Main line churches in East Germany form a religious minority in their society. Church leaders describe a climate in which nearly the whole population ceases to have any real knowledge of the faith ("Gottesvergessenheit"). Nevertheless, the church will prevail because God is true to his promises. That is why church leaders should not think about the general situation, as if God did not exist. However, they will also have to show why a modern society should be interested in a strong and growing church. Between resignation and re-emergence there is an area of hope: here, churches should try to create a climate of faithfulness which is more than pure information, offering fellowship, accountability, spirituality, information about Christian faith and opportunities to start one's own spiritual journey.

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Personen: Herbst, Michael

Schlagwörter: Zukunft Kirchen Konfessionslosigkeit Kirchenmitgliedschaft Säkularisierung