In May of 1934 some pastors and theologians gathered in a church in Wuppertal, Germany to draw up a statement declaring what the church stood for in the face of the Nazi movement and the demands and actions of the Nazi government. Out of that gathering came the “Theological Declaration of Barmen”. In the early 1980s the St. Nicholas Church in Leipzig, East Germany began organizing weekly prayers for peace. By 1989 several churches in Leipzig had joined that Monday evening practice and Leipzig became one of the centers of this prayer movement that quickly gained momentum elsewhere. Prayer services were followed by peaceful, non-violent demonstrations. This movement culminated with the fall of the Berlin Wall on November 9 and the eventual demise of the East German government. Reunification with West Germany followed. While most of those involved were Lutheran, the Reformed Church in Leipzig and its pastor were among the leaders of this peace movement. What happened in that city is described in the soon to be published book, Prayers for Peace, by Hans-Jürgen Sievers, the pastor of the Reformed church.
In her memoir Fearless and Free the Black entertainer Josephine Baker tells her story of growing up in St. Louis, moving to New York, and eventually making her home in Paris as a dancer and singer. During World War II she worked with the French resistance and was eventually rewarded for her work by General Charles De Gaulle. Having traveled as an entertainer throughout Europe and South America and having been welcomed in all those places, after the war Baker eventually returned to the United States where she encountered the ugly racism that had plagued Blacks and other ethnic groups for centuries.
These experiences raise the question of how the church has responded to critical issues. Goodness knows, the church has not always covered itself with glory in how it has responded. But sometimes it has not only been on the right side of history, but has sometimes led. Its role in East Germany is one example of ministers and congregations being the church and “holding the Bible in one hand and the newspaper in the other” as they insisted on peaceful resistance to 40 years of an authoritarian government.
In this country there have been similar examples of faithful Presbyterians in the Southwest who bore witness to the gospel by deeds and actions at times of racial tension and unrest. In the volume Doing Justice, Loving Kindness, and Walking Humbly: The Witness of Some Southern Presbyterian Pastors for the Cause of Racial Harmony in the 1950s and 1960s are a few representatives from each of the four states in the Synod of the Sun who joined others who over the years, sometimes at great cost to themselves, were led to speak out and take action as a response to their understanding of the gospel. Whether in Ada, Oklahoma or Little Rock, Arkansas or Ferriday, Louisiana or Corpus Christi or Kingsville, Texas, Presbyterians sought to right the wrongs of racial injustice.
Today something called “Christian nationalism” has taken hold in some parts of this country. Clearly, their understanding of the gospel is counter to everything we claim in the Reformed tradition. Some in East Germany noted that the church might always find themselves in the minority, but being the church that seeks to be faithful to the gospel of Jesus Christ always runs that risk. And so it is today in this country. We’re not always right, but occasionally we are. In his book Ethics Dietrich Bonhoeffer noted that our answers are always penultimate. Only God has the ultimate, or final, word. So, occasionally there are times when the church believes that the gospel demands that we speak out –– with boldness, with humility, and with their clear and ultimate allegiance to Jesus Christ.. Thankfully, there are those who discern the times and know when to speak and act, and do so with eloquence and conviction.
Presbyterians are at their best when they worship, knowing they are led by him who is the head of the church, Jesus Christ. Sometimes that leads to uncomfortable, but important, stands.
The Presbyterian Historical Society of the Southwest exists to “stimulate and encourage interest in the collection, preservation, and presentation of the Presbyterian and Reformed heritage” in the Southwest. If you are not a participating member of the Society and would like to become one, the annual dues are $20 per individual and $25 per couple. Annual institutional and church membership dues are $100. Checks may be made out to PHSSW and sent to:
PHSSW – 5525 Traviston Ct., Austin, TX 78738.
Payment can also be made online at the PHSSW website: www.phssw.org.
