Church in the Mission of Jesus Christ: Diaconal Action between Congregation, Community, and Social Enterprises

This article introduces church theories currently being developed in German Protestant theology. The article deals with Lutheran diaconal perspectives on these church theories. Diaconal action becomes visible as a form of ecclesiastical activity in a socially diff erentiated society. Against the background of profound social transformation processes and an increasing decline of church membership in Protestant churches in Germany, questions of future development of the church will be discussed. Current practical theological theories argue that the Gospel needs to be communicated in plural organisations and diverse professions to reach people in diff erent social situations and milieus. From this point of view diaconal enterprises and diaconal engagement can be seen as a special shape of Church, in which the Gospel of God’s redeeming Grace is communicated as charity. Management methods and examples of diaconal education will be shown in this article, which intend to communicate the diaconal dimension of the Gospel in parochial forms but also in social enterprises, which work on behalf of a social welfare state.


2019
(mission and mission orders). 3 In Protestant theology usually the Augsburg Confession is quoted with article VII (1530) to defi ne church: in this defi nition, the Church is the '… gathering of all believers in which the gospel is preached pure, and the holy sacraments are delivered according to the Gospel' . 4 Th is conception of the Church is based on sermon and sacraments. From a Lutheran dogmatic perspective church is created by God's Word, which promises redemption for sinners and comforts believers with God's Grace. Th e congregation with its services is the main place where believers come together and practise their faith. Nevertheless, the Reformation was much more than a time of praying and preaching. It was also the beginning of religious education in schools, homes (catechism) and confi rmation lessons. Th rough the centuries, Protestant churches have also spread through diaconal and educational activities. In the 20 th century a new shape of congregation developed in Germany around congregation halls (Gemeindehaus). Now members of a church engaged themselves not only in listening to the Gospel but also in meeting in groups such as discussions of biblical texts, joining in youth groups, women's breakfasts, asylum groups, children's worship, parish parties, excursions, etc. New church professions like parish pedagogues (Gemeindepädagoge) and methods like experiential pedagogy (Erlebnispädagogik) developed. New theories of Church were refl ected in German practical theologies. Former dogmatic conceptions of Church were reviewed by sociological methods. Th ereby, the Protestant dogmatic view of church concepts was transformed. In this context surveys and sociological investigations revealed data on the Protestant German Church (Evangelische Kirche in Deutschland: EKD) and diakonia for over thirty years that are especially about meanings, personal engagements and church affi liation. Th ese are collected from church members and non-members of the 'Protestant Church in Germany' and their local congregations. 5 Sociological theories such as system theories 6 have inspired practical theologians to think about church and diakonia in innovative ways. One of the results is the insight that churches develop in modern and diff erentiated societies not only in one social form but in a plurality of organisational forms. Th ese insights were accompanied by a paradigm shift of the defi nition of church in German Protestant practical theology. Adapting Ernst Langes' famous formulation, the task of church is in current publications defi ned as 'communication of the Gospel' . 7 Th e paradigm shift leads from preaching in congregations to a wider conception of church as communication of the Gospel 'in 9 2019 plural places' . 8 To bond and gain church members, the Gospel has to be communicated to as many people as possible (Mk 16:15; in plural professions, institutions, and communicative forms. Th is paradigm shift has profound consequences for the priorities of church activities, for education of church professionals, and on the allocation of resources for further church development. As a consequence of this paradigm shift , this article will show how congregations and educational activities and diaconal agencies all together develop church in diff erentiated forms and engagements. It will be shown how each modus of communicating the Gospel is part of a perspective of a church that develops as a so-called 'hybrid' 9 organisation in 'plural places and diff erentiated vocations' . 10

