραής), Theoklitos Farmakidis (Θεόκλητος Φαρμακίδης) and Neofytos Vamvas (Νεόφυτος Βεόφυτος Βάμβας) for the renewal of the Orthodox Church .
Beginnings
The first steps towards the establishment of an evangelical community in Greece happened in 1828 with the arrival of the missionary Jonas King . The year 1858 became essential for the work of the Greek Evangelical Church. In this year the journal Astir tis Anatolis (Αστήρ της Ανατολής - Star of the East) was published by the doctor and theologian Michail Kalopothakis .
In 1871 the First Greek Evangelical Church (Α 'Ελληνική Ευαγγελική Εκκλησία - Proti Elliniki Evangeliki Ekklisia) was built in Athens , opposite the Olympieion (Athens) , where it is still located today. Soon afterwards, churches sprang up in Thessaloniki , Piraeus , Volos and Ioannina . In 1883 the congregations held the first Synod of the Evangelical Churches (Σύνοδος των Ευαγγελικών Εκκλησιών) in Volos. At this synod they founded their association.
Another evangelical movement emerged a little later under the Greeks in Pontos , from around 1867 in Asia Minor . During this time, communities emerged in Pontus , in Cappadocia , in the vicinity of Izmir (Σμύρνη) and in Constantinople . The most important personality of the communities in Asia Minor was Xenofon Moschou (Ξενοφών Μόσχου). In Asia Minor, the evangelical Greeks were expelled by the Turks and fought and many testified to their faith with their lives, for example, Paulos Pavlidis (Παύλος Παυλίδης) from Kayseri and Charalambos Bostandzoglou (Χαράλαμπος Μποσταντζόγλου) from Adana in Cilicia .
During the Asia Minor Catastrophe
In 1922, when the Greek population was expelled during the Asia Minor catastrophe (Μικρασιατική καταστροφή), the Protestant Greeks either fled to the existing congregations on the Greek mainland or founded new congregations themselves in the places they went to. The largest of these communities arose in Katerini , where the refugee association Synikismos Evangelikon (Συνοικισμός Ευαγγελικών) was founded. In 1924 an association was created that included all parishes and from which the Greek Evangelical Church was created at a synod in 1938 as a unit that still exists today.
theology
The Greek Evangelical Church considers the Holy Scriptures to be its highest and ultimate authority in questions of faith and life., And uses the Nicano-Constantinopolitanum as a creed without the addition of Filioque . It represents a conservative or orthodox theology, for example with regard to the Trinity , the divinity of Jesus Christ, and agrees with the other Christian churches on all essential issues. It is particularly close to the Presbyterian and Reformed churches. The same focus of teaching distinguishes it as the "Evangelical" Church, as one can easily see from the following main tenets:
- Μόνο η Αγία Γραφή - Through the Holy Scriptures alone (moni i agia grafi): Holy Scripture is the only spiritual revelation of God and through it the highest and final answers for faith and life are given.
- Μόνο ο Χριστός -– Only through Jesus Christ (mono o christos): Jesus Christ is the only mediator between God and man, the only way to God.
- Μόνο η χάρη - Only through grace (mono i chari): The initiative of justification of man comes from God alone.
- Μόνο η πίστη - Only through faith (mono i pisti): A person cannot work out the gift of grace or acquire it through good works. Faith that trusts in the work of Christ makes the way and is the means of salvation.
The summary of the Creed is based very closely on the Westminster Creed .
