Reichenberg Fellowship
Encyclopedia
The Reichenberg Fellowship is a German non-denominational ecumenical
community. In German it is called the Offensive Junger Christen (OJC) e.V.. It belongs to the EKD
and is situated in Reichelsheim
in the Odenwald
.
. Horst-Klaus Hofmann was executive secretary of the YMCA-Mannheim
and held Christian youth meetings in the offices of the Evangelical Sisterhood of Mary
in Darmstadt
. They invited students to share their family life in their home in Bensheim
, Odenwald. The family grew to a extended family
and subsequently to a Christian community. They moved to Bensheim, Odenwald and bought the Reichenberg castle.
Since 1999 the community defines itself als ecumenical.
The Reichenberg Fellowship is member of the EKD
charity organization Diakonie and of the German Association of Youth Missionary Movements. The “Reichelsheim European Youth Center” is Chapter of YMCA
.
The German Institute for Youth and Society, (Deutsches Institut für Jugend und Gesellschaft (DIJG)) is the OJC's center for study and research. . Director is Christl Ruth Vonholdt
. Arthur A. Goldberg
is one of its advisory council members.
The Reichenberg Fellowship operates mainly on donations.
. These invited young people, mainly students to live with them. One of the first was Maria Kaißling. The impetus to a common commitment came from the contact with the nearby living Evangelical Sisterhood of Mary
. In response to the aging of the members and the changing of generations the additional OJCOS-Foundation was established.
, Bosnia and Herzegovina
, Brasilia
, Burkina Faso
, Congo, Fidschi and Honduras
in development cooperation as NGO.
Since 1993, the Reichenberg Fellowship has lead international building camps in Germany, Macedonia, Croatia and Russia. The young people between the ages of 16 and 26 have had the opportunity to work with others of different nationality, confession and language.
and is the apologetic branch of the Reichenberg Fellowship. It publishes its own research and translates English publications into German.
The institute cooperates with the following organisations:
Members of the community including Irmela Hofmann, Horst-Klaus Hofmann and Christl Ruth Vonholdt
have also published several books themselves.
Ecumenism
Ecumenism or oecumenism mainly refers to initiatives aimed at greater Christian unity or cooperation. It is used predominantly by and with reference to Christian denominations and Christian Churches separated by doctrine, history, and practice...
community. In German it is called the Offensive Junger Christen (OJC) e.V.. It belongs to the EKD
Evangelical Church in Germany
The Evangelical Church in Germany is a federation of 22 Lutheran, Unified and Reformed Protestant regional church bodies in Germany. The EKD is not a church in a theological understanding because of the denominational differences. However, the member churches share full pulpit and altar...
and is situated in Reichelsheim
Reichelsheim (Odenwald)
Reichelsheim is a community in the Odenwaldkreis in Hesse, Germany.-Location:Reichelsheim lies in the middle Odenwald at elevations between 200 and 538 m in the middle of the Geo-Naturpark Bergstraße-Odenwald....
in the Odenwald
Odenwald
The Odenwald is a low mountain range in Hesse, Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg in Germany.- Location :The Odenwald lies between the Upper Rhine Rift Valley with the Bergstraße and the Hessisches Ried in the west, the Main and the Bauland in the east, the Hanau-Seligenstadt Basin – a subbasin of...
.
History
The community was founded by Irmela and Horst-Klaus Hofmann as a contrast movement to the Protests of 1968Protests of 1968
The protests of 1968 consisted of a worldwide series of protests, largely participated in by students and workers.-Background:Background speculations of overall causality vary about the political protests centering on the year 1968. Some argue that protests could be attributed to the social changes...