Church theory: theological and sociological descriptions of church
Since 1972 the 'Protestant Church in Germany' (Evangelische Kirche in Deutschland: EKD), which is the biggest association of Lutheran and Reformed local churches in the whole of Germany, commissioned representative surveys on church membership. Th ese surveys were based on sociological methods especially with the use of questionnaires and interviews. Members as well as non-members were questioned every ten years about their relation to, engagement with, bonding to, and expectations of belonging to the church. Let us look at the signifi cant results which inform our question about church and social engagement. From a survey in 2013, about 60% of all inhabitants of Germany are members of the two biggest Christian churches, paying taxes in a permanent membership. Th ese two biggest institutional organised churches are the 'Protestant Church in Germany' (EKD) and the Roman Catholic Church. Each hold about 30% of membership of all inhabitants of Germany. Th ere is a continuing declining membership in this institutional organised shape of Protestant and Catholic churches especially in former socialist areas. Nevertheless, sociological surveys show that the bonding of those who are members of the 'Protestant Church in Germany' (EKD) seems to have been in a constant structure for forty years. Most members feel a deep alliance to their church, while others do not feel very close in belief to the church. One of the key fi ndings of these surveys on membership in the 'Protestant Church in Germany' (EKD) is that although only 10-15% of all church members continue to participate in local congregations and their worship services, nevertheless 73% answer that they exclude 'categorically' ('kategorisch') 11 the possibility of leaving their church as a (tax-paying) member. Th is fi gure corresponds to each of the four past surveys commissioned by the EKD. It leads to the insight that church bonding is not structured only by individual engagement to a local parish. Although pastors and parishes are the best known and most representative public persons and institutions in Protestant churches, there are other criteria of bonding and staying as a member in the church as well. Th is phenomenon is elucidated by other recurrent data over the last fi ve surveys that were commissioned by the 'Protestant Church in Germany' (EKD

2019
Another signifi cant fi gure in this context is the aspect on church expectation as presented in all surveys about diaconal engagement. In a 2012 survey, of which the results were published in 2015, the question was asked: 'How should the church engage herself in the following areas' ('Inwiefern sollte sich die Kirche in folgenden Bereichen engagieren?' 13 ). Of the questioned members and non-members, 83% marked as fi rst and second priorities those answers dealing with the church's social engagement. Th is includes 'the church should help people in need' . 14 Church services and praying followed only in the third and fourth position of priorities. Th e high importance of diaconal work can be found in each of the previous surveys conducted in the same way. It means that most of the members and non-members expect a corresponding diaconal engagement by their church. Th ey expect that this diaconal off ering is made even when they themselves have no need of it.
Let us have another view of the results of the survey which was conducted by the German Protestant Church (EKD). One of the main results reveals that members of the EKD churches are connected to the churches in so-called 'distanced' (distanzierte Kirchenmitgliedschaft ') 15 ways. Not all of them want to join parishes consistently and continuously. Most members structure their relation to the church through temporary contacts. Also, most members maintain contact with their church in the rites of passage or biographical turning points which are accompanied by occasional services (Kasualien). Baptism for babies, confi rmation for the youth, weddings, and burials: all are still seen as important spiritual and celebratory events for families and individual biographies. Temporary contacts such as Christmas and Easter services are important as main celebrations of the church year. 16 Th eories about religious socialisation show that for believers in the Christian God, education that takes place in childhood within families, in kindergartens, and in schools is most important. Confi rmation lessons as well as adult lessons off ered by the church help to deepen belief. Church media and public information about the church are important. All of this information and educational off erings invite participation in religious communication. Th erefore, all of these are part of communicating the Gospel. Communicating the Gospel in plural places is necessary to reach members and non-members within their diff erent individual biographies and milieus. Following Protestant practical German theology, this plural type of Gospel communication in diverse 'communication modes' 17 is one of the main tasks of churches in socially diff erentiated modern societies. It challenges thinking about the church acting and developing in plural places not only in parishes, but also in areas such as those identifi ed with the diaconal, casual, cultural, media, and educational areas. Th ese insights from diff erent church theories have been collected and discussed as a body of theories that challenge the development of the 'church in plural places' ('Kirche an pluralen Orten') 18 . It was Uta Pohl-Patalong, a professor in practical theology, who fi rst arrived at the refl ection that in history and at present, parishes are quite important in the development of the church.
Nevertheless, Pohl-Patalong assessed that churches -as public institutions in societies -were never developed only in the shape of congregations. 19 Th rough the whole history of churches, the Christian faith was spread in plural forms within a wide focus of diaconal and religious education and informational off erings. Eberhard Hauschild, a Protestant German professor in practical theology, found a metaphor for church development in plural places. He titled the multi-perspective phenomena of church as 'hybrid' . 20 Like modern cars, running on petrol and solar engines, the church has also to develop on the basis of diff erent sources. Churches need fl exible engines to run eff ectively. Eberhard Hauschildt quotes in this context the habilitation thesis of Gerald Kretzschmar, who worked out that '… the bonding to the church is a biographical formed product of individuals' self-interpretation, in which the distance to the institution is the normal case and the organisational integration is the special case' . 21 Th erefore, church theorists recommend not only to focus on a parochial shape of churches but also on plural forms. 22

