Evangelical Church of Augustan Confession in Romania

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Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in Romania
Evangelische Kirche Augsburgischen Bekenntnisses in Rumänien (de) Biserica Evanghelică de Confesiune Augustană în România (ro)
Black Church, Brașov
Abbreviation	BECAR
Type	Western Christianity
Classification	Protestant
Orientation	Lutheranism
Scripture	Bible
Theology	Confessional Lutheranism
Polity	Episcopal
Bishop	Reinhart Guib
Districs	5
Associations	Lutheran World Federation Communion of Protestant Churches in Europe Conference of European Churches World Council of Churches
Region	Romania
Language	German, Romanian
Headquarters	Str. General Magheru nr.4, Sibiu
Founder	Johannes Honter
Origin	1540s
Separated from	Roman Catholic Church
Congregations	254
Members	14,543 (2008)
Pastors	44
Tertiary institutions	Protestant Theological Institute of Cluj
Official website	evang.ro

The Evangelical Church of Augsburg Confession in Romania (German: Evangelische Kirche A.B. [Augsburgischen Bekenntnisses] in Rumänien, Romanian: Biserica Evanghelică de Confesiune Augustană în România) is a predominantly German-speaking Lutheran church in Romania, mainly based in Transylvania. As a Lutheran church, it adheres to the Augsburg Confession. Its history goes back to the 12th century when the Transylvanian Saxons arrived in the region, then part of the Kingdom of Hungary.^[1]

The church has close ties to, but is distinct from, the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Romania, which is mainly Hungarian-speaking. It also cooperates with the Calvinist Reformed Church in Romania.^[2]

History[]

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Beginnings[]

The history of the Evangelical (Lutheran) Church in the territory of today's Romania finds its beginnings in the mid-16th century, through the humanist cartographer and reformer Johannes Honterus.^[3] Martin Luther's writings had been brought and spread in Transylvania as early as 1519, but the real reformation among the German Catholic population took place in 1542 (or 1543) with the publication of Reformationsbüchlein by Honterus in his own printing house in Brașov.^[4]

In 1572, the Synod of Mediaş accepted the "Augustan Confession", one of the most important doctrinal documents of Lutheranism (presented in 1530 in Augsburg), as the basis for preaching and church life.^[3]

In the semi-independent Principality of Transylvania (under Turkish control), the church enjoyed much religious freedom.^[2] However this changed when it came under Habsburg control, with the Catholic Church having privileged status.^[3]

20th century[]

The organization of the German and Hungarian Lutheran church in Transylvania in 1904

The Lutheran German minority was highly persecuted during the communist era. The church activities were surveyed by the Securitate, its school system and the diaconal institutions were dismantled and some priests were arrested and even sent to labor camps (most notably Richard Wurmbrand). This resulted in an increasing emigration of members. After the 1989 revolution (and the opening of the borders), many Germans left the country, which decimated the number of members in the church.^[2]

Churches[]

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  One of the Lutheran fortified churches in Biertan

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  Church on the Hill, Sighișoara

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  Saint Mary Cathedral, Sibiu

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  Black Church, Brașov

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  Lutheran Church, Bucharest

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  Valea Viilor fortified church, Sibiu County

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  Saint Bartholomew Church, Brașov

References[]

External links[]

• Official website (in German and Romanian)

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