. Horst-Klaus Hofmann was executive secretary of the YMCA-Mannheim
Mannheim
Mannheim is a city in southwestern Germany. With about 315,000 inhabitants, Mannheim is the second-largest city in the Bundesland of Baden-Württemberg, following the capital city of Stuttgart....
and held Christian youth meetings in the offices of the Evangelical Sisterhood of Mary
Evangelical Sisterhood of Mary
The Evangelical Sisterhood of Mary is an ecumenical, Lutheran based, religious order.It was founded by sister Basilea Schlink a German theologian and intellectual who on March 30, 1947, with Erika Madauss founded The Evangelical Sisterhood of Mary in Darmstadt....
in Darmstadt
Darmstadt
Darmstadt is a city in the Bundesland of Hesse in Germany, located in the southern part of the Rhine Main Area.The sandy soils in the Darmstadt area, ill-suited for agriculture in times before industrial fertilisation, prevented any larger settlement from developing, until the city became the seat...
. They invited students to share their family life in their home in Bensheim
Bensheim
Bensheim is a town in the Bergstraße district in southern Hesse, Germany. Bensheim lies on the Bergstraße and at the edge of the Odenwald mountains while at the same time having an open view over the Rhine plain...
, Odenwald. The family grew to a extended family
Extended family
The term extended family has several distinct meanings. In modern Western cultures dominated by nuclear family constructs, it has come to be used generically to refer to grandparents, uncles, aunts, and cousins, whether they live together within the same household or not. However, it may also refer...
and subsequently to a Christian community. They moved to Bensheim, Odenwald and bought the Reichenberg castle.
Since 1999 the community defines itself als ecumenical.
Organization
The community is led by Prior Dominik Klenk an consists of about 100 full members.The Reichenberg Fellowship is member of the EKD
Evangelical Church in Germany
The Evangelical Church in Germany is a federation of 22 Lutheran, Unified and Reformed Protestant regional church bodies in Germany. The EKD is not a church in a theological understanding because of the denominational differences. However, the member churches share full pulpit and altar...
charity organization Diakonie and of the German Association of Youth Missionary Movements. The “Reichelsheim European Youth Center” is Chapter of YMCA
YMCA
The Young Men's Christian Association is a worldwide organization of more than 45 million members from 125 national federations affiliated through the World Alliance of YMCAs...
.
The German Institute for Youth and Society, (Deutsches Institut für Jugend und Gesellschaft (DIJG)) is the OJC's center for study and research. . Director is Christl Ruth Vonholdt
Christl Ruth Vonholdt
Christl Ruth Vonholdt is a German physician for Child and Adolescent Medicine, Director of the German Institute for Youth and Society , Christian author and is member of the Reichenberg Fellowship....
. Arthur A. Goldberg
Arthur A. Goldberg
Arthur Abba Goldberg is an American attorney, businessman and leader in the ex-gay movement. He is the former Executive Secretary of the National Association for Research & Therapy of Homosexuality , co-founder and co-director of Jews Offering New Alternatives for Healing , president of Positive...
is one of its advisory council members.
The Reichenberg Fellowship operates mainly on donations.
Community
The community was founded in 1968 around the family of Irmela and Horst-Klaus Hofmann in BensheimBensheim
Bensheim is a town in the Bergstraße district in southern Hesse, Germany. Bensheim lies on the Bergstraße and at the edge of the Odenwald mountains while at the same time having an open view over the Rhine plain...
. These invited young people, mainly students to live with them. One of the first was Maria Kaißling. The impetus to a common commitment came from the contact with the nearby living Evangelical Sisterhood of Mary
Evangelical Sisterhood of Mary
The Evangelical Sisterhood of Mary is an ecumenical, Lutheran based, religious order.It was founded by sister Basilea Schlink a German theologian and intellectual who on March 30, 1947, with Erika Madauss founded The Evangelical Sisterhood of Mary in Darmstadt....
. In response to the aging of the members and the changing of generations the additional OJCOS-Foundation was established.
Basic Activities
The Fellowship exists of- Reichenberg Castle with
- conference work,
- Schlosscafe and
- the gothic St. Michaels Chapel,
- the Reichelsheim European Youth Center (REZ) with local and regional YMCAYMCAThe Young Men's Christian Association is a worldwide organization of more than 45 million members from 125 national federations affiliated through the World Alliance of YMCAs...