In the mission of Christ: diaconal theology and diaconal practice
Besides the sociological theories on church there are also some diaconal and theological theses that inspire the view of the phenomenon called 'Church' . Diaconal engagement communicates the Gospel in word and in social action. Th e thesis I will follow is that diakonia is a specifi c way to communicate the Gospel in the social shape of the church. Let us therefore look fi rst at our question from a theological and especially diaconal view. 23

Diakonia and the Gospel
Th e Gospel tells how God's love is revealed in Jesus Christ. Th e central theme of Christ's incarnation is the message of God's love for his fallible Creation. Th is love is visible in God's redemption for all sinners. It is visible in the way that God intends to restore community and participation for His Creation. In Jesus Christ, God becomes human, God shares life with people in spiritual and social need, in illness and poverty. God provides community to those who are poor spiritually and socially. He is involved with those who are religiously and socially stigmatised and marginalised. Th is diaconal impact of the Gospel can be found in the narratives of Jesus Christ. It can be seen in the theological centre of redemption. In Christ's crucifi xion and resurrection, it is not only the salvation of individuals but it is also a proclamation of salvation for the whole Creation (Rom 8:8-22). Individual justifi cation is embedded in visions of social justice and peace and the renewal of the whole Creation (Rev 21:1-5). In the Bible, Christ's messiahship is interpreted in the tradition of liberating and comforting grace. It is told within a critical context in relation to domination and exploitation especially in the advocacy tradition of the exodus and prophetic traditions. Th e Bible's vision of the 'kingdom of God' promises life in brother-sisterhood and solidarity. Th is is 9 2019 why the famous German theologian Dietrich Bonhoeff er said that believers have to do both: to pray and to practice justice. 24 Social engagement is therefore strongly at the centre of the Gospel. It is not something that can be occasionally added or left over. Charity (Nächstenliebe) and advocacy are not a second or third aspect aft er others such as preaching and praying, but they are in the midst of the Gospel which tells that 'you shall love God and love your neighbour as yourself ' (Lk 10:27). All over Christian parishes is the belief and conviction that practising charity and diaconal engagement is a form of imitation of Christ. In the liturgies of early Christianity, the Eucharistic communion was connected with care for ill and poor members. Deacons were advised by their bishops to take donations from agape meals to those who were not able to come. Deacons in the early church were ordered to look aft er the suff ering, the ill, and poor members. Th e charity of the early church was shared not only with members but also with needy neighbours in pagan surroundings. With this selfl ess attitude, charity supported the mission and growth of church. Charity pervaded the church's history. It was practised in the monastic tradition and was seen as the responsibility of all Christians, fathers and mothers, citizens, craft smen, and leaders in the period of the Reformation. In the 19 th century diaconical foundations were maintained in Germany during the industrial revolution. To educate and support children from socially disadvantaged families, theologians like Johann Hinrich Wichern built so-called 'rescue homes' (Rettungshäuser) and educated deacons (Diakone) to rescue starving and underprivileged children from physical and spiritual distress. Believers like Th eodor Fliedner founded diaconal womens' refuges (Mutterhaus) and educated deaconesses (Diakonissen) to support the poor and nurture especially the ill amongst them. 25 Th ese 19 th century foundations still exist in Germany. Th ey were founded as tax-free associations (gemeinnützige Vereine) and are so far organised alongside churches as religious institutions. Today Catholic Caritas and Protestant Diakonie are the biggest social associations in Germany with about one million employees (each sharing about 500,000) and an equal number of volunteers. In subsidiary cooperation with state actors and municipal providers, they operate within the German welfare state. 26 Th ey are mainly supported by taxes, contributions (Entgelte) from insurance (especially health-care, Kranken-und Pfl egeversicherung), other public resources, and private donations. Th ere is also a large diaconal engagement for international social work by German diaconal agencies such as 'Brot für die Welt' ('Bread for the World'). Besides these large and powerful agencies there are charity activities by congregations and church districts in Germany which are also fi nanced by public resources and public taxes. Part of these diaconal engagements are fi nanced by church taxes and sponsoring. Many church members and non-members engage themselves in diaconal activities. In the last years, some critical discussions have come up in Germany whether these large associations are still able to act along with the tradition of the Christian faith. Th is question is raised when employees of large diaconal enterprises with about a thousand employees are no longer convinced Christians. Furthermore, it is the system of social welfare legislation which could control and 9 2019 regulate the content of their work. In German diaconal work, the diaconal frame and content can become invisible to cooperation partners and clients. Lack of money and current struggles for resources in a so-called social market economy have strengthened the discussion about the diaconal profi le of actual diaconal work.

