Germany

German Region

I. Core Values and Aims

The German region of the International Ecumenical Fellowship (IEF) seeks to make a contribution to the coming together of Christians of different denominations in Europe in a binding fellowship. Its special emphasis lies on spirituality and worship, on initiatives for the community of Churches and on personal relations among each other.

1. Worship and Spirituality

In accordance with the Second Vatican Council’s Decree on Ecumenism, we think that spiritual ecumenism is the “soul of the whole ecumenical movement” (No. 8). Therefore our meetings start or end with meditation and prayer. At home meetings we occasionally celebrate the Agape meal with bread and wine. Our annual regional conferences conclude with worship according to the respective theme. We also try to develop new liturgical models, later published in our Rundbrief.

At the closing service of the conference in 2006 in Magdeburg, which concentrated on encounters between Jews and Christians, we celebrated a “liturgy of commemoration and hope” using stones of commemoration and candles of hope. At the end of the conference in Herrnhut in 2008 focussing on encounters of Germans and their Central European neighbours there was a “liturgy of reconciliation”: stones, bread, salt and a circle of the reconciled were the main elements.

2. Ecumenism, Discipleship and Theology

In order to further the coming together of denominations, we participate in ecumenical initiatives of our local congregations. At our conferences we deal with important subjects like Baptism and Eucharist (Holy Communion). We like to take part in gatherings of ecumenical communities, like the network of mixed marriages or Philoxenia, a circle of friends belonging to Orthodox, Roman Catholic and Protestant churches.

At important occasions such as the Ökumenischer Kirchentag we publish declarations in order to encourage churches to further initiatives. The most important is the experience of fellowship at our international conferences we share in talks, prayers and services as members of different Churches.

3. Fellowship and Friendship

We support each other by visits, letters and prayers in granting and receiving private and spiritual hospitality. During the Advent season the president writes a personal letter to all members of the German region. In summer some may go on cycling tours to conference centres. Sometimes whole families take part in the meetings. Over the years a personal network of connections has been developing nurtured and deepened by our annual international conferences. Such lifelong friendships may support and enrich our lives.

II. History

The German region of IEF was founded in 1972 in Altenberg (near Köln) by Helmut Kühne, a pastor in Köln-Dellbrück, at the first international IEF conference on German soil. Further conferences followed being highlights in our history: 1983 Coburg, 1989 Vierzehnheiligen, 1998 Friedrichroda – Thüringer Wald and 2006 Trier.

After the political changes in 1989 the German region expanded to the East German areas. Ten Years later a Central German Subregion was founded gathering each spring for a meeting of their own.

Fifty years after the end of the Second World War and the liberation of the concentration camps, at the international conference at Cieszyn in Poland a personal encounter with former Polish Concentration Camp prisoners and conference participants was initiated by the German region. Since then the German region has tried to work seriously at the task of reconciliation as far as possible. In 2008 IEF members from the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia were invited to Herrnhut, Oberlausitz in order to overcome the shadows of the past.

Thus the German region has developed from small beginnings to a stable community, including also German speaking guest members from Poland, Romania and Switzerland. At present time the German region with its one hundred and twenty-five members is the largest of the ten IEF-regions.

III. Structure

The German region is registered at the Amtsgericht Köln as an association with its own statute. All the responsible persons are volunteers and are elected or appointed for three years: a board consisting of three members for the day to day tasks, a council of five people, secretariat and treasurer.

Concerning our international links there is a special delegate for the General Assembly (GA), the authoritative international decision making body, and a coordinator for translations of lectures and liturgies from and into foreign languages. Usually there is a German Annual General Meeting for receiving reports and making necessary decisions.

IV. Activities and Conferences

Members of IEF meet on local, regional and international levels. Local groups are in East Germany: Halle and Saale; in South Germany: Erlangen; in West Germany: Bergisch Gladbach, Bonn, Köln, Münster, Westfalen, Trier and Wuppertal. In North Germany we seek to establish a group in the area of Hamburg. At varying intervals these local groups meet on afternoons, evenings, whole days or weekends; the East German region meets in March on Lætare.

Once a year, mostly in summer or early fall an all-German conference takes place on two or three days a week, if possible alternatively in the Eastern and Western part of Germany. Its subject is displayed in lectures, group sessions, visits and liturgies: Baptism (Burg Rothenfels, 2005), Christians and Jews (Magdeburg, 2006), Ecumenical Spirituality (Kloster Kirchberg, 2007). Being Christian before and after 1989 (Herrnhut, 2008) and Orthodox Churches (Bad Honnef, 2009). Of course, there are always enough opportunities to socialize.

In the centre of IEF-life are the annual international conferences lasting a whole week. Members of IEF keep connections with other ecumenical groups such as Arbeitsgemeinschaft Ökumenischer Kreise (AÖK, Council of Ecumenical Circles), where IEF is a member, with the Community of Saint Michael and the body responsible for the Saint Ansgar Vesper in Hamburg. If possible, delegates take part in their meetings in order to create an extensive network. They also like to visit communities, schools, other ecumenical groups and church leading bodies on invitation.

Twice a year the German language Rundbrief (Circular Letter) is published, including lectures, liturgies, sermons and reports on different conferences. It offers a discussion forum, contains ecumenical news, dates and personal information. Occasionally, IEF publishes public statements and open letters, like on the Joint Declaration on Justification and on the preparation (2008) of the Second Ecumenical Kirchentag in 2010 in München. The German region seeks to get into connection with the neighbouring countries, like with the Institute of Ecumenical Studies in Praha.

V. Hopes and Vision

Our motto is “living today the Church of tomorrow”. We have an ecumenical concept of the “one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church”, to which we want to give reality and life according to our possibilities and talents – even if only in fragments.

Therefore, we work to make IEF better known in Germany and we extend a cordial invitation to become an active member. We seek connections with other ecumenically related groups and participate in building a European ecumenical network, Together for Europe. We are also interested in getting to know worship traditions in other churches and to practice Eucharistic hospitality as far as possible.

The German region of IEF understands itself as an ecumenical pioneer towards mutual recognition and fellowship between Christians and churches at local places, in Germany and in Europe. Within its limited possibilities it seeks to make a visible contribution as it is phrased in the declaration On Eucharistic Sharing:

“As an ecumenical movement, the International Ecumenical Fellowship (IEF) has a special prophetic responsibility in reminding, calling on and even challenging our churches to work more effectively for the visible unity of the Church, and to live already today the Church of tomorrow, by the power of the Holy Spirit.”