books, coffee, and more . . .

(Four days ago, Don and I attended the 40th anniversary of the Open Door Libraries, a mission organization involved in establishing Christian libraries.  At the moment, it operates a library in Prague in the Czech Republic, Berlin in Germany, Budapest in Hungary and Amman, Jordan. In 2010, we had the privilege of serving as Interim Directors in Berlin.  The following article was written shortly after our return to the US.)


Missionary work in Europe? In a city dubbed as its “atheist capital?” Where the name of the country brings up that of Adolf Hitler? A country where the state church drives away believers rather than attract? 

In 2010 my husband and I did a six-month ministry in Berlin. Unlike our first missionary stint in the mid-seventies, we were not going to a third world country to do church planting nor to teach in an academic setting. We were to be responsible for the day-to-day operation of a Christian library, make gourmet coffee and connect with both Christians and non-Christians. Some of our friends raised eyebrows. “Why Berlin? Why Europe?” 

The Landmark Brandenburg Gate

Why Berlin?

A good answer is “Why not?” Berlin, a city of about 3.5 million people, has only 1% of its population
admitting to any kind of church affiliation. Though Berlin boasts of its educated populace, a better standard of living than most of the world, and a sophistication in arts and culture, there has been a turning away from Christianity in the last few decades. Berlin, much like the rest of Germany, has developed a cynical view of Christianity as reflected by the established church.  

Between 1980 and 1992, about 1.0 million Roman Catholics and 1.2 million Protestants gave up their church memberships. . . . In a society increasingly materialist and secular, the spiritual and moral positions of the churches became irrelevant to many. Among the younger generation seeking autonomy and self-fulfillment, allegiance was no longer simply surrendered without question to institutions of authority. Attendance at services dropped off significantly, and the institution of the church quietly disappeared from the lives of many Germans.[1]

The unification of Germany has significantly moved Germans farther away from the church. Under the communist regime in East Germany, extreme pressure was exerted on citizens to renounce their religion. East Germans who practiced their religion were denied educational and professional opportunities, for example. Consequently, at unification the majority of East Germans were either not baptized or had left their church.[2]

Another significant factor in Berlin’s paradigm shift is the influx of immigrants from the far reaches of the world. Berlin is home to 180 different nationalities. It has the largest Turkish population outside of Turkey. With each immigrant arrival come shifts in culture and thus, religion, either further eroding Berlin’s Christian foundation or in some instances helping revive it. The biggest church affiliations are the Protestant State church (The Evangelical Church of Berlin), the Roman Catholic Church followed with a strong third by the rapidly growing Muslim populace.

Germany gave birth to the Protestant Reformation when Martin Luther posted his 95 theses at the church door at Wittenberg. Her Christian heritage is still evident. Her calendar proudly displays the celebration of holidays such as the Ascension and Pentecost, in addition to Christmas, Thanksgiving and Easter. The Blue Sunday law stands despite recent attempts to repeal it. The state churches are financially supported by taxes collected by the government from their memberships. The skyline of Berlin, displays majestic Gothic churches built to memorialize Germany’s faith in the One true and living God. Sadly, the buildings stayed through the centuries, but the faith faded. She displays a bravado that questions her Christian legacy, and yet, searches for “isms” that could help her get out from under her conflicted identity.  

Why a library?

The Old and the New

Berlin displays the polarization between the old and the new evident in architecture, culture and the church. The old wants to hang on to what it has lived with; the young rejects the old and wants to start anew. In this struggle, the contemporary church is attempting to find ways not just to stay alive, but to reach out and present herself relevant. The church has moved out of cathedrals and Gothic structures, changed from the music of Bach and Beethoven to contemporary music with drums and guitars, and has shed the preacher’s dark suits and ties for casual clothes. The Reset Berlin church meets in a café setting complete with little bistro tables to hold coffee cups, tea cups and Bibles during worship services. A band with drums, guitars and keyboard provides music. Project Berlin meets in a theater with a stage that looks more for a performance than a worship service. The preacher gets onstage much like Johnny Carson coming out from between the curtains. Even the names of the churches have changed from the traditional labels. The Jesus for All People Church reflects the ethnic and cultural diversity of the city in its name. 