-Youth WorkYouth workIn the United Kingdom youth work is the process of creating an environment where young people can engage in informal educational activities. Different varieties of youth work include centre-based work, detached work, school-based work and religion based work....
and international youth conferences consisting of- the program pub ″Jig″
- a youth hostelHostelHostels provide budget oriented, sociable accommodation where guests can rent a bed, usually a bunk bed, in a dormitory and share a bathroom, lounge and sometimes a kitchen. Rooms can be mixed or single-sex, although private rooms may also be available...
- trips and camps
- the Wellhouse (Quellhaus), with two families and four singles building a residential community
- the seminar for biblical counselling with
- counselling training,
- the journal Brennpunkt Seelsorge for Pastoral carePastoral carePastoral care is the ministry of care and counseling provided by pastors, chaplains and other religious leaders to members of their church or congregation, or to persons of all faiths and none within institutional settings. This can range anywhere from home visitation to formal counseling provided...
- lectures
- the German Institute for Youth and Society (Deutsches Institut für Jugend und Gesellschaft, abbreviated DIJG) with scientific studies and publications, the journal "Bulletin" and
- the OJC community in GreifswaldGreifswaldGreifswald , officially, the University and Hanseatic City of Greifswald is a town in northeastern Germany. It is situated in the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, at an equal distance of about from Germany's two largest cities, Berlin and Hamburg. The town borders the Baltic Sea, and is crossed...
with the Biblical counselling action committee, conferences and community ministries - a library
International Activities
The supporting non-profit association today has outreach ministries in ArgentinaArgentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
, Brasilia
Brasília
Brasília is the capital city of Brazil. The name is commonly spelled Brasilia in English. The city and its District are located in the Central-West region of the country, along a plateau known as Planalto Central. It has a population of about 2,557,000 as of the 2008 IBGE estimate, making it the...
, Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso – also known by its short-form name Burkina – is a landlocked country in west Africa. It is surrounded by six countries: Mali to the north, Niger to the east, Benin to the southeast, Togo and Ghana to the south, and Côte d'Ivoire to the southwest.Its size is with an estimated...
, Congo, Fidschi and Honduras
Honduras
Honduras is a republic in Central America. It was previously known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize...
in development cooperation as NGO.
Since 1993, the Reichenberg Fellowship has lead international building camps in Germany, Macedonia, Croatia and Russia. The young people between the ages of 16 and 26 have had the opportunity to work with others of different nationality, confession and language.
German Institute for Youth and Society
The German Institute for Youth and Society (Deutsches Institut für Jugend und Gesellschaft) is led by Christl Ruth VonholdtChristl Ruth Vonholdt
Christl Ruth Vonholdt is a German physician for Child and Adolescent Medicine, Director of the German Institute for Youth and Society , Christian author and is member of the Reichenberg Fellowship....
and is the apologetic branch of the Reichenberg Fellowship. It publishes its own research and translates English publications into German.
The institute cooperates with the following organisations:
- American Anglican CouncilAmerican Anglican CouncilThe American Anglican Council is an organization which exists to allow theologically conservative Anglicans to network with one another. It was incorporated in 1996 and is one of several key organizations in the movement for Anglican realignment and is a founding member of the Anglican Church in...
, Washington, D.C., USA - Institut ekumenických studií v Praze, Prague, Czech Republic
- Institute on Religion and DemocracyInstitute on Religion and DemocracyThe Institute on Religion and Democracy is a Christian think tank that promotes Christian conservatism in public life. The organization comments on current events in the Christian community...
, Washington, D.C., USA - National Association for Research and Therapy of HomosexualityNational Association for Research and Therapy of HomosexualityThe National Association for Research & Therapy of Homosexuality is a non-profit organization that offers reparative therapy and other regimens that purport to change the sexual orientation of individuals who experience unwanted same-sex attraction...
(NARTH), Los Angeles, USA - Odwaga, LublinLublinLublin is the ninth largest city in Poland. It is the capital of Lublin Voivodeship with a population of 350,392 . Lublin is also the largest Polish city east of the Vistula river...
