ABOUT US
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In church history the Pentecostal movement sees itself as a link in a chain of God-given spiritual movements throughout the centuries, beginning with the first church in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2).
In recent history our roots are in the Holiness movement of the 19th century and in the Pentecostal revival of the 20th century. Worldwide the Pentecostal movement forms the largest sector of Protestant persuasion. In Europe, Pentecostalism is well represented in the Scandinavian countries. There are a large number of Pentecostals in Italy, France, Romania and Russia as well. In Germany the Pentecostal movement was born out of the Gemeinschaftsbewegung and from spiritual influences from Wales and Scandinavia at the brink of the 20th century. Different branches of Pentecostalism emerged in the years following. During these formative years the separate groups had little association with each other. This began to change towards the end of the seventies through national and international conferences which brought the leaders of the different German Pentecostal groups closer together. These meetings and the need for a common platform led to the formation of the Forum Freikirchlicher Pfingstgemeinden (FFP). The FFP was established in 1979 by the following five Pentecostal church groups (current names):
Mülheimer Verband Freikirchlich-Evangelischer Gemeinden
Bund Freikirchlicher Pfingstgemeinden
Volksmission entschiedener Christen
Gemeinde Gottes (Church of God)
Apostolische Kirche - Urchristliche Mission (Apostolic Church)
In the ensuing years other groups have joined:
Vereinigte Missionsfreunde, Freudenthal
Jugend-, Missions- und Sozialwerk, Altensteig
Gemeinde der Christen Ecclesia, Solingen
Internationale Jesusgemeinde, Langen (Church of God of Prophecy)
The Pentecostal churches in Europe established the Pentecostal European Fellowship (PEF). The PEF has several ministry branches which cooperate throughout Europe:
PEC - Pentecostal European Conference, which meets every 3 years
EPRO - European Pentecostal Relief Organization
PEM - Pentecostal European Mission
EPTA - European Pentecostal Theological Association
EPPA - European Pentecostal Press Agency
Alpha + Omega Television Ministry
The World Pentecostal Conference (WPC) is held worldwide every three years.
BIBLE - We believe that the Bible is the inspired and infallible word of God.
GOD - We believe in the existence of one God, who in eternity and in three Persons was, is and remains: The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
JESUS - We believe in the virgin birth, sinless life, and the atoning death of the Lord Jesus Christ; His bodily resurrection from the dead, His triumphant ascension to the right hand of God and constant intercession on behalf of His people, and that He will return for the gathering of His church and for the completion of all things.
REDEMPTION - We believe that man fell from his original state of righteousness and that his only hope of redemption is through the shed blood of Jesus Christ the Son of God. Salvation is obtained through repentance of sin and faith in the Lord Jesus, a work of the Holy Spirit and free gift of God. This conversion experience is biblically referred to as being born again.
BAPTISM - We believe that all who repent of their sins and believe in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savoir are to be baptized by immersion in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. (Mark 16:16)
CHURCH - We believe that all true believers belong to the church of Jesus Christ. We believe that every born again and baptized Christian should be a member of a local biblical church.
BAPTISM IN THE HOLY SPIRIT - We believe in the baptism in the Holy Spirit according to Acts 2:4
FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT - We believe that a true Christian, through the power of redemption, endeavors to lead a sacred life which is recognizable by the fruit of the Spirit according to Gal. 5.22
SPIRITUAL GIFTS - We believe that God through His Spirit gives ministering gifts to His church for the edification of the believer, the building up of the church and the equipping for service.(1 Cor. 12:4-6)
HEALING - We believe that redemption includes the healing of illness through divine intervention.
RESURRECTION - We believe in the resurrection from the dead. Those who accept God's salvation in Jesus Christ will rise to eternal glory. Those who reject Christ will rise to eternal damnation.
