“Zions Kinder” it is. What visions does this name evoke? The Freie Evangelische Missionarische Pfingstgemeinde Kinder Zions e.V. stands before us. It is a place where faith and community intertwine. This church is more than just a building. It is a vibrant hub for its members.
The Freie Evangelische Missionarische Pfingstgemeinde Kinder Zions e.V. is a Pentecostal church. It is part of a larger movement. This movement emphasizes the Holy Spirit’s power. The Bund Freikirchlicher Pfingstgemeinden or BFP is its umbrella organization. BFP is an association of German evangelical Pentecostal free churches. These churches often call themselves Freie Christengemeinden. They are part of the global Pentecostal movement.
The BFP has the rights of a religious community. It is a corporation under public law. The origins of the Pentecostal movement in Germany trace back to 1906-1908. The oldest churches within the BFP are in St. Ingbert Berlin and Velbert.
Heinrich Vietheer led the Elim-Gemeinden starting in 1922. He was an evangelist. He worked intensely in the Berlin Tent Mission. Other congregations joined this association over time. Missionary work expanded from 1928. The Assemblies of God and the Bible School of Danzig supported it. Pentecostalism spread to Germans Poles and Russians in Eastern Europe. This led to the rise of the first Freie Christengemeinden.
During the Nazi era the “Freie Pfingstmission” was banned by the Gestapo in 1936. In 1938 the Elim congregations joined with Baptist and Brethren congregations. Together they formed the Bund Evangelisch-Freikirchlicher Gemeinden or BEFG.
After World War II many congregations were dissolved. Many members moved to West Germany. Numerous churches were destroyed during the war. Believers from the East and Southeast founded the first congregations after the war.
The BFP sees its beginnings in the “Erweiterte Bruederkonferenz” in Stuttgart in May 1947. Representatives from various Pentecostal groups participated in a unification conference in Stuttgart in 1948. This included the Muelheimer Verband Elim-Gemeinden and Freie Christengemeinden from the East.
The Swiss Pentecostal Mission led by Karl Schneider and Leonhard Steiner facilitated the conference. Guests from the Assemblies of God and International Pentecostal Churches also attended. The attendees drafted the Stuttgart Declaration. They expressed regret for past disunity. They committed to working towards unity within the German Pentecostal movement.
The Freie Evangelische Missionarische Pfingstgemeinde Kinder Zions e.V. reflects this history. It embodies the spirit of unity and mission. The BFP formed from a loose association into a registered society on March 19 1954. This date is considered the founding date of the Bund. Pastors are personal members of the ACD. Around fifty pastors served in ACD congregations in 1954.
The BFP is financed by voluntary donations from its members. The individual congregations also fund themselves through donations. The Bund does not collect church taxes. Although it could as a corporation under public law.
Today the BFP consists of numerous congregations. A significant percentage of these congregations are shaped by people with migration backgrounds. The Freie Evangelische Missionarische Pfingstgemeinde Kinder Zions e.V. contributes to this diverse community. It offers a spiritual home to many.
The church’s services typically include preaching praise and worship. These elements vary in length. They reflect the community’s diverse cultural backgrounds. The Freie Evangelische Missionarische Pfingstgemeinde Kinder Zions e.V. stands as a testament to faith community and the ongoing mission of the Pentecostal movement in Germany.