What does it mean to be truly free? Here at the Freie evangelische Gemeinde Witten, the concept of freedom takes on a special meaning.
The Freie evangelische Gemeinde Witten is more than just a building. It is a community of people. These people have made a conscious decision to live with Jesus Christ and the Bible. This decision is their answer to God’s call.
“Free” means that they willingly belong to a Christian community. At the heart of this community is Jesus Christ. They are also free in how they finance their church work. This means they are independent of the state. They do not rely on church taxes.
As an “evangelische” or evangelical free church, they believe in the New Testament. They take the God of the Bible seriously. Members experience how Jesus Christ gives their lives new meaning.
The Freie evangelische Gemeinde Witten strives to be a church community like the one described in the New Testament. It is a community of people. These people have said “yes” to living with Jesus Christ. They live in a community. In this community, they want to be there for each other.
The Freie evangelische Gemeinde Witten is part of the wider “FeG Deutschland” association of churches. They also work with other churches in Witten. This collaboration happens through the “Arbeitsgemeinschaft christlicher Kirchen” (ACK Witten).
The Bund Freier evangelischer Gemeinden in Deutschland is divided into regions and districts. These divisions foster community. They promote fellowship among the churches. Churches from Duisburg, Oberhausen, Dortmund, and Witten belong to different districts. The “Ruhrkreis” includes churches between Mülheim and Castrop-Rauxel.
The seat of the Bund Freier evangelischer Gemeinden in Germany is in Witten. It includes around 450 local churches. These churches have 38,500 members. This number does not include family members and friends. Institutions connected to the Bund include the SKB Witten eG. Others are the Allianz-Mission and the Diakonischen Werke Bethanien in Solingen. Also included are Elim in Hamburg, the Bundes-Verlag GmbH Witten, and the Theologische Hochschule Ewersbach.
Worldwide, there are over 30 member associations of the International Federation of Free Evangelical Churches. They have around 450,000 members. These associations operate foreign missions in Africa, Asia, Europe, and South America. These missions have led to the creation of additional church associations.
So, as you stand before the Freie evangelische Gemeinde Witten, remember that it represents a conscious choice. It is a life lived in faith, community, and freedom. A life dedicated to following the teachings of Jesus Christ.