At the beginning of the 20th century a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit in many parts of the world caused an increase in biblical belief, spiritual experience and missions which brought forth Pentecostal churches on every continent. The following had a strong influence on the formation and development of the Pentecostal movement in Germany:
· the spiritual awakening in North America
· the revival in Wales (1904/1905)
· the rise of Pentecostal churches in Scandinavia with their missionary activities
· the ministry of German Americans who in the subsequent years returned to Germany, their home-country, with the Pentecostal experience and message
The birth of the Pentecostal movement in Germany took place in 1906 - 1908 and was accompanied by severe quarrels within the evangelical mainstream. Subsequently leaders and churches were expelled when the "Berliner Erklärung" was formulated in 1909. This led to the first organisation of Pentecostal Churches in Germany called "Mülheimer Verband Freikirchlich-Evangelischer Gemeinden" (current name). As well as this union other Pentecostal churches and associations of churches began to develop. The twenties and thirties proved to be an important and lively foundational phase for Germany's Pentecostal movement:
· since 1922 the ELIM-Gemeinden (H. Vietheer/H. Dittert)
· since 1928 the Freien Christengemeinden (G. Kinderman/A. Bergholz)
· since 1934 the Volksmission entschiedener Christen (K. Fix/K. Keck/ P. Gassner)
· since 1937 the Gemeinde Gottes (H. Lauster) - Church of God
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During the period of the Nazi-Regime many Pentecostal churches were banned and suppressed. The great devastation of the Second World War (1939 - 1945) resulted in the death and displacement of millions of people. A large number of church buildings were destroyed and many congregations ceased to exist. The nation of Germany was divided between East (DDR) and West (BRD). This also greatly influenced the development of Pentecostalism. To avoid the closing of their churches the Elim-federation joined the Baptist- and Brethren-Churches forming a common Federation (BEFG) in 1941.
In East-Germany (DDR) the Elim-Churches remained a part of the Federation until the end of the communist period. The Mülheimer churches did not survive and were closed by the communists in 1951.
In West Germany (BRD) Pentecostalism had a different development. Among the approximate 19 million refugees fleeing to the west from the eastern parts of Germany (East Prussia, Pomerania, Silesia), other Eastern European countries and the Balkans, came many Pentecostal believers who did not only strengthen the surviving churches in the west, but also established new congregations as well.
In the fifties and sixties the Pentecostal churches in West Germany experienced a special move of the Holy Spirit marked by intensive prayer and seeking for God. Many believers experienced the Baptism in the Holy Spirit and began to exercise spiritual gifts. This move of the Spirit was accompanied by a pursuit for unity and increased evangelistic activity throughout the country (tent-evangelization).
The Lord raised up a number of gifted evangelists at this period who served the Pentecostal movement in the anointing of the Spirit. Some of the better known ones are the following: Karl Fix, Hermann Zeiss, Hal Herman, Hans Waldvogel, Hermann Dittert, Hans Krapp, Reinhold Ulonska, Ernst Tanner, Albert Sänger, Jost Müller-Bohn, Gerhard Klemm, Gottlob Ling, Karl-Otto Böhringer, Waldemar Sardaczuk, Reinhard Bonnke, Helmut Füssle, Erich Theis and Volkhard Spitzer.
The Jesus People movement of the seventies gave new stimulus to Pentecostalism and presented the challenge of reaching Germany's youth. Many churches began to open up to the youth on the street and to their needs, particularly through coffee house ministries, film and music events. (David Wilkerson / Teen Challenge).
The Charismatic movement in the seventies brought a fresh wind of the Holy Spirit which impacted not only Pentecostalism, but the traditional churches as well. Believers in the traditional churches who experienced the reality of the Holy Spirit began to embrace the teachings of Pentecostalism. As a result Pentecostal teaching and experience received broad attention and found greater acceptance. Even though the Charismatic movement can be classified as a part of Pentecostalism, many charismatic churches have a distinct style of worship and spiritual emphasis which differ from traditional Pentecostalism. This has proven to be both an enrichment as well as a point of conflict in local congregations. In essence the fresh wind of the Spirit was and remains a necessary and invigorating process for Pentecostalism in Germany.
