Church Plant: Tübingen

The Church Plant Oversight Team was appointed in April 2005 by EES president Dr. Bruce Shields. The Team has been charged to oversee the development of a strategy that will lead to a successful church plant in the Tübingen, Germany area. This team includes:

• Wye Huxford, executive director
• Bobby Haralson, chair of the Church Plant Oversight Team
• Ben Cachiaras, vice president/Church Plant Oversight Team Advisor
• Dr. Rick Grover, church planter in New Orleans will serve as a consultant to the team
• Additionally, the team is working on a relationship with Dr. Tom Jones of Emmanuel School of Religion and church planting methods expert

The primary purpose of this team is to oversee the development of a strategy for church planting and then hand the new congregation over to the Gemeinden Liaison Committee, recognizing that the congregation will eventually become an autonomous congregation of believers. Our dreams include the idea that as soon as this plant is successful, we will move on to other such opportunities.

Fast Facts

• 88% of Western Europeans say the "believe"--which in the Gallup survey meant that they considered themselves to be part of some religion--Catholics, Protestants, other Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, and followers of other religions.
• 20% of Western Europeans say that they "regularly attend" religious services apart from weddings, funerals, and christenings.
• 48% of Europeans say that God is very important to them.
• 48% of Europeans say that they almost never go to church.
• 35% of Western Europeans say that there is a personal God.
• 21% of Western Europeans say that there is "only one true religion" and 55% say that there are "many true religions."

--Statistics from www.gallup-international.com (April 2005)

• Christianity is the major religion in Germany, though the number of believers in all religions in Germany is smaller than it was in the past.
• 33% identify with Protestants (particularly in the north and east)
• 33% identify with Catholics (particularly in the south and west)
• However, most Germans do not participate in church at all, except for events such as weddings and funerals.
• Prior to World War II, about two-thirds of the German population was Protestant and one-third was Roman Catholic. Now only about two-thirds are Christians, nearly evenly divided between Catholics and Protestants, with a small group of Orthodox and other Christian groups.
• Approximately 3.7 million Muslims (mostly of Turkish descent) live in Germany.

--Statistics from www.answer.com (Wikipedia) (April 2005: "Religion in Germany")

Financial Needs

To plant a new congregation in Europe will require significant financial resources. Our goal is to secure initial gifts of $15,000 which will enable us to do important preliminary studies necessary for a successful church plant. We are hoping to identify American congregations who would like to partner with EES in planting a new, vibrant, functioning congregation in western Europe. We encourage you to give prayerful consideration of this opportunity to expand the kingdom of God in our world.

Partnership with Globalscope

EES is also moving forward with plans to partner with Globalscope-www.cmfi.org/globalyouth.html--for campus ministry in Tübingen.

For more information about this venture please continue to visit our web site for updates. You may also call our offices at 404.460.2443 and we will provide you with more information.