PROGRESS AND OBSTRUCTION IN CHURCH UNION IN EUROPE (Translated from the German by Rev. Dr. Julius Hofmann, THE World War marks an epoch in the history of the Church. Viewed from the standpoint of the Church its most important results doubtless are: A tremendous weakening of world-Protestantism by mutual suicidal laceration of its principal peoples which appears to be continued to this day in the oppression by England of German missionary work, and by the actual intense mutual distrust among the Protestant Churches, and on the other hand the great strengthening of the moral and political authority of the pope. Weakened as it is, world-Protestantism in all nations, especially, however, in its Germanic and Anglo-Saxon groups, is confronted by a nihilism and indifferentism that have hugely increased through the war and in some countries now by legislature is aiming at the very foundations of Christian education and is about to reduce or abolish the freedom of the Churches. This being the situation, there seem to result two principal issues as to the Protestant Churches, viz.: Spiritually-new birth from within; and materially-consolidation in an organization which crosses the boundaries of the provincial or territorial Churches and those of nations and states. While thinking people in all Churches everywhere for some time past fully realized both problems, it is perhaps more the former than the latter that has been considered by us in Europe at least. There, more than in America, the sense of the necessity of ecumenical Christian relations has been disturbed by a war interfering in a more direct and brutal manner with the life of our soul. Notwithstanding this, even with us the urgent need of consolidation and the necessity of ecumenical solidarity begin to be realized with an increasing intensity. In the following I wish to emphasize two facts, two events of last year which, though concerning Church union in the realm of two nations only, certainly mean a step in the way to an ecumenical corpus evangelicum. In order that the canvas may not lack the shadow, I shall add a third section which will show the tearing asunder by the brutal force of the state of a Church union that in the past had proved to be a blessing. I The Coming Deutsche Evangelische Kirchenbund* In the beginning of September, 1919, the foundation for a union of all German evangelical Churches was laid at the city of Dresden. A Church Congress (Kirchentag) composed of delegates from all Geramn territorial and provincial Churches and of prominent personages had prepared the foundation of a federation of the German Churches. The obliteration of the summepiscopate of the German princes by the German revolution in November, 1918, necessitated the reorganization of our German Church. The abolition of the institution of the summepiscopate, though venerable to many, it being an outgrowth of the Reformation, yet created a situation which favored Church independence of the Church from the State, and accordingly was felt a great progress by the vast majority of German Christians. The Congress of Dresden was inspired by the new and great possibilities offered in this situation. *The Federation of the German Evangelical Churches.-German technical terms in this article preferably remain untranslated. The meaning of the most important ones is given here: Landeskirchen are Churches in the different states of Germany, or in the provinces of these states (not, as is often Englished State Churches). Kirchentag: Church congress. Kirchenbund: Federation of the Churches. Reichskirche: Empire Church. Kirchenkonferenz: Conference of the Church leaders. Kirchenausschuss: Committee of the Churches. Volkskirche: a complicated term, perhaps best translated: National Church. Freikirche: Free Church. With no little expectations I went to Dresden, yet the event excelled them. The spirit of this great German Church parliament (parliament, however, for the time being not in the judicial, forensic meaning of the term) showed the mighty impact of the commotions of these last years; but not to its disadvantage. An increased brotherliness among those who otherwise were divided as to their religious viewpoints, dogmatic formulas and Church usages, a profound understanding of the great psychic necessities in these distressful days of our nation, and the universal joyful satisfaction offered by the possibilities of spontaneous constructive work, and responsibility now left to individual initiative-these were the powers that, in spite of occasional relapses in small synodal squabble, kept the Congress on its lofty height; and besides one could recover breath at the services in the Churches and the spiritual music offered therein. Two culmination points of the Congress may be pointed out: The debate of the question how to treat the religious minorities, and the resolution unanimously arrived at, which, spoken in the manner of men, gave to the Bund the safe foundation long wished for by the best of us. The transactions concerning the religious minorities were carried on with most sincere and profound fraternity. The result of the deliberations on the Kirchenbund is represented by the following articles, their ecumenical spirit being especially manifest in III A. 1, 4 and 5. Kirchentag and Kirchenbund I. The Kirchentag opens the way for a Federation of Landeskirchen. The Federation is to effect a most thorough linking together of the German evangelical territorial Churches, and to bring about the advancement of German Protestantism in general, in all its branches and domains, acting as the representative of German Protestant interests. There is no thought of a Reichskirche (Empire-Church). The Federation fulfils its duties while respecting the independence and the creeds of the units in its realm. II. Until the Kirchenbund be in force, the German Evangelical Church Congress (Kirchentag) shall continue the work of the German Evangelical Church Conference (Deutsche Evangelische Kirchenkonferenz) which is governed by the fundamental principles laid down (a) at the opening of the Conference in 1851, viz.: “Discussion of important questions of Church life in free exchange of opinion on the basis of creed. Without detracting from the autonomy of each Church body a union will thus be created and the uniform development of conditions will be enhanced;" (b) at the constitution of the German Evangelical Church Committee (Deutscher Evangelischer Kirchenausschuss) in 1903, viz.: It acts as the representative and promoter of common evangelical Church interests. These principles the Church Congress (Kirchentag) extends and completes in that it purports the furthering and deepening of the Church life and of the religion of evangelical Germany, in their entirety. III. The problems which the Congress is to solve at this very hour may be divided in immediate and implicit problems. As to the former, the decisions of the Congress at once shall be valid. On the other hand it will be the implicit task of the Congress to advance the uniform development of the Landeskirchen into autonomous and free Volkskirchen by means of suggestions as to their own decisions and to further the free activity of individual Church work organizations. New problems, the solution of which neither was in the sphere of competence of the Landeskirchen, nor can be attacked at all by them, and also such problems as the Landeskirchen may assign to it, may be trusted to the Congress with the latter's definite competence. A. Matters immediately and exclusively within the competence of the Kirchentag: 1. Supernational representation of evangelical Germany and both the reservation and the ecumenical recognition of the religious and ethical tenets of the evangelical Church of the German Reformation. 2. Representation of evangelical Germany and her provincial and territorial Churches over against the German Empire, its legislation and administration. 3. Representation of evangelical Germany over against the individual states at the suggestion of the Church of the respective territory. 4. Representation of evangelical Germany at other German or non-German religious bodies. 5. Administration of and assistance to the spiritual care for the evangelical Germans outside of Germany in harmony with the Landeskirche or free organization in question. B. Implicit competences of the Kirchentag: 1. Advancement of uniform development of the Landeskirchen, with special reference to (a) the constitution and all the grades and branches (c) the interior and exterior safeguarding of the (d) the development of the spiritual functions (protection of Christian and legal holidays, worship, and clerical functions), (e) religious education in all the grades of all schools and the professional training of the new |