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An interview with Reverend Ingolf Ellssel, president of the BFP ("Bund Freikirchlicher Pfingstgemeinden"
= Federation of Pentecostal Churches, the German affiliate of the World Assemblies of God Fellowship, WAGF)
and initiator of the Pentecostal European Conference (PEC) in Berlin, 2003. Conducted by Christina Oertel,
English translation by Torsten Narjes.
Christians of Pentecostal-Charismatic Free Churches from Germany and some European countries came together
over Whitsuntide to the PEC 2003 to Berlin, in order to pray for the people of the city and of Germany. The
Christians put the dramatic development of education, economics and society down to the decline of Christian
values, they wanted to draw the attention of the public to this connection. More than 30 world-wide working
Christian organisations and charities were supporters of the event.
The Free Churches in Germany are of rather manageable size. Why of all churches do they feel destined to
start an offensive against the decline of values?
Taking over responsibility is not a question of size. David was still a teenager as well when he defeated
Goliath. But the Christian Free Churches actually are not so insignificant at all. Pentecostal-Charismatic
Free Churches are, having more than 550 million members at present, the most rapid increasing Christian
churches world-wide.
Why is there the PEC? Why aren't you going to participate in the Ecumenical Church Congress?
Since more than 30 years, the PEC is a conference of the European Pentecostal movement. In Berlin it has
for the first time a strongly missionary concept with interdenominational participation. As far as the
Church Congress is concerned: We were not officially inquired for participation as movement. But our
local churches from Berlin are fully integrated. Moreover, I was integrated into the reconciliation
service on May 31 in the Berlin Suedstern Church as representative of our movement in the context of the
Ecumenical Church Congress.
What is the goal of the PEC in Berlin?
In the past years in Europe, an amazing unification process took place among the Christians as well.
Unconsidered by media and public, a strong network formed. We want to demonstrate this unity and rejoice in
it. That is one goal. But there is another, still more important goal: As Christians, we see a danger coming
up to our society. We Germans are currently about to gamble away God's benediction for our country. Acts do
have consequences. All of us can already see the effects, but the connections between seed and harvest are
still not realized. We want to make an appeal to the people to return again to the foundation of our
welfare - Jesus Christ. I love this country and it hurts to see that something is going off again while
everybody sits on the fence as if being uninvolved.
In what respect is Germany gambling away its blessings?
Things are going wrong on quite a number of levels. In order to call some: On nearly all TV channels, our
children are being taught how to deal impudently with their parents. The Bible teaches that only those
people who honour their parents will do well in life. Most brutal violence is being sold to our teenagers
as "action". Exhibition of perverted sexuality and drug consumption is being proclaimed as a
"celebration of joy". Top committees of society, who should set good examples, are treading
down inhibition thresholds so that the moral decay is running into the boundless. Unfortunately, one
could further continue that enumeration.
Which attitude do you have to abortion?
Abortion is murder in the mother's womb.
The number of divorced marriages constantly increases. People arrange themselves in extramarital
partnerships. Shouldn't one replace the institution of marriage by more current forms of partnerships?
Each marriage partner desires faithfulness inside marriage. Breach of faith is, like a serious life accident,
connected with inexpressible heartache. Possibly concerned children of a divorced marriage will suffer from
substantial personality damage. In order to avoid such a trauma, actually a lot of people decide against
marriage and children. But the decline of the family is the beginning of the fall of a nation.
At the same time, however, there exists a deep desire for a one-of-a-kind love with marriage and children.
The value of marital faithfulness should be made conscious to our population again. It can't be true that
due to breach of faith we become more and more brutalized and live our lives as emotional egoists at the
expense of the grief and heartache of others.
Our Federal Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder explicitly abstained from using the supplementary phrase "so
help me God" at his swearing-in. Your opinion of that?
That reminds me of a statement from King Solomon in Proverbs 11:11: "A man who does not honour God
will ruin a city/state". Godlessness never was an advantage for man. I pray for our chancellor that
he may find the grace of the Christian faith.
Are the Free Churches represented in the Ethics Council of the Bundestag?
No, unfortunately they aren't.
Which attitude do you take to the topics cloning, genetic engineering, and Pre-implantation Genetic
Diagnosis (PGD)?
The science topics mentioned are not reprehensible first. It is due to the curiosity and the exploratory
urge of man to understand life. The obtained findings, however, will become dangerous when put into practice
if man becomes his own god and is not conscious of being responsible before God in his actions.
Preserving the creation is a high property to the Bible. Wouldn't each Christian have to be a Green as
well?
Yes, as far as respect to and preservation of nature is concerned. But let us not forget that the
relationship with creation should not displace the relationship with the Creator.
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