“Connections” was conceived with all these in mind – a ministry to those who have known the Saviour and an outreach to those who haven’t, in a contemporary, relevant language and setting. Katie Thomas, former director, states that though the bulk of the ministry’s high-impact involvement has, to this point, been more with Christians . . .. they have, however, created an image specifically for non-Christians. Meaning, the interior design, the used book sales, the coffee...these things were a part of the identity from the foundational stages, so that it would be a place that was also approachable by non-Christians. . . .

Through the joint efforts of the Institute for Christian Resources (ICR now known as Open Door Libraries), a US-based missionary organization, and the Christian Resources Center (CRC), a Berlin-based mission board, “Connections” was established. When Eastern Europe opened as communism fell, ICR became aware of the need for encouraging, strengthening and discipling Christians in these countries. Recognizing the need to provide educational tools and resources to the Christian community, Willard Black, ICR founder, established the first of its libraries in Prague, Czech Republic, followed by one in Budapest and in Berlin. More recently, a library opened in Amman, Jordan.  Leadership in the ODL has transitioned to Phyllis Lanyon, Executive Director.

Dale and Barbara Mallory have been longtime tentmaker-missionaries to Germany. Several years ago the Mallory’s learned of the Prague library and felt that such an outreach would be effective in Berlin. With ICR’s partnership, “Connections,” a library with a coffee bar, was born five years ago. Katie Thomas was its first Director. In August, 2011 the Larry Lewis family left for Berlin to direct the ministry.

 “Connections” has over 4,000 books on the shelves ranging from children’s to theological books and a collection of videos, CD’s and DVD’s. It has an all-volunteer staff, coming from the United States and the local churches. The library also puts on special events such as art exhibits, children’s story hours, jazz concerts, seminars on contemporary issues to serious lectures designed to draw in non-Christians.

A People-Friendly Ambiance

“I certainly will come back. It is so peaceful here. It feels like a refuge from the noise and confusion

A refuge from the noise and confusion of the world

of the world,” said a Moslem visitor to Connections. The daughter found a book on the city of Damascus, which she excitedly brought to her mother, who was so thrilled to find a book on her birth city.

A retired seaman who lives alone in an apartment across the street from the library spends most of his days at “Connections.” He orders a milche kaffé and sips it as he does crossword puzzles. At midday he will order another and continue with his puzzles. Every now and then a volunteer staff would sit with him in the sitting area and discuss what he had been doing lately.

One late afternoon a regular patron of the library came in with a broken arm. Taking the empty chair next to a volunteer, she explained her broken arm. Then she continued - difficulties she’s had lately, unresolved issues she’s dealing with, pain that comes from a marriage to a non-Christian. Before she came she prayed for God to show her which books to borrow. He always showed her the right ones. Almost overwhelmed, the volunteer took her hand and asked if they could pray together. She said “yes.” After the prayer, she handed the volunteer an unopened pack of Pall Mall. “Burn it,“ she told her. She’d been trying to stop smoking and hadn’t had a cigarette for a few months, but today she picked up a pack on her way to the library. “I don’t need those anymore.” Then she headed to the stacks. Suddenly, she exclaimed loud enough for everyone to hear, “I can’t believe it. This is my mother’s book. You have one of my mother’s books! She wrote this,” holding it up for everyone to see. Her parents loved God, and have served as missionaries in various countries. With over 4,000 books on the shelves with many more unclassified/uncategorized books in the basement, what are the chances of her accidentally finding her mother’s little half-inch thick book on the bottom shelf of the biography section? Not much, unless God orchestrated it.

Why Europe?

The majestic Berlin Cathedral that has a history dating back to the 15th century, once a thriving church, has been reduced to a tourist attraction with token worship services to provide continuity to its role as a religious edifice. It reflects the state of European spiritual life. Philip Jenkins quotes George Weigel,

A Godless Europe, he argues, may for a few years appear pleasantly tolerant and nonjudgmental, but without commitment to faith and family, evaporating moral standards and plummeting birth rates creates a society that is literally unsustainable. A society that rejects the supernatural turns instead to short-term hedonism, with the only real criterion for actions being the pleasure and fulfillment of the individuals concerned.[3]

 Why Europe? Because Europe needs Jesus, too.

 ________________


[1] Religion in Germany, http://www.sacred-destinations.com/germany/index.htm accessed October 29,2011.


[2] Ibid.


[3] Philip Jenkins, God’s Continent (New York: Oxford Press, 2007), 9.