Weathering Wars and Crises

Despite the summer war, the Evangelical Church in Beirut celebrated its 150th anniversary last year. The church was founded the Prussian state church in 1856. Martina Waiblinger takes a look at its eventful history

Wolfgang Huber, Friedericke Weltzien (photo: Martina Waiblinger)
Wolfgang Huber, the Council Chairman of the Evangelical Church in Germany, visited Beirut's Evangelical Church on the occasion of its 150th anniversary

​​Despite the summer war, the church celebrated its 150th anniversary with a delegation led by Wolfgang Huber, the Council Chairman of the Evangelical Church in Germany. Mr. and Mrs. Weltzien, the pastoral married couple that leads the community, saw the week of festivities as an "important encouraging event" after 34 days of horror in which the church – once again – had became an important center for many refugees.

The German evangelical church was founded in response to an initiative by European merchants. Following long negotiations, the Prussian state church sent Pastor Kraemer as the first minister to Beirut in 1856.

Religious services were held alternately in French and German. After five years in office, Pastor Kraemer had established a viable religious community with over 60 members and founded a school. The main focus of activity, however, remained on religious services.

The First and the Second World War

Right from the beginning, the church had to weather armed conflict, fighting within the country, and wars that had embroiled France and Germany. The First World War led to the separation of German and French members of the congregation. After the war, the French mandate government transferred the parish hall and the cemetery to the French-speaking parishioners.

photo: Martina Waiblinger
Celebration service on the occasion's of the communities 150th anniversary

​​The German congregation gradually grew. Finally, on 3 November 1938, the cornerstone was laid for a church, which was completed in the spring of 1939.

These days the church – surrounded by high-rise buildings – appears very small, but when the house of worship was built, it matched the rest of the buildings on the street.

The Second World War led to the expropriation of all buildings by the newly-founded Lebanese state. Subsequently, the parish hall was used as a school house and the church as a gymnasium.

Starting again

In 1954, Pastor Gustav-Adolf Kriener assumed his new duties in Beirut, and in March 1955 the Lebanese government returned the church and the parish hall to the German religious community. This was the beginning of a new era of prosperity for Lebanon – then known as "The Switzerland of the Orient" – and for the religious community, which became an important center for countless visitors to the country.

Beirut during the Civil War (photo: AP)
In 1975, civil war broke out in Lebanon. it went on for 15 years

​​The wife of Pastor Kriener writes in her memoirs: "On the broad beaches one could enjoy all manner of bathing fun, or find a quiet place to be alone. … Beirut was a lively city where cultures, languages, fashions and culinary traditions from East and West came together …"

In 1973, a few years before the outbreak of the civil war, the congregation decided to hire a social worker. She was to address the needs of German-speaking women who were married to Lebanese as well as foreigners who were stranded in the country or had landed in prison.

During the civil war, the work of the community continued and for many people the church served as an important place to seek refuge and encouragement.

Before the summer war of 2006, roughly 300 people a week were involved in the religious community. The activities offered also reached many people who were not members. When the parish hall was expanded to eight floors in 2001, it became an important meeting place for women, children and all members of the congregation.

An important role in the community

Pastor Friedericke Weltzien and her husband pastor Uwe Weltzien are responsible for leading the flock:

"Our conceptual approach aims to make the church an open and inviting place," Friedericke Weltzien explains. "This is important because we want to integrate everyone into the community. That's why we have redoubled our efforts in the area of intercultural work, for example, with German women who have converted and with children who have adopted the Muslim faith of the father."

One example of this is a women's club, which organizes and runs an extremely popular Christmas bazaar. In addition to afternoon activities for children, courses for adults with lectures, and field trips, the church sponsors a wide range of ecumenical activities and social services.

Counseling with Shiite sheikhs

"Women who get married here are often confronted with violence, with honor killings and situations where children are kidnapped. Even women who have Muslim children often need counseling:

Community work in private (photo: Martina Waiblinger)
The community does a lot of intercultural work, for example with German women who have converted to Islam or with children who have adopted the Muslim faith of the father

​​Should I convert? How can I pass on Christian traditions? We […] are in contact with Shiite sheikhs who work with us to find solutions to conflicts," is how Friedericke Weltzien describes the efforts of the center to provide members of the congregation with spiritual support and social counseling.

Sunday religious services and the meetings that follow still remain, however, the main focus of the church's work. Each week the congregation examines a different topic from a spiritual perspective.

Marlies Guder, whose husband's work brought her to Lebanon, sees the church "as a second home here." The promise made on the cover of the church brochure – "A bit of the home country for German speakers" – has been fulfilled for many members of the congregation.

Martina Waiblinger

© Qantara.de 2007

Translated from the German by Paul Cohen

Qantara.de

A German Protestant Priest in Lebanon
"Christians and Muslims Live Alongside One Another"
Fredericke Weltzien has been a priest in the German Protestant parish in Beirut for four years now. Christina Förch visited the woman priest who works in a country of many denominations

"Honour Killings"
The Father as Murderer
Time and again, young women in Islamic countries are the victims of so-called "honour killings". Now, an inter-denominational initiative in Beirut is attempting to prevent such murders. Christina Förch reports

Bethlehem
"Christianity Is Slowly Dying"
The famous Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem has in recent times been the scene of conflicts between the state of Israel and the Palestinians. These conflicts have also had their effect on the Christian community. Andy Martin has observed the scene