Diaconal profi le for diaconal enterprises: diaconal corporate culture and mission statements (Leitbilder)
How can we talk about diaconal engagement as a special shape of church if clients and cooperation partners don't recognise the Christian content any longer? How can diaconal engagement be visible as a form of Christian belief? In German diaconal sciences (Diakoniewissenschaft ) some solutions have been elaborated on how the diaconal 'proprium' or so-called 'Protestant profi le' can be moulded. I want to describe a few of them here. One proposal is to focus on a diaconal profi le by elaborating on a diaconal corporate culture. Today, analysts of global concerns as well as diaconal theorists look seriously at the so-called 'soft factors' of an enterprise, which are present in corporate culture. Th ese include factors such as mission statements, behaviours, attitudes, shared ethics, corporate design, and the working atmosphere. Culture in this context means all instruments and factors that form the specifi c appearance and atmosphere of an organisation. Th is culture is shared consciously or unconsciously by the staff of a diaconal enterprise. Some aspects of the enterprise's culture are visible and worked out in papers that refl ect their traditions and ordered structure. Beate Hofmann showed that the main roots of a culture are usually invisible. 27 It is shared unconsciously through the behaviour and habits of the staff and the leaders of an organisation. Cultural habits and their values can be reinforced through management strategies such as a culture of remembrance for diaconal founding fathers and mothers and celebratory cultures with spiritual off erings in the form of prayers and devotions. Diaconal culture can be strengthened by a humane working atmosphere that provides possibilities for interaction and the expression of complaints. It can be formed by team discussions about ethics or in counselling sessions especially among health care areas. A common instrument of diaconal culture in Germany is the elucidation of a mission statement (Leitbild). In these statements, diaconal providers (Anbieter) formulate their main values and strategic aims in key sentences. Th ese sentences are usually elaborated in an integrative process between the leaders and staff of a diaconal enterprise or agency. It involves the entire staff in a process of thinking about the main values and visions of their work. Th e process assures professionals and volunteers about the aims and values of their working place. Th e mission statement shows the culture and values of a diaconal enterprise on the homepage. Clients and cooperative partners can thereby access information about the organisational identity and operative aims of a diaconal provider. In order to develop a diaconal culture in this way, staff members and leaders have to communicate about their diaconal ethics, attitudes, and traditions. One of the most important options in developing diaconal culture, habits, and actions in agencies is to think about the further education of employees, staff , and leaders to deepen their ethical and theological knowledge. 28 9 2019