From the outset the Pentecostal movement did not place high priority on organizational matters. Instead, great importance was given to the autonomy of the local church. Pragmatic organizational concerns took form as needs developed in the various facets of Pentecostalism. Today in the BFP there is an expedient and healthy structure of organization that allows both cooperation and solidarity among the local congregations as well as creativity and diversity.
from Ingolf Ellßel, Superintendent of the BFP
1. In Acts 2:4 it is written: "All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them." Praying in the spirit is the initial evidence or witness of being baptized in the Holy Spirit. This is the supernatural sign which was promised in the Bible. Everybody who "prays in the spirit" makes himself and others aware that God still fulfills His word. In Acts 10 we read what convinced the Jewish Christians that the Gentiles in Cornelius' house had received the Holy Spirit. "For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God." (Ver. 46)
2. The Bible teaches us about the spiritual benefit of speaking in tongues: "He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself…." (1 Cor. 14:4). The original meaning of the word edify (to build up) in today's vernacular can be better understood as "to electrify" as in charging up a battery. Here we are talking about a charge of strength for the inner man or the born again spirit of a person. One is not constantly running out of energy and needing to have his spiritual "batteries" recharged, but one does use up strength in every day living and continually needs more to be "charged". Other Bible commentators refer to this point as being "tanked up" or "filled" with the Spirit.
3. "For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, …." (1 Cor. 14:14). The Bible teaches us that man's fall in sin resulted in his spiritual death. Jesus proclaimed the new birth of the human spirit (John 3:6+7). Every gift that God has given humanity needs to be exercised and developed, whether the body, mind... or also the regenerated spirit. By speaking in tongues, it is the spirit that prays, a healthy exercise which bares good spiritual fruit.
4. The mind finds rest, " ... but my mind is unfruitful." (1 Cor. 14:14). From childhood on our minds are trained. Through the many years of school and study the development of the mind is measured by tests, grades and school reports. Whoever wants to succeed in life must learn to think and do it quick and exact. These are certainly important traits. Yet the Bible tells us: "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding." (Prov. 3:5). Indeed this speaks from a trusting relationship with the Lord who has power over heaven and earth. Speaking in tongues fosters trust in the spirit towards God. The mind is not switched off for good, but comes to a place of rest. Heaven forbid that we would dismiss one of His good gifts.
5. Speaking in tongues reminds us of the presence of God's Spirit. "And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever - the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you." (John 14:16+17). In my home as a pastor I unintentionally became aware of an outburst of rage from my 17-year-old daughter. As she came screaming into the room where I was sitting and saw me there, she turned red with embarrassment and apologized for her behavior. I drew her attention to the fact that not only was I present, but the Holy Spirit who dwells within her and suggested that she not need to be ashamed because of me, but because of Him. Whoever prays in tongues has an audible reminder of the presence of the Holy Spirit who dwells within.
6. When we pray in tongues, we pray in accordance to God's perfect will. "In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will." This verse from Romans 8:26+27 gives us another valid reason to pray in tongues. We often do not know how we should pray, but the Spirit knows. Sometimes He directs our prayer as we pray in our normal language. Sometimes He does this "with groans that words cannot express."
7. Our faith is strengthened. "But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit." (Jude 20). One whose faith is struggling, who is enduring affliction or standing before an important decision, may edify and build himself up in faith by praying in the Holy Spirit.
8. "If there is no interpreter, the speaker should keep quiet in the church…" at this point many Bible interpreters stop quoting the Bible. But the verse continues… "and speak to himself and God." (1 Cor 14:28). As people say: "Talk is silver, silence is golden." Where there is a lot of talking, sin will not be far off. "… but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison." (James 3:8). Would it not be great to have a language with which one has never sinned. In daily living we need to keep our "big mouth" under control, but for ourselves, inwardly, we can pray to God in tongues. This causes no outward damage, only inner gain.
9. "For anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God. Indeed, no one understands him; he utters mysteries with his spirit." (1 Cor 14:2) It is good that we do not need to know everything. Many things take care of themselves without our worrying about them. We often do not know how we should pray, but in the spirit we talk to God about the mysteries in the situations and challenges of our life. In our spirit we gain a sense of what tomorrow may hold, even to the point of prophetic perception. An inner assurance arises about things which we could not have ever known or have not yet seen. "The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children." (Romans 8:16)
10. Whoever prays in the spirit, gives praise and thanksgiving to God, without the limitation of words. In 1 Cor. 14:17we read in Paul's teaching on the subject that we can give thanks to God in the spirit. How often do we find ourselves quickly at the end of our words when it comes time to offer God a worthy praise and thanksgiving. In verse 17, Paul uses the expression "you may be giving thanks well enough...." It is understood that thanksgiving in the spirit is in essence beautiful and meaningful.