Ecumenical Relations
The church is deeply connected to the ecumenical movement . Their area of distribution coincides with that of the Church of Greece , and the relations are meanwhile - depending on the local staff - friendly. Relationships are particularly good with the Waldensians , and the Church is represented in the Community of Evangelical Churches in Europe , the Conference of European Churches , the World Fellowship of Reformed Churches and the World Council of Churches . In Greece it belongs to the All- Greek Evangelical Association (Πανελλήνιος Ευαγγελικός Σύνδεσμος - Panellinios Evangelikos Syndesmos), which unites Evangelical churches, churches of the Pentecostal movement and the Brethren movement .
organization
The General Synod of the Church meets twice a year. It consists of the members of the two regional synods: the "Southern" (Νότια) and the "Northern" (Βόρεια), which are composed of the pastors and elders of a total of 23 congregations. In the United States there is the Synod of North America (η Σύνοδος της Βορείου Αμερικής). The chairman of the synod is one of the pastors, currently Meletis Meletiadis. The church has approximately 5-6,000 members and 30 churches. The largest congregations are in Athens ( First Greek Evangelical Church , Second Greek Evangelical Church ) and in Katherini (approx. 1,500 members).
The Ε.Ε.Ε. abroad
The Greek Evangelical Church undertakes missionary work in western Albania and Bulgaria . There are also churches in Cyprus , Germany , Canada, and the United States . Savvas Karipidis (since 1963) is the pastor of the Greek Evangelical Church in Germany.
activities
Besides community work, the main activities are diaconal and ecological programs. For several years, especially refugee work in Athens. In addition, she operates drug withdrawal treatments , an old people's home and a women's shelter. This also includes the accompanying program Kathari Poli (Καθαρή Πόλη, Clean City), various workshops and music festivals. She also runs recreational camps for children and young people at the Argos Zodhiates Bible Camp in Leptokarya (Λεπτοκαρυά) and in Kalamos . For research on the history of the Evangelical Movement in Greece, it maintains the Greek Historical Evangelical Archive (Ελληνικό Ιστορικό Ευαγγελικό Αρχείο - elliniko istoriko evangeliko archeio).
In 2010, as a flagship project of the First Evangelical Congregation in Athens, a church planting project was launched in a socially problematic area in Athens ( Exarchia ). In addition, social projects such as O Kerameas (Ο Κεραμεας) or the aid association Cheiria voithias (χειρα βοηθειας) arise from the environment of the church . The Church places particular emphasis on catechetics and youth work (Κίνηση Ευαγγελικής Νεολαίας - kinisi evangelikis neoleas).
In 2008 the Greek Historical Evangelical Archive was founded.
Publications
- Astir tis Anatolis (Αστήρ της Ανατολής), January 2002.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Peter Hintzoglou: Reformed Communities in on Eastern Orthodox Culture. Fuller Theological Seminary, 1969, pp. 87-90.
- ↑ Σύντομο Ιστορικό της Α 'Ε.Ε.Ε. ( Memento from October 17, 2008 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ M. Θαβωρίτης: Παύλος Ιακώβου Παυλίδης. 1985.
- ↑ MB Κυριακάκης: Πρωτοπορεία και Πρωτοπόροι. 1985.
- ↑ Ομολογία Πίστεως της Ελληνικής Ευαγγελικής Εκκλησίας
- ↑ Leaflet: Μην κρίνεις την αξία από το μέγεθος ... First Greek Evangelical Congregation Athens (Έκδοση της Α 'Ελληνικής Ευαγγγελικής Εκκλησίας)
- ↑ Τα Τέσσερα Σημεία , αναλυτικά από την επίσημη σελίδα της Α 'Ελληνικής Ευαγγελικής Εκκλησίας ( Memento of 17 October 2008 at the Internet Archive )
- ↑ Mission ( Memento of the original from August 14, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. on the website of the GEK
- ↑ Το Σωματείο Υποστήριξης και Αποκατάστασης Εκδιδόμενων Ατόμων "Νέα Ζωή" που σχετίζεται με τις Ευαγγελικές εκκλησίες παρέχει βοήθεια και πληροφορίες εδώ και 11 χρόνια σε ιερόδουλες και τραβεστί. Εφημερίδα Κυριακάτικη Ελευθεροτυπία , March 14, 2010, p. 45.
- ↑ Εξάρχεια , aeee.gr
- ↑ greekhelsinki.gr ( Memento of the original from September 25, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