Diaconal education, diaconal professionals, and ministries for diaconal hybrid activities in congregations and society
To create plural ways of communicating the Gospel in congregations as well as in diaconal agencies, there is a need for volunteers and professionals who are educated in diaconal practice. Many German agencies provide further education for their employees. A part of this further education deals with Christian beliefs, diaconal traditions, and ethics. Most employees in German diaconal agencies are members of Christian churches. However, an increasing number of them are not. Knowledge applying to Gospel content, church confessions, and diaconal traditions is on the decrease. Th erefore, further education, conferences, and lectures are important instruments that bring colleagues into discourse about Protestant attitudes, ethics, and belief. Aside from these options we have a long and profound tradition of diaconal professionals in Germany known as deaconesses and deacons (Christian social workers and nurses). Th ese professional traditions, which were founded in the 19 th century by Johann Hinrich Wichern, Th eodor Fliedner, and their colleagues, still exist in modern educational forms in Protestant German churches. In the German tradition, these (male and female) deacons are predominantly engaged in social work and health care. Th ey are seen in the Protestant tradition as church professionals who proclaim the Gospel in God's mission, not so much through the Word but mostly through social engagement. Th erefore, it might be promising to think about a specifi c Christian education for social workers, nurses, and community educators (Gemeindepädagogen) that enables them as social, nursing, and pedagogical professionals to communicate Christian ethics, belief, and attitudes in their work places. Th ey could preach and pray in their working area, if possible, in respect of the institutional background. 29 To think about communicating the Gospel through diff erentiated church professionals off ers perspectives for church development. Diaconical approaches provide possibilities for close contact to everyday life, for communication with people at social risk, and they open doors into socially diff erentiated milieus. Social engagement can also lead to ethical confl icts and controversies caused by the intervention of social legislation and competitive market economies. In these fractured and controversial forms of action, the diaconal entrepreneurs, who are ruled by state legislation, could still be criticised by other believers. However, the Gospel continues to communicate within the fallibility of Creation through active advocacy in the political areas of society. To give up diaconal engagement in its various forms, in agencies and enterprises, could thereby mean giving up a form of communicating the Gospel in a wide area of society and daily life and giving up responsibilities for social and health needs. Th erefore, it seems more promising not to give up the diaconal engagement in social enterprises, but to enable the staff to communicate the Gospel in them and through them.

Conclusion: diaconal activities in plural places for communicating the Gospel in a widespread range in congregations, communities, and diaconal enterprises
As a result, we can summarise that -according to contemporary German Protestant Church theories 30 -the communication of the Gospel is the main purpose of churches. Th is communication happens in diff erentiated societies in plural places and plural organisational forms. While the Gospel has to be proclaimed in parishes mainly by pastors, it can also be simultaneously communicated in plural places in the form of education and diaconal action by various ministries, professions, and volunteers. It needs to be communicated through social and public media. At the centre of all strategies for a church that is spread over plural places, such as congregations, communities, and society, is a theologically inspired view on church. Th is is based on the reference to God's redeeming grace and the mission to preach hope to the suff ering Creation (Rom 8: [18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25]. Th is can be done through worship, preaching, and receiving sacraments, as well as in diaconal engagements. Th e Apostle Paul emphasised that Christ's body has many diff erent limbs (1 Cor 12:12ff .; Rom 12:3ff .). Th e church when seen -from a diaconal view -as the body of Christ needs eyes, ears, mouths, hands, feet, brain, and head, and so on. All limbs, even those that are despised and marginalised, are important for the functioning of Christ's body. 'We cover with honour those limbs which seem to be less valued' (1 Cor 12:23), Paul said. Paul's ecclesiological conception is orientated on the participation of diverse charisma and talents. It is an inclusive concept as the Apostle assessed: 'if one limb is suff ering all limbs are suff ering…' (1 Cor 12:26). Th is embodiment of Christ happens in the whole Creation. It unfolds in a church that acts and communicates in plural places, in diverse organisational forms and diverse social milieus, and thereby in diff erentiated social systems as a religious and socially responsible actor in modern society.