Europe

Germany

Calvary Chapel Munich

History of the ministry:

Calvary Chapel Munich was founded by Pastor Torsten Johnson who came from Seattle, Washington. Torsten, a German-American who spoke German, came to Munich in 1996 to take over a home Bible study which later moved to the German YMCA. (The YMCA’s in Germany are generally solid Christian ministries.) In 1998 they rented their own building for the first time, which they subsequently outgrew. Being forced to move, in 2003 they found a larger building and began renovations. Since the move, Calvary Chapel Munich has shrunk in size but continues to have a solid foundation of elders and leaders. We are waiting on the Lord for His plans for this wonderful building He gave us.

Our place in Munich:

Munich is a relatively recent city by German standards. It was founded along the salt trade route between Salzburg (loosely translated “salt castle”) and Augsburg. This area of Germany is the heart of Bavaria and Munich is its capital city. Bavaria is a very Catholic region and the Protestant Reformation has had little effect here in historical times. In modern times, people are more mobile and so Munich has many residents from all over Germany and the world. Munich is a very wealthy, modern city and is probably the most sought after city to live in here in Germany. Several larger German corporations make their home in Munich, including Siemens and BMW. Munich now has several Christian churches and ministries, of which Calvary Chapel is one. While there is already an international (English-speaking) church in Germany, we feel the need to conduct our business mainly in German. We are one of the smaller churches in the area but we see our unique place in the body of Christ. Calvary Chapel Munich has a unique blend of teaching through the Bible, worship, and fellowship.

What God is doing now:

I am currently in Munich covering for Pastor Torsten while he is in America for 6 months. He felt the need to go home with his family for an extended time to rest and seek the Lord. Overall the church is doing very well with the transition and there are solid leaders in place for the ministries. There is plenty of room for outreach teams and there is also a spacious coffee bar with a full kitchen. We are praying for ways to put all these blessings to use. As far as outreaches go, the church has just sponsored two major outreaches and we are regrouping for what the Lord has next. We are praying for further outreaches in fall or winter, perhaps to coincide with the Christmas season. For now we are focusing on the needs of the body and discipleship. There have been a couple leadership changes in the church, and we feel the need to set things in order.

Spiritually the church is in a period of growth. Since God has shrunk the church a bit, this has almost forced us to seek Him and establish a solid foundation. Pastor Torsten’s desire and almost constant prayer is for revival in the church and city, but we also feel we need to be the kind of church that can be ready for a revival. One of Torsten’s favorite quotes is “God wants quality, not quantity.” One of the things that is truly amazing is how much the people love to pray and fellowship. There are opportunities to pray throughout the week and God is truly ministering to the body in unique ways. It is not uncommon for people to stay and fellowship after church 4-5 hours after the Sunday service is over.

The church is also in a period of growth regarding the absence of their senior pastor. Torsten’s desire is for the elders and leaders to step forward and take a more active role in the church. His absence will almost force them to do that. This will likely be a trying time for them but the fruit will be enormous. This will bring the solid foundation that we need to have to be ready for whatever God has for us. Being faithful with the few will make us ready for more. I believe this time will also help the church to respect and understand the pastor in a new way when they see all the things he must do.

My vision for the ministry:

Pastor Torsten wanted me to primarily focus on the preaching of the Word on Sundays and also to act as an advisor when needed for the church leadership. My vision for this ministry is to ensure that the church is in good condition for when he returns. I feel solid, Spirit-led Bible teaching and love for the sheep are essential for this. I desire to encourage and build up the leaders in the fellowship so that they can take a more active role in the church as Torsten wants. My goal is to lead the church as closely to Torsten’s vision as possible. I see myself as an assistant to him, even though he is far away geographically. While I am not free to carry out “my own vision” for the church, I do want to be sensitive to any ministry opportunities the Lord may give us. When Torsten returns, my prayer is that he and his family will be refreshed and the church will be ready for what God has next.