In 1999 the synod of the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD) addressed the missionary task of the church. The synod emphasized that mission is the first priority of the church. In this dissertation I will show that almost four years later mission is still undoubtedly on the church's agenda, but there remains an unbalanced understanding of mission. While the importance of mission is no longer rejected by many church leaders, evangelism still plays a minor role at grassroots level. By assessing the missiologies of contemporary German Protestant theologians, I will demonstrate that there are theological reasons for this. Last but not least, I will suggest measures, which may help to further the process initiated by the 1999 EKD synodical meeting.
Table of Contents
I. Introduction
1. The ‘EKD Mission Synod’
2. Personal Experience
3. General Aim and Purpose
4. Basic Assumptions
II. The Declaration of the Leipzig Synod and the EKD report Taking the Gospel to the People
1. The Leipzig Declaration - An Assessment
1.1 The Present Situation
1.2 The Nature of Mission
1.3 The Ways of Mission
2. Taking the Gospel to the People - An Assessment
2.1 The Present Situation
2. 2 Evangelism: The Proclamation of the Gospel
3. Summary
III. Empirical Research
1. Evangelistic Initiatives
1.1 ProChrist
1.2 Willow Creek
1.3 The Alpha Course
1.4 Summary
2. Survey: Evangelism and Mission at Grassroots Level in the Rhineland
2.1 The Leipzig Synod and its Effects
2.2 Methods of Mission and Evangelism
2.3 Mission and Evangelism Training
2.4 Summary
3. Theological Training
3.1 Evangelism Studies at Theological Faculties
3.2 Theological Literature
3.3 Summary
IV. Conclusion
V. Investigating Key Theologians
1. Karl Barth
1.1 The Missionary Church
1.2 Evangelisation and the Nominal Christian
1.3 A Critique: A Theology of Proclamation and Election
2. Dietrich Bonhoeffer
2.1 Mission - the Act of the Sovereign God
2.2 Mission as the Church-With-Others?
2.3 Mission Preaching
2.4 Critique: The Spreading of the Word
3. Paul Tillich
3.1 The Spiritual Community and the Functions of Churches
3.2 The Functions of Expansion
3.3 Critique: Humanity's Estrangement from itself and the New Being
4. Wolfhart Pannenberg
4.1 The Church: A Missionary Movement and a Sign of the Kingdom
4.2 Personal Witness and the Missionary Proclamation of the Church
4.3 Critique: The Unity of Conversion and Baptism
5. Jürgen Moltmann
5.1 The Mission of the Spirit
5.2. Mission and Evangelisation: The Invitation to God's Future
5.3 Critique: The Mission of Liberation
6. Eberhard Jüngel
6.1 Jesus Christ - the Sender of the Church
6.2 Evangelism: The Appeal of the Spoken Word
6.3 Indirect Evangelism and the Post-Christian Age
6.4 A Critique: The Heartbeat of the Church
7. Conclusion
VI. Recommendations
Objectives and Core Themes
This dissertation investigates the disparity between the official missionary declarations of the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD) and the actual implementation of evangelism at the grassroots level. It seeks to determine whether the Leipzig Synod’s prioritization of mission has translated into practice or if an unbalanced understanding of the church's missionary mandate persists within German Protestantism.
- Analysis of the 1999 Leipzig Synod Declaration and the EKD report 'Taking the Gospel to the People'.
- Empirical research into the adoption of evangelistic initiatives (ProChrist, Willow Creek, Alpha) within EKD parishes.
- Evaluation of the role of evangelism studies in the academic training of Protestant ordinands in Germany.
- Theological assessment of six influential German theologians regarding their understanding of mission and evangelism.
- Strategic recommendations for the structural and theological renewal of the church's missionary engagement.
Book Excerpt
1. The ‘EKD Mission Synod’
In November 1999 the 4th session of the 9th Synod of the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD), a community of 24 Lutheran, Reformed, and United regional churches (Landeskirchen), took place in the city of Leipzig. The theme of this session of the EKD synod was ‘To Tell the World About God - The Task of the Mission of the Church at the Threshold of the Third Millennium.’ It was the first time ever that the EKD synod discussed the missionary task of the church in depth. At the end of the meeting the Synod made a public declaration, which called upon all congregations, full-time church workers and the laity to remember the missionary task of the Christian church.
