EBF General Secretary visits German Baptist Conference

“Heaven sends you” - the two-year-theme of the Union of Evangelical Free Churches (Baptists) in Germany (BEFG) shaped the meetings of their Annual Conference end of May with 532 delegates and around 200 guests attending in Kassel and online.

Alan Donaldson, General Secretary of the European Baptist Federation, was invited to preach at the opening service on Ascension Day. Asked by Christoph Stiba, BEFG General Secretary, at which occasion he had felt most clearly being sent by heaven, Donaldson told this story: “My grandfather always told me that I was heaven-sent. When I was just about 18 months old, I had learnt to climb up the stairs. At a holiday resort, I climbed up to the fourth floor. Unfortunately, there was a strut missing in the banister, and I fell through. Because of a sudden heavy rain, my grandfather just pushed the pram inside the building at the bottom of the staircase – and I fell four floors down, right into my pram! Of course, I do not remember the incident myself, but I surely know: this was a defining moment in my life.”

In his sermon on Philippians 2, Donaldson reflected on defining moments in the life of Jesus. He explained how the ascension was such a defining moment, as it throws light on the greatness of God, on the salvation of humankind and on the mission and calling of Christians: “Heaven sends you into this world this day.”

At the conference, an offering of nearly five thousand Euro was collected for the ministries of EBF. Christoph Stiba expressed his gratitude for the togetherness in EBF: “Be it the support of the needy, church planting, questions of theology and education, children and youth ministry or the whole field of missional involvement – the networking and cooperation within EBF has been highly important for us for decades already. Together we are heaven-sent!”

What can Christians think, do, hope and pray in view of the war against Ukraine and the ravage and suffering caused by it? In a “talk at the kitchen table” four theologians spoke about their approaches and views on war and peace, and how these have developed and changed during their individual biographies. It became clear that while they agreed on peace as the common goal, they differed on the proper path to peace. The discussion led to a prayer for God’s mercy.