Germany

Germany conjures up images of stately cathedrals and ancient castles, reminiscent of a past in which Teutonic knights protected their lords’ lands and in which Christianity played a central role in society. The Reformation was sparked when a German monk named Martin Luther posted his 95 theses calling for reform in the Catholic church on the door of the Wittenberg Castle in 1517. His reading of the book of Romans convinced him that one could be born again spiritually only by grace through faith in Christ alone.

The Reformation was spurred on by the invention of the printing press in Germany and subsequent printing of the first books ever, including the Bible, in the language of the people—German, not Latin. The authority of the church and papacy was challenged as people had the opportunity to read and interpret the Scriptures for themselves.

In Protestantism people discovered that they could approach God without the mediation of the church and its priests. Luther’s influence was far-reaching and led to the writing of hymns and the development of congregational singing, expanded education for both men and women, a focus on expository preaching and the teaching of the Scriptures, and the encouragement to marry and raise a family—even among priests.

A Pagan Land with Christian Residue

With a history like that, one might expect Germany to be a country filled with Bible-believing citizens who follow Jesus wholeheartedly, but nothing could be further from the truth. In 1992, Der Spiegel, Germany’s Time magazine, reported the results of a nationwide religious survey and concluded: “Germany has become a pagan land with Christian residue.”

Decades of liberal theology have gutted the church of Gospel power and left it weak and impotent. Although interest in New Age philosophy and Eastern religions is growing, most Germans have little use for and little interest in Christianity beyond the traditional cultural “requirements” of getting baptized and confirmed. Once they complete their religious instruction, many say good-bye to the church forever. In fact, both the Catholic and Lutheran churches are losing members at a steady clip.

“Germany’s Catholic Church lost 216,078 members and Protestant churches lost some 220,000 in 2018,” according to data published by the German Bishops Conference and the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD).

“In total, around 23 million German citizens are still members of the Catholic Church and 21.14 million are members of the Protestant churches. The two groups account for 53.2% of the country’s total population of over 83 million.” – excerpt from “German churches lose 430,000 Catholic and Protestant members in 2018”, dw.com

Bright Spot on the Horizon

Although the picture is bleak, there are exciting things happening in Germany. The German Evangelical Free Church, or Bund Freier evangelischer Gemeinden (FeG) in German, is one of the few denominations in the country experiencing growth.

TEAMers have been involved in a synergistic partnership with the FeG for over 25 years and have planted FeG churches in Rödermark, Kriftel, Oberursel, Mannheim, Kaiserslautern, Ramstein, Neuburg a.d. Donau and Mainburg. At the end of 2015, the FeG concluded work on its 10-year vision of seeing 100 new churches planted; as of January 2016, 69 new FeG churches had been started.

Although the ten-year period has passed, TEAM-Germany continues to work hand-in-hand with the FeG to start dynamic, new churches that will be known for their atmosphere of grace and concern for outsiders. For example, TEAMers launched the FeG Dresden-South in 2016 and have been encouraged with the development of this new fellowship as of May 2021.

One TEAM Germany worker completed a short survey trip in early 2012 and identified over ten locations where FeG Christians want to start new churches; their lack of leadership was the only thing holding them back. After his trip, this TEAM missionary pastor remarked: “I wish I could clone myself and help them all.” What about you? Could you make a difference in Germany? We are convinced that there are other Christians out there whom God wants to use in building His kingdom in Germany. Drop us a line and we might be able to link you with a great opportunity (even if you don’t see it listed on our opportunities page).