East German Churches Face New Issues

Evangelicals in East Germany have traditionally had little good to say about the government-recognized Lutheran church. Since the end of World War II, membership in the official church has declined from more than 16 million (almost the entire population) to under 8 million. And until recently, it has had little influence in the affairs of daily life.

But the Lutheran church, the “Landeskirche,” was a rallying point for the the country’s recent sweeping political changes. And many evangelicals—comprising mainly Baptist, Brethren, Pentecostal, and evangelical free-church denominations that account for about 1 percent of the population—are giving credit where it is due.

“I am astounded at the accomplishments of the Lutheran church,” said one layman, active in a charismatic group. “Although one cannot say it is a decidedly Christian movement that has caused the changes, it was definitely a brave and bold stand that the church took. I’m a bit embarrassed at my past prejudices against the state church.”

Within Protestant denominations there seems to be a sense of guilt over their relative passivity in the demonstrations and related activities. Conversely, it appears that the Lutheran church, which had been declining not only numerically but in terms of influence, has gained renewed respect among the East German people.

New Opportunities

Clearly, however, Christians of all stripes, amid the jubilation, relief, and astonishment from recent developments, are suddenly wrestling with various new issues and challenges. Perhaps the biggest challenge is to move beyond the bitter hurt of the past. As one pastor put it, “The crimes of the past government hit each one of us personally. The East German people, and especially we Christians, must deal with that hurt.” Church leaders regard this time as an opportunity to point to the gospel as the unique instrument of reconciliation and forgiveness.

The challenge of overcoming the past is especially difficult considering that those who once were part of an oppressive system are now among those most in need of ministry. According to church leaders, several party officials have committed suicide. One evangelical free-church pastor reported that some party members in his community have come to the church for suicide counseling. Another church leader told of two close relatives, both party members, who are experiencing deep turmoil and personal crisis as a result of the recent changes. Those who had built their lives around the Communist party and its ideologies have had their worlds shattered and are searching for new answers.

Within this climate, Christians are calling for creative and relevant forms of evangelism. They recognize that the mood of the country has been transformed, almost overnight, from fear to boldness.

Believers are also wrestling with the question of how to be active in social and political endeavors, a question that was unheard of in past decades of one-party rule.

Enter Materialism

It was the six-year old daughter of an East German youth pastor who innocently called attention to yet another new challenge for the church. After a one-day outing in “the other Germany,” she remarked, “It is a lot nicer to go shopping in West Berlin.”

East Germans can now see with their own eyes the discrepancies in living standards that have existed on opposite sides of the Berlin Wall. But some are concerned about the side effects of political freedom—such as Western materialism, pornography, and drugs—all of which may well carve out a niche in the church’s agenda.

Amid the new challenges, Christians, along with their countrymen, appear to be savoring the joy of newfound freedoms. But they also anticipate further instability in the months ahead. And they appear to be keenly aware that the gospel message finds its most eager listeners in such unsettled times as these.

By Tom Keppeler in East Germany.

CAPITAL CURRENTS

Capital Currents is a periodic feature highlighting news fromCT’s Washington office.

Congressional update

As Congress returns from its holiday recess, it faces a myriad of controversial issues pushed aside during the fall budget crunch, including:

• Child Care. After bitter bickering and failure to work out a compromise in conference committee, Congress decided to postpone action on the evolving child-care bill until after Christmas. Church/state regulations and methods of financing the bill will continue to be the sticklers when Congress picks up the debate again, perhaps this month.

• Antidiscrimination. The House also put off action on the “Americans with Disabilities Act,” though it was passed by the Senate. The bill underwent several revisions working its way through the Senate.

• Abortion. The “Freedom of Choice Act,” which would prohibit all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories from substantially restricting abortion, was introduced late last fall. Action on school-based health clinics is also expected this spring.

• Environment. Clean-air bills made progress in both House and Senate committees, but still await full chamber action.

Included in the budget packages passed just before the recess were an amendment sponsored by Sen. Dan Coats (R-Ind.) that severely restricts Dial-a-Porn services and an amendment sponsored by Sen. William Armstrong (R-Colo.) that exempts religious schools in the District of Columbia from mandatory subsidy of homosexual groups. The Armstrong Amendment was supported on Capitol Hill by several evangelical groups, including the National Association of Evangelicals, the Christian College Coalition, and the Christian Legal Society.

Embryo imbroglio

A new congressional report recommends that the federal government resume providing funds for research on in vitro fertilization. The funds have been held up since 1980 when all members of the Ethics Advisory Board, which must approve such funds, were fired. No new members have been appointed in the intervening years.

“Research is needed to improve the efficacy of [in vitro fertilization], to improve the success of freezing and thawing of embryos and to develop techniques for successful freezing and thawing [of] human eggs that are not yet fertilized,” said the report, released last month by the House Government Operations Committee.

In a dissenting report, six members of the committee questioned the government’s role in this. “Respect for human life means having respect for frozen embryos and seriously considering if they have rights which should be protected,” they said.

Personnel matters

Frank Young has resigned as Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and moved to a senior position in the Department of Health and Human Services. The government has given no official reason for the switch, but a White House source told CT that Young was forced out because his outspoken Christian views did not sit well with homosexual lobby groups that have been frustrated by the rate at which new AIDS drugs are being approved. Young, a World Vision board member, has not commented publicly about the move.

The White House has nominated Presbyterians for Democracy and Religious Freedom board chairman Ervin Duggan to fill the remaining non-Republican commissioner’s slot at the Federal Communications Commission.

The nomination of evangelical Robert Sweet, Jr., to head the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention has come under fire from several liberal groups who cite his “lack of experience.” Sweet is a former head of the New Hampshire Moral Majority and also held a post in the Reagan administration.

Have something to add about this? See something we missed? Share your feedback here.