Protestant Reformed Church of Alsace and Lorraine

The Reformed Church of Alsace and Lorraine (French Protestant Church réformée d'Alsace et de Lorraine; EPRAL ) is a reformed religious community with the status of a public corporation ( établissement public du culte ). The EPRAL is the smaller of the two Protestant churches in the Union since 2006 of Alsace and Lorraine ( EPAL ) connected Protestant churches in the two French regions of Alsace and the Lorraine Moselle with its special history.

History

After the Concordat of 1801 with the Vatican, Napoleon issued with the organic products for the family members of non-Catholic religious communities ( Calvinists, Jews, Lutherans ) similar statutes which provided the parastatal management bodies ( consistory ), whereby the Reformed Church of France took legal shape. The Reformed participated in the scheme because it was one not worse than other religious communities. But it meant a dramatic break with her presbyterial and synodal principles. Pastors were no longer hired and paid by church people in the parishes, but they were state- salaried and were under the consistory as masters.

In the absence of General Synod drifted the Reformed Church in the course of the 19th century in an ordeal between supporters of the revival movement (then called évangéliques ) and those of religious liberalism. As the only educational institution of the contemporary Reformed churches thus served the parishes. Napoleon III. adopted on 26 March 1852, influenced by Charles Read laws decree that established the Reformed churches legally recognized and the choice of presbyters former Reformed doctrine accordingly on the basis of universal suffrage of men. In the Consistory be made by the occupations of Pastoraten the parishes but were always re-purposed and candidates who stood in contradiction to the predominant attitude of the presbyteries and the community they elected majority. That sparked in part from violent quarrels.

Two pastoral conferences, each especially pastors of one or the other direction attracted (Liberals in Nîmes and awakened in Paris), were binding and could not make up for the absence of the General Synod. The Awakened demanded a general synod to adopt an authoritative creed, moderate liberals voted to them, the radical liberals want the authority of a General Synod in matters of doctrine and dogma no longer recognize. It was only in June and July 1872 gathered again a reformed General Synod, which could create a binding clarification.

Of these, could the Reformed churches that were in the district of Lorraine and Alsace, no longer benefit. They were separated in 1871 by the Reformed Church of France. Unlike the Lutheran Church of the Augsburg Confession of France, whose Board of Directors and Upper Consistory sat in Strasbourg and then on Augsburg for the newly formed Church Confession of Alsace and Lorraine with a territorial restriction on Alsace -Lorraine continued to operate, the central church leadership of the Reformed sat in Paris. Since the created on March 26, 1852 Reformed Central ( Conseil central), the highest executive body of the Reformed Church, in its cast with appointed officials, also mostly followers of liberalism, was contrary to the Reformed doctrine, his elimination was very welcome.

For the Reformed churches in the district of Lorraine, for the Reformed consistory Nancy had been in charge since 1850, we set up in 1871 again a reformed consistory in Metz. As early as 1822 had a reformed Metz Consistory passed, which had been laid in 1850 but according to Nancy. However, the then five reformed Konsistorialbezirke passed as " island solutions " unconnected. As representatives of their central management also foregone Israelite Konsistorialbezirke, the Reformed struggled in Alsace -Lorraine question, forming a new central management for the whole kingdom country. However, these should be reformed understanding according to a come through elections to able Synod, no church authority. 1872 Upper rejected President Eduard von Moeller from both suggestion, because he wanted to change the existing legal position before the establishment of Alsace - Lorraine legislative organs as little as possible.

A central Reformed Synod for all Reformed Konsistorialbezirke created in 1895, which the Reformed Church of Alsace and Lorraine was founded. The central church leadership for the whole of Alsace - Lorraine, the synod ( Conseil Synodal ), but was only recognized on June 21, 1905 by an imperial edict. The synod and its President since been elected for three years. According to the new Constitution of Alsace-Lorraine in 1911, the President of Synodalvorstands as a representative of a recognized national church ex officio member of the first chamber of parliament Alsace -Lorraine. The reigning since 1898 as President of the Synodalvorstands Karl Piepenbring represented the church in the state parliament.

While the churches in France in 1905 their semi-public status lost (introduction of strict secularism ), the Organic Articles Concordat rights and restrictions in Alsace and the Moselle department apply ( interrupted by the repeal by the German occupying forces from 1941 to 1945 ) and after their re-integration in France continues. During the transfer of the legal relationships of the three departments (Bas- Rhin, Haut-Rhin, and Moselle), which form the area of ​​the former Alsace -Lorraine, the French Republic proceeded on the principle that all German regulations continue to exist as regional characteristics ( Droit local en Alsace et de Moselle), which have been considered more advantageous than the corresponding rules in the rest of France. Therefore, the Reformed Church of Alsace and Lorraine not legally unite with the Reformed Churches of France, unless they were the Concordat rights that are financially advantageous to.

Organization

The Church has the status of an ecclesiastical corporation under public law ( établissement public du culte ) in France. It has about 33,000 members (as of 2012), which are divided into 52 municipalities, the Konsistorialbezirke are summarized in four ( formerly five ): The consistory sit in Bischwiller / Bischweiler, Metz, Mulhouse / Mulhouse and Strasbourg / Strassburg. The Konsistorialbezirk Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines/Markirch was slammed in 2009 to that of Strasbourg due to declining membership. With the Pastors for special tasks, the church comprises 61 ordained ministers, including eight female. Church Parliament is the Synod of 33 delegates. Select the Synod as church leadership the synod ( Conseil synodal ) and check it. President of Synodalvorstands is since September 1, 2012 Pastor Christian warrior.

Affiliations

In 1961 she was a founding member of the Conference of Churches on the Rhine. She is also a member of the Fédération protest ante de France (FPF ), ie the Protestant Federal of France.

President

A selection of church president (French Président du Conseil Synodal ):