Urchristliche Gemeinde

Journey back to 1953. A small group of Christians gathered in homes across Harburg, a district of Hamburg. They sought a place to call their own. The Urchristliche Gemeinde Hamburg-Harburg was taking root. Their primary meeting place was the home of the Gringel family on Winkelstraße. The youth group and the brass band also practiced there. The Urchristliche Gemeinde’s story is one of faith, growth, and community. The congregation soon outgrew the Gringel home. They rented a classroom in the Wöllmerstraße school for Sunday services. During this time, a strong connection formed with the Apostolic Church in Denmark. Mentorship from Danish and British brethren led to the official founding of the Urchristliche Gemeinde Harburg on June 28, 1953. The community thrived. Prayer meetings stretched late into the night. The congregation continued to expand. The classroom became too small. Prayers for a larger space were answered through a divine vision. The vision spoke of property near Maretstraße. Miraculously, a property on Eddelbüttelstraße 12 became available. The purchase price was 55,000 German marks. The community trusted that God would provide. The funds were secured and the purchase was complete. In November 1954, the new building was dedicated. The congregation entered their new house of worship with songs of praise. The ceremony was filled with joy and gratitude. The Urchristliche Gemeinde continued to grow through evangelistic efforts. Several satellite locations were established, including Eimsbüttel, Horn, Uelzen, Holdenstedt, and Hitzacker. The 1970s saw a flourishing youth ministry. The community ran tea rooms and organized Jesus festivals. The 1980s presented a new challenge. The church was without a full-time pastor for seven and a half years. Lay leaders guided the congregation through this period. In 1991, the Urchristliche Gemeinde began humanitarian work in Romania. Initially, aid was transported in small vans. The efforts expanded to one or two shipments a year using a 20-ton semi-truck. The church also supported an orphanage and soup kitchen. They contributed to the construction of three new church buildings. The Urchristliche Gemeinde has deep roots in the Welsh revival movement of 1910. This movement led to the Apostolic Church. It spread through England and Denmark, eventually reaching Germany in 1943. The Urchristliche Gemeinde Hamburg-Harburg was initially part of the Apostolic Church. It later joined the Bund Freikirchlicher Pfingstgemeinden (BFP) in 2004.