Thinking back to the momentum that the Reformation generated in its early decades, who would have thought that this upcoming decade of quincentennial celebrations would take place in countries that are now all but bereft of the gospel?
The Western European decline of almost all recognizable expressions of the Christian faith has become proverbial. In particular, in Germany’"the Land of the Reformation"’the familiar-looking steeples and church bells sounding forth into the night are but tragic reminders of an all-too-distant past. "Luther Festivals" and "Reformationfests" are often organized by those who are less convinced of the utter irrelevance of the Reformation as they are of the opportunity for commerce.
What happened? What caused this transformation of Western Europe from the erstwhile cradle of the Reformation to one of the most secular places on earth within just over two centuries? Many reasons could be listed. Among them would have to be a number of developments preceded by the adjective "German": German Enlightenment, German higher criticism of the Bible, German liberalism, and finally, not entirely disconnected, the havoc of two world wars. These all go a long way in explaining the current climate in much of Western Europe, especially in Germany.
Today in Germany, we are faced with the challenging combination of an aggressive New Atheism, constant Muslim immigration, negative population growth, and a dwindling Christian presence. The Lutheran and Reformed (or United) "state churches"’ that is, the officially recognized and tax-funded Protestant church bodies’apostatized and morphed into sub-Christian social institutions long ago. Even those churchly groups who have left the sinking ship decades ago are now deteriorating. According to most statistics, evangelical believers comprise less than one percent of the total German population, with no recognizable growth. And most of these would-be evangelical believers have little or no actual connection with the Reformation faith and history. In the midst of these circumstances, we have partnered together and launched a renewed endeavor at bringing Reformation to Germany.
Reformation2Germany is a churchly and concerted endeavor to establish a Reformed church in Germany, spearheaded by German pastors and ordained missionaries, and with the help and advice of ministers and the support of churches from different Reformed and Presbyterian denominations both in Europe and in the United States. The goal is simple and straightforward: (1) plant confessional Reformed churches in strategic locations in Germany that build on a robust Word and Sacrament ministry and will eventually form a denomination; (2) publish Reformed resources, both popular and academic, contemporary as well as classics; and (3) facilitate the training of pastors/church planters. We believe all these things need to happen for a work of the Reformation to be sustained. Since there is currently no confessional Reformed denomination in Germany, with the first church plants we are laying the ground work for a new Reformed denomination that stands in continuity with the old Reformed church of Germany that gave us the Heidelberg Catechism.
As I write, we are looking back with thankfulness on the first year of our church-planting effort in Heidelberg, Germany. The Lord has provided a small but steady group of believers who meet regularly for public worship in a rented facility downtown. We have seen the firstfruits of the labor, received the first members, and are hoping soon to train the first officers. Simultaneously, there are a number of potential candidates for ministry in other cities in Germany: German pastors-in-training whom we hope to see ordained in the next few years, if the Lord so leads, as well as candidates for full-time missionary service in Germany.
What a joy it is to preach God's unmerited grace for sinners in the gospel of justification by faith alone, the same message that Luther so ably rediscovered. What a joy it is to teach the Heidelberg Catechism by which our Reformed forebears so ably summarized the Reformed faith as the Christian faith, and to do it in the City of Heidelberg. What a joy it is to celebrate the rich Reformation history and heritage we have here, by appropriating it for the present. But how sad that so few are doing it!
Please join us in bringing another Reformation to Germany. We are looking for churches with concern for Western Europe to partner with us in finances and prayer.
Let us partner together and pray fervently that in another hundred years’Deo volente‘there would be a decade of the six-hundredth celebration of the Reformation in Germany by many vibrant churches! Soli Deo gloria!
