W a l s r o d e – Leading representatives of the Baptist World Alliance (BWA) and the German Federation of Evangelical-Free Churches have expressed their conviction that Baptists need to do more for social justice. BWA General-Secretary Dr. Denton Lotz (Falls Church near Washington) noted at the German Federation’s annual conference in Walsrode-Krelingen that worship services need to prepare us to serve others. They are superfluous if they only awaken warm feelings. We must rather follow the example of Christ: “He is the one who feeds the hungry, gives water to the thirsty and preaches the Good News to the poor.” Lotz noted several examples: “We must do more than simply be against abortion. We must also resist structures which force young men into war.” It is strange, “that those who are against abortion, often sanction war, while those who sanction abortion, are against war.” Christians should be against both. It is also not enough to simply condemn homosexuality: “We must develop a Christian understanding of human sexuality.” One cannot simply ignore the large number of divorces. We are also called to oppose Internet pornography, “which spoils many men and keeps them from finding God”. One cannot simply preach the Gospel in Africa where hundreds die daily of AIDS and leave orphans behind. In the face of such need, a “pietism of the heart” and “otherworldly spirituality” are insufficient.

The conference, attended by 1.100 delegates and visitors, featured the motto “Living Evangelistically – Looking Into and Doing” The German Federation’s President, Pastor Siegfried Grossmann (Seesen), pointed out that not only the local congregation is called to act. Important is also the matter of whether “our regional, national and global lifestyles are just or unjust”. General-Secretary Regina Claas (Elstal) noted in her report that the call to missions is “more pressing than ever”. She noted instances in which Baptists are already active in social welfare, such as the foundation “A Chance for Life”, which counsels women in problematic pregnancies, the worldwide Baptist network against human trafficking and forced prostitution and the “Micha Initiative – Joint Opposition to Poverty”. The theologian called her church in this context to “practice a modest style of living” in which prayer also plays its part.

The Federation is particularly challenged at present by developments in Chile’s “Colonia Dignidad”. Many of this controversial German colony’s 200 residents are former Baptists, who now want to return home. The colony had been formed in 1961 by the German deacon Paul Schaefer, who forced his followers to physical labour as a form of worship. Many male youth were sexually misused by Schaefer. Schaefer has been arrested and sentenced to 20 years in prison. Regina Claas added that we are tied to colony members by a common history and family ties and hope to help them begin a new life in Germany or Chile.

Pastor Friedrich Schneider (Elstal), Director of Church Development, reported that the Federation experienced modest growth during the past year, increasing from 143 (0,2%) to 85.194 members. “We’re happy about this trend, for other churches and public organisations are frequently struggling with falling memberships,” said Schneider. Trends on church attendance are also positive: roughly 83.600 of its members (98,1%) are in church on Sunday. Yet the goal must remain to increase church attendance to 100%. He also noted that increasingly more congregations are accepting Christians as members without prior adult baptism. Yet this should not be interpreted as principle acceptance of infant baptism. According to a survey, 76% of all congregations remain loyal to the traditional Baptist practice of only accepting those baptised as believers as members. Twenty-seven percent of congregations possess a “special rule for well-founded exceptions” and 7% “accept on confession of faith as members persons who were baptised as infants”.

During a word of greeting, a representative of the provincial Lutheran church of Hanover, Dr. Hans Christian Brandy, labelled the Baptist understanding of baptism a “great spiritual and ecumenical wound” He appealed for Baptists to “continue mulling over alternatives”. It is painful when Baptists “baptise baptised persons” (those baptised as infants). Brandy reported that “much movement” has occurred in Lutheran circles regarding their understanding of baptism. They are consequently “much more relaxed” on the question of Believer’s baptism and see it in a positive light: “We baptise ever more persons as older children, youth and adults”. Brandy lauded in this context the dialogue between the Community of Protestant Churches in Europe (CPCE) and the European Baptist Federation (EBF). They have concluded that “agreement exists regarding the fundamental issues of faith and our understanding of the Gospel”.

In a seminar, Pastor Dr. Heinrich Christian Rust (Braunschweig), a spokesperson for the charismatic-oriented “Spiritual Church Renewal” (Geistliche Gemeinde-Erneuerung) movement, noted that healing services, in which one reckons with God’s supernatural intervention, should be as accepted as evangelistic services. The Bible calls us to preach the Gospel and heal the sick. It reflects God’s being when people are healed. But Rust also warned of overdrawn expectations: “Not all persons will be healed.” In evangelistic meetings a congregation also does not have the power to decree conversions. Rust cautioned listeners not to search for failure within oneself or a congregation when healing does not occur: “The kingdom of God has appeared, but it is not completed.” It is not Biblical to interpret illness as punishment from God. Rust noted that miracles from God awaken and strengthen faith.

The church’s Federal Council voted to transfer the Federation’s share of the Oncken-Verlag publishing house in Kassel to the “Oncken Foundation for the Support of Evangelical-Free Church Publication”. It is not seen as the calling of a church to manage a publishing house.