The Reformanda Initiative serves the German evangelical churches in Munich

From the 25th to the 27th of September 2020, Reformanda Initiative leaders served German evangelical churches through public and private lectures and the preaching of God’s word. On the evenings of the 25th and the 26th, the Evangelical Free Church in Munich hosted a presentation in which Reformanda Initiative Director, Dr. Leonardo De Chirico, interacted with the question, “Is the Reformation over?”. Throughout the sessions, De Chirico presented a clear argument that the Reformation is not and cannot be over because the issues remain the same today as they did 500 years ago, namely the issue of Justification by Faith alone, and the church submitting to the authority of Scripture alone. Dr. De Chirico demonstrated how rather than becoming closer to resolving these issues, the Roman Catholic church has deviated even further from the issues at stake, as seen in the still binding decrees made at the Council of Trent (1545-1563) and the establishing of new and  non biblical dogmas: the Immaculate conception of Mary (1854), Papal infallibility (1870), and the bodily assumption of Mary (1950). Even the 1999 Joint Declaration on Justification by Faith is ambiguous at best and remains within the Tridentine framework, while at the same time leaving Roman Catholic claims unchanged. Both sessions included time for questions and answers, and both sessions were live streamed and recorded for future viewing. 

In addition to the public lectures, Dr. Leonardo De Chirico and Clay Kannard (RI Communications Director) participated in a training event on Saturday, the 26th. Approximately forty students from various evangelical churches gathered to participate in a five-session mini-course led by Dr. De Chirico. These sessions allowed students to analyzed and discuss Roman Catholic theology and practice from an Evangelical perspective. All of the lectures were recorded and will be made available online. The trip to Munich ended on Sunday the 27th after Leonardo De Chirico and Clay Kannard preached in two different evangelical churches. Their sermons focused on the nature of the Biblical Gospel and how evangelicals should/could engage their Roman Catholic friends and family members with the Gospel of Grace.

In line with what happens in many parts of the evangelical world, the need for biblical discernment on how to relate to the Roman Catholic church (individuals, movements, and institution) is evident. The Reformanda Initiative exists to help the global evangelical church to address these issues and to help leaders to biblically assess the challenges of the "ecumenical" attraction.

Clay Kannard 
2 October 2020