At the same time a working party of the EKD Council was asked to have a closer look into the field of mission and evangelism in Germany. The report of the working party entitled Taking the Gospel to the People was published by the EKD Council in April 2001. Taking the Gospel to the People not only defines terms such as mission, evangelism, and salvation, but also examines different models of evangelism and gives recommendations and guidelines for the regional churches and their congregations regarding mission strategies.
Members of the evangelical camp within the EKD, who were part of the Council’s working party, regarded the outcome of the Leipzig synod as a kind of dawn of a new era. H. Bärend, chairman of the council of missionary services of the EKD, even spoke of a miracle, which had happened at Leipzig.
Summary of Chapters
I. Introduction: This chapter outlines the context of the 1999 Leipzig Synod and defines the dissertation's hypothesis, asserting that despite formal declarations, evangelism remains marginalized in German regional churches due to deep-seated theological traditions.
II. The Declaration of the Leipzig Synod and the EKD report Taking the Gospel to the People: This section assesses official church documents, identifying a preoccupation with traditional proclamation models while noting a failure to integrate the wider 'Kingdom of God' dimension into their missiology.
III. Empirical Research: This chapter presents data from surveys and organizational studies, demonstrating that specialized evangelistic initiatives are predominantly confined to free churches and pietist circles, with little traction in mainstream EKD parishes.
IV. Conclusion: The author concludes that mission has indeed returned to the vocabulary of church leadership, but warns that without concrete theological and structural changes, such declarations remain largely ineffective at the local level.
V. Investigating Key Theologians: An extensive analysis of the works of Barth, Bonhoeffer, Tillich, Pannenberg, Moltmann, and Jüngel reveals a systemic tendency among German theologians to reduce mission to verbal proclamation or social action, neglecting the evangelistic initiation into God's Kingdom.
VI. Recommendations: The work concludes by advocating for a mandatory reform of theological curricula and the development of a 'theology of the laity' to empower members beyond the ordained clergy for missionary tasks.
Keywords
EKD, Mission Synod, Leipzig 1999, Evangelism, Missiology, Protestant Theology, Grassroots level, ProChrist, Willow Creek, Alpha Course, Proclamation, Kingdom of God, Postmodern society, Church reform, Theological training
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research?
The research examines the effectiveness of the missionary mandate issued by the 1999 Leipzig Synod within the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD), specifically identifying why evangelism continues to occupy a minor role in congregational life.
Which thematic fields are central to the study?
The study centers on the intersection of formal church policy, grassroots practical implementation, theological education in universities, and the historical-theological foundations of mission in modern Germany.
What is the primary research hypothesis?
The author hypothesizes that the persistent marginalization of evangelism in German regional churches is not merely a practical oversight but is deeply rooted in mainstream German Protestant theology.
Which methodology does the author employ?
The study uses a mixed-methods approach: assessing official synodical declarations, conducting empirical surveys among Rhenish pastors, reviewing academic syllabi across 23 theology departments, and performing a critical textual analysis of six seminal German theologians.
What does the main body of the text address?
The main body focuses on the gap between theory and practice, detailing how pastors perceive missionary tools versus what they actually implement, and analyzing why influential theological schools often fail to provide a robust framework for evangelistic outreach.
Which keywords best describe this dissertation?
The core keywords include EKD, Missiology, Leipzig Synod, Evangelistic initiatives, Post-Christian society, and Protestant Theological education.
How does the author characterize the role of theological faculties in mission?
The author identifies a significant deficiency, noting that specialized evangelism studies (Evangelistik) are largely absent or marginalized in the curriculum of the 23 surveyed theology departments.
What does the study conclude regarding the role of the laity?
The study suggests that current missionary efforts are too pastor-centered and advocates for a shift toward empowering the laity, grounded in a rediscovered 'priesthood of all believers' to effectively reach post-Christian society.
- Quote paper
- MTh PgDipLRM CThM Dipl.-Volksw. Thorsten Prill (Author), 2003, Evangelism in the German Landeskirchen after the Leipzig Synod 1999, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/85841
