Previous | Next 

Fresno, Calif.
Spiritual growth accompanies building project in Germany


When Paul and Ina Warkentin returned to North America to visit churches in 1996, they found it difficult to share about their ministry. Their first two years as missionaries in Reichenhall, Germany, had in some ways been discouraging.

After a second three-year term in Germany, they again visited churches in Canada and the US. This time, the Warkentins joyfully shared about the new life of their church.

“During our first term in Reichenhall, our church dealt with divisions and a lack of vision,” says Ina. “It’s difficult to come back to the people in North America who have prayed for you and given money, and tell them things aren’t going so well.”

The Reichenhall church had a history of being split into two factions, and members had difficulty trusting the Warkentins’ leadership. As Paul relates, however, things have changed dramatically over the past three years.

“After our first term, the church in Germany began to anticipate something new would happen. They knew something had to change,” Paul reports. “Plus, interim pastor [couple] Gus and Madgalena Gauer counselled church members and began to lead them toward unity.”

As a few dominant members left the congregation, others began to participate more.

“Those who remained in the church now felt freer,” says Paul. “They prayed and tried to accept each other. The pessimistic predictions of those who left were not fulfilled. The church didn’t fall apart.”

It took a major leap of faith to find a building for the congregation and for the church to grow to a new level of maturity.

“For a long time, the church was timid – they didn’t trust that God could do something with their small body of believers,” says Paul. “The church used to be a group of only about 35 people who met in a backyard. Ina and I challenged them with a vision for a building that would be the centre of a larger ministry.”

According to Ina, a church building has great symbolic meaning to Germans. “For those coming out of a tradition of a beautiful Roman Catholic church, it is very important to have a good facility, so that believers can be proud of it.”

Deciding to have a church building was not an easy step for the church. After three meetings, the church told Paul to pray and fast for a whole day, and they would trust whatever decision he reached.

“The steps of faith, and the risk that it took for the congregation to go ahead with finding a building, changed the atmosphere to one of confidence,” says Paul. “One member told me ‘Because we have faith, we can do it – because it’s impossible for us to do it, we will do it with the Lord’s help.’ ”

Finding a site for the church was difficult. However, the city council helped the church look for a location and gave the church a permit to rent an abandoned warehouse.

“When we saw the facilities, we said ‘It’s not worth it,’” Ina recalls. “The building needed so much work that we wondered if it would be possible. But it was structurally sound, so we went ahead.”

Since the church didn’t have all the resources to take on the task themselves, they had to find outside help. Financing the project came from three sources: 60 per cent from the congregation, 15 per cent from the the Bavarian and northern German MB Conferences and the rest from North America through MBMS International.

Using workers from within the congregation, from Bavaria and from North America, the building was renovated in three stages: A youth room was finished within three months; the sanctuary was completed in October 1998 after ten months’ work; and the exterior was repaired and painted by October 1999.

Reichenhall’s newly-renovated facility

Already the church has benefited because of its new home. The congregation has grown to an attendance of between 50 and 60 people, and the building is seen as an improvement within the community.

“Two years ago, the building was an eyesore to the community,” Ina recalls. “Now, the church’s bright yellow walls say it all. People thank us for making something beautiful out of an abandoned warehouse.”

The Warkentins will be visiting churches in North America.  – Brad Thiessen, MBMS International

Previous | Next 

Last modified January 11, 2000.

© 2000 Mennonite Brethren Herald.
Published by the Canadian Conference of MB Churches.
Masthead and usage information.