Michael Hahn community
The Michael Hahn'sche Gemeinschaft ("Hahn'sche Brüder", "Michelianer") is a gathering movement of Protestant Christians that emerged from Swabian Pietism .
history
The community goes back to the farmer's son Johann Michael Hahn (1758–1819). At the age of 20 he experienced his first Zentralschau ( vision ). Others followed, of which he spoke in meetings. Many people flocked to the so-called edification hours during which Hahn interpreted the Bible . Only after Michael Hahn's death did they give themselves the name Michael Hahn'sche Gemeinschaft . At the beginning of the 19th century , some of these communities even wanted to separate from the Evangelical Church in Württemberg and emigrate to the Holy Land in order to await the near Kingdom of God. Hahn prevented both mass emigration and a separation of the community from the regional church. Hahn is the author of approx. 2000 song texts, which are to be sung on common chorale melodies.
organization
Today the communities are mainly represented in the old Württemberg and northern Baden region. There are 225 local congregations. These are grouped together regionally in 24 community districts. Membership is around 3500. There is no formal membership. The community offers retreats for younger and older brothers, for mothers, for other sisters and for children. The hour visitors mostly belong to the Protestant parish of their place of residence.
The Community, as a registered association with headquarters in Böblingen organized. It is concerned about independence and has therefore not joined the Evangelical Gnadauer Community Association, although its members maintain friendly personal relationships with members of other communities. It publishes the internal periodical An die Glieder der M. Hahn'schen Gemeinschaft . An internet presence is deliberately avoided. There is no public relations work. What is desired, however, is the readiness for a growing life of faith. In this the Christian is to be led through the work of the Holy Spirit to self and world denial as well as to sanctification and Christ-likeness.
Practice and teaching
In addition to attending the divine service on Sunday morning, they also meet regularly in the afternoon for one hour ( Bible study ). Most of the time, meeting rooms are provided by a member. The meeting is often small, so the lesson can take place in a living room. Here they sing songs the majority of which were composed by Hahn, pray, read a section from the Bible and then interpret, contemplate or sermon on this text. From ancient times the lyrics of the song were read out line by line and afterwards the line of the song is sung by the congregation, then a line is read out again etc. If possible, the song is accompanied by a harmonium or piano. This practice of reading is a differentiator from the lesson in other pietistic communities who mostly use song books. This practice was born out of necessity and is a reminder of the development of the community at a time when most of the members were simple and poor farmers and could not or would not afford a songbook and Hahn's lyrics were not yet available in print. So you could hold the lesson alone with a copy of the lyrics. The organization of the assemblies is, however, up to the individual assemblies and in recent decades many congregations have turned away from this practice and use Hahn's songbook.
The explanatory texts come from Michael Hahn, from brothers of the community or from the fathers of Pietism such as Friedrich Christoph Oetinger . This is followed by the oral interpretation of the brothers present . Only brothers and not sisters speak in the general hours of edification, which is justified by 1 Cor. 14: 34-35 and 1 Tim. 2:12. Brothers and sisters sit separately in the "hour". Scripture is to be regarded as the only norm of truth. It is considered to be "entered literally from the first to the last sheet". In addition to the regular, mostly weekly hours, there are also regional get-togethers, such as the monthly , brother and sister hours . In Schömberg-Langenbrand, the community has its own bible home with "Haus Ecker". What is striking about the members of the community is that the sisters wear long, often braided hair or hair tied to a “pietist bulb” (“knot” / “bun”) and not pants, but skirts or dresses, which reflects their understanding of being a woman according to God's order of creation should testify and is also justified with Deuteronomy 22: 5. Woman's clothing should be modest and feminine. The struggle for seriousness in following Jesus, as well as a disciplined and humble lifestyle and “merciful love” are viewed as more essential by the community itself. The community has given itself orders and rules in a community order that should be based on the words of Jesus and the letters of the apostles. In the Christian ethics developed from this, for example, television and the use of other media for entertainment as well as “enthusiastic goings-on” (charismatics) are rejected. In the changes and upheavals of our time, signs of the end times are seen. Against this background, the "rich inheritance inherited from the fathers" is to be preserved and the "character of the community purely preserved" (quotations from the community order).
In public elections, members of the community are advised to cast their votes according to their own conscience. Further political engagement is not advised, however, as the party system is not conducive to inner life. It is best to stay away from political gatherings. The task of the members of the community is the intercession, also for those politically responsible (cf. community order).
Unlike many evangelical communities, Hahn's teaching officially advocates the restoration of all things at the end of the ages.
See also
literature
The community self-publishes the writings of Michael Hahn and other brothers. They are available through the community and are not available in bookshops.
- The beginnings of the M. Hahn community. M. Hahn'sche Gemeinschaft, Böblingen 2001.
- The Hahn community. Their creation and development since then with a series of life images. 2 vols. Edited by the M. Hahn'schen Gemeinschaft in Stuttgart. 2nd Edition. Quellverlag, Stuttgart 1949/1951.
- Faith and Life - A Catechism (of the Hahn community). M. Hahn'sche Gemeinschaft, Böblingen 2004.
- Community order of the M. Hahn community. 3. Edition. M. Hahn'sche Gemeinschaft, Böblingen 2000.