Federation of Free Evangelical Churches in Germany

The Federation Free Evangelical Churches (German: Bund Freier Evangelische Gemeinde or 'Bund-FeG') is an officialy recognized church system in Germany.

Founded in 1874, the church is structred as Protestant, Congregationalist, Automomous Free Church and Independent from any state-sponsored church, (such as the Roman-Catholic and Lutheran Churches).

Today there are about 500 Free Evangelical Churches (German: Gemeinde) in Germany, with over 40,000 members.[1]

It is part of the International Federation of Free Evangelical Churches, IFFEC) with headquarters in Witten, Germany.[2]

The 'Bund-FeG' is not to be mistaken with the 'Union of Evangelical Free Churches in Germany.'

History

The idea of a free and independent Evangelical Church in German-speaking sections of Europe was thought of by Hermann Heinrich Grafe (1818-1869).

After finishing his studies to be a businessman, he became a christian believer in 1834. Graf attended churches where German Pietism was taught, (a religious movement in Germany emphasizing serious holy living, both in and out of church).

In 1841, while on business trips in France, Grafe met the theologian and pastor Adolphe Monod and attended his church in Lyon. Here, Grafe experienced a church that was free from goverment influence as well as evangelical in its doctine and practice, (similar to the system in Switzerland at the time). Grafe could experience the 'free and liberating Grace of God'. Monod and Grafe would adopt the philosophy of „Unity in essentials, freedom in unessentials, and love in everything." This motto would also be mentioned in the first Evangelical Aliance that took place in London in 1846.[3]

By 1842, Grafe returned to Prussian Rhineland and settled in Wuppertal to start a silk-trading company. Wuppertal was a heavily industrialized city by this time and had an advanced textile industry. He attended a Reformed (Calvinist) church but later felt disappointed with its practices, especially with the church's teachings about communion for both believers and non-believers, and its compulsory collection of church-taxes. He tried to explain his views and his personal experiences with the French free-church system to his Reformed leaders, but to no avail. Even the famous German Social Revolutions of 1848-1849 made no significant changes in the churches.

Finally, Grafe and a small following of like-minded friends left the Reformed Church and started the first evangelical free church in Germany in November 1854. Grafe would remain an active elder in this church until his death in 1869. He had strove for a universal alliance of free churches in Germany.[4]

After the Unification of Germany as an 'Empire' in 1871, it was possible to form a Federation of Free Evangelical Congregations in 1874, with 22 congregations of related denominations retaining their autonomy.

Further development of the Alliance of Free Evancelical Churches was strongly influenced by preacher and publisher Friedrich Fries (1856–1926).

After the Second World War, the Bund-FeG founded a bible seminary and pastoral collge in Ewersbach.[5]

Theology

Key characteristics of Free Evangelical Churches are the following:

Organization

the Free Evangelical Congregations finance themselves through donations. The individual Congregations are theologically independent and not bound by directives, but maintain a theological consensus. The Federation of Free Evangelical Congregations is divided into several regions and districts in Germany. The Federation main office is headquartered in Witten. Its business is managed by the nine-member Executive Board which also performs representative duties. The President (German:Präses) is at the head of the Executive Board.

References

  1. ^ feg.de, Christsein heute 05/2024 09/2020, 09/2014, Hartmut Weyel: Evangelisch und frei. Geschichte des Bundes Freier evangelischer Gemeinden in Deutschland. (Geschichte und Theologie der Freien evangelischen Gemeinden, Bd. 5.6). SCM Bundes-Verlag, Witten 2013, S. 345–347.
  2. ^ https://feg.de/
  3. ^ Ansgar Hörsting, Arndt Schnepper: Das FeG-Buch. Profil und Perspektiven der Freien evangelischen Gemeinden in Deutschland. 3. Auflage. SCM Bundes-Verlag, Witten 2010, S. 27.
  4. ^ Hartmut Weyel: Evangelisch und frei. Geschichte des Bundes Freier evangelischer Gemeinden in Deutschland (= Geschichte und Theologie der Freien evangelischen Gemeinden. Band 5.6), SCM Bundes-Verlag, Witten 2013, S. 19–23.
  5. ^ https://th-ewersbach.de/
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