Norway: Lutherans and free churches want to cooperate to plant new churches
130 leaders of all of Norway's Christian churches and denominations met for a
DAWN congress from 2-4 September 1996 as part of the celebration of 1000 years
of Christianity in Norway. The theme of the congress was the common strategic
evangelisation of Norway - a country in which 25% of the population claims to
have a personal relationship with Jesus, but only 5% regularly attends church.
The congress was opened by Dr. George Carey, the Archbishop of Canterbury, who
not only signed a historical declaration of unity between the Norwegian Lutheran
church and the Church of England, but also emphasised that he sees church
planting as one of the most important reasons for the change of trend in the
Anglican church: not only has the flow of 100,000 people leaving the church each
year been stopped; the denomination has also started to open, instead of close,
one church per week. He encouraged the Norwegian churches to start a process
similar to the British "Challenge 2000" movement. Carey's received a standing
ovation from the Norwegian delegates at the end of his address.
"Challenge 2000" is a national evangelisation strategy begun in 1992 by 32
British denominations which decided to cooperate towards planting 20,000 new
churches by the year 2000. Together with the free churches and new independent
fellowships, the Norwegian Lutheran church, headed by Stavanger's bishop Bjorn
Bue, decided to plant 500 new churches by the year 2005. Bishop Bue stated that
he had energetically opposed a DAWN-related strategy 8 years ago, but now
believes that the time for new approaches and strategies has come in Norway. The
congress was also the scene of the first meeting between Bue and the leader of
Norway's largest charismatic church, the Oslo Christian Centre. "It was truly a
historic moment when the two previously divided leaders stood together on the
podium for the first time and blessed the conference and its aims. Few eyes
remained dry," said DAWN missionary Wolfgang Fernandez (Reading, England).
Norway is the fifth West European country in which the churches have set a
concrete, common evangelistic aim, after Britain, Denmark, Belgium (Wallonia)
and Finland. Europe's next national DAWN congress will take place in Estonia
from 24-26 October.
Norway: State-church fellowships recognised as churches
150 years ago, Hans Nielsen Hauge from Tune was jailed for 14 years for
preaching the gospel as a "non-ordained layman". For 150 years, the Norwegian
"prayer houses" - fellowships within the state church - were the backbone of
Pietism and missionary activity, but officially recognised as at best church
clubs, and were often slandered and persecuted. With that background, it is
understandable why Bishop Bue's declaration that he is prepared to soon
recognise the 'prayer houses' as churches was so surprising.
Source: Bishop Bjorn Bue, Wolfgang Fernandez, Fax (44) 118-9412-953, e-mail
100137.1341@compuserve.com. The English text of Bishop Bue's and George Carey's
addresses is available upon request.
South Africa: run on Bible Schools
"At the moment, many more young people are applying to study theology than there
are places available in all theological training colleges," said J Vorster,
Professor for Systematic Theology and Ecclesiology in Potchefstroem, South
Africa. At a meeting of the British Church Growth Association on 12 September
1996 in Moggerhanger, UK, Vorster said that in 1910, only around 10% of the
South Africans were Christians, and that the 1991 census showed that 77.7% of
the blacks and 75% of the whites in South Africa considered themselves
Christians.
Liberated from Liberation Theology: a historic meeting has long-term effects
According to Vorster, the then South African President de Klerk called the
nation's churches to a meeting on 2 February 1990 in Rustenberg to discuss their
role in the country's future. At the meeting, the churches confessed their "sin
of political theology". Vorster claims that the long-celebrated Liberation
Theology, supported particularly by liberal Western theologians until about 10
years ago, is based on the same principles of Biblical interpretation as the
theology of apartheid. Today, these two theologies are literally dead, he says:
"As a result of repenting from political theologies and the decision to
cooperate for the country's development, we are seeing a tremendous increase in
interest in missions, evangelism and true ecumenical relationships between
churches."
Source: Prof. J.M.Vorster, 2 Joostestraat, Potchefstroem 2531, RSA, e-mail
TSPJmV@Puknet.Puk.ac.za
Zaire: Reformed Church plants 200 churches
According to Professor Vorster, a total of 200 new churches have been planted in
the last 15 years as a result of the work of only 3 theologically trained
pastors belonging to the Reformed Church, a denomination which, historically,
was skeptical of church planting.
Source: Prof. J.M.Vorster, 2 Joostestraat, Potchefstroem 2531, RSA, e-mail
TSPJmV@Puknet.Puk.ac.za