, Polen (R.C.Roman Catholic ChurchThe Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
, relating to Catholic writings and Richard CohenRichard CohenRichard Cohen may refer to:*Richard Cohen , syndicated columnist for the Washington Post*Richard Cohen , a British Olympic fencer and author of Chasing the Sun*Richard A. Cohen, advocate of conversion therapy...
) - Oxford Centre for Mission StudiesOxford Centre for Mission StudiesThe Oxford Centre for Mission Studies is in the former St Philip and St James Church on Woodstock Road, Oxford, England, opposite Leckford Road. It was established in 1983....
, Oxford, U.K. - Positive Alternatives to HomosexualityPositive Alternatives to HomosexualityPositive Alternatives to Homosexuality is a coalition of groups that want to help "people with unwanted same-sex attractions realize their personal goals for change -- whether by developing their innate heterosexual potential or by embracing a lifestyle as a single, non-sexually active man or...
(PATH), New Jersey, USA - the institute is a founding memberPATHPositive Alternatives to HomosexualityPositive Alternatives to Homosexuality is a coalition of groups that want to help "people with unwanted same-sex attractions realize their personal goals for change -- whether by developing their innate heterosexual potential or by embracing a lifestyle as a single, non-sexually active man or...
press release 8 July 2003: "diverse coalition forms to support people seeking 'non-gay' alternatives to unwanted homosexuality" (last paragraph), viewed 11 October 2009.
Publishing activities
The OJC publishes the journals Salzkorn. Anstiftung zum gemeinsamen Christenleben ("Grain of Salt", for friends ans supporters, 6 times a year), Brennpunkt Seelsorge. Beiträge zur biblischen Lebensberatung ("Focus: Counselling" 4-6x times a year).Members of the community including Irmela Hofmann, Horst-Klaus Hofmann and Christl Ruth Vonholdt
Christl Ruth Vonholdt
Christl Ruth Vonholdt is a German physician for Child and Adolescent Medicine, Director of the German Institute for Youth and Society , Christian author and is member of the Reichenberg Fellowship....
have also published several books themselves.
- Differentielle Wirkungen der Praxis der Transzendentalen Meditation (TM) - Eine empirische Analyse pathogener Strukturen als Hilfe für die Beratung. Bensheim 1980, Selbstverlag
- Translation of: D. Mitchell Whitman: Brecht das Schweigen. Sexuelle Gewalt gegen Kinder. Titel der amerikanischen Originalausgabe: Child sexual abuse. An overview and teaching manual for clergy and other Christian leaders. Neukirchen-Vluyn 1993, ISBN 3-7615-4871-0
- Translation of: Joseph NicolosiJoseph NicolosiJoseph Nicolosi is an American clinical psychologist, founder and director of the Thomas Aquinas Psychological Clinic, in Encino, California, and a past-president of the National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality...
: Homosexualität muss kein Schicksal sein, Gesprächsprotokolle einer alternativen Therapie. Eine Veröffentlichung des Deutschen Instituts für Jugend und Gesellschaft, Schloss Reichenberg. Titel der amerikanischen Originalausgabe: Healing Homosexuality. Case Stories of Reparative Therapy. Mit einem Vorwort zur deutschen Ausgabe von Roland Werner und einem Geleitwort von Christl Ruth VonholdtChristl Ruth VonholdtChristl Ruth Vonholdt is a German physician for Child and Adolescent Medicine, Director of the German Institute for Youth and Society , Christian author and is member of the Reichenberg Fellowship....
. Neukirchen-Vluyn 1995, ISBN 3-7615-4900-8 - Offensive Junger Christen: Homosexualität und christliche Seelsorge. Dokumentation eines ökumenischen Symposiums. Veranstaltet vom Deutschen Institut für Jugend und Gesellschaft (OJC), Reichelsheim. Offensive Junger Christen/Aussaat Verlag, Neukirchen-Vluyn 1995, ISBN 3-7615-4911-3
- Christl Ruth Vonholdt (Ed.): Striving for Gender Identity: Homosexuals and Christian Counseling. A workbook for the Church. Reichelsheim 1996, Selbstverlag
- Ralph Pechmann und Martin Reppenhagen (Hrsg.): Mission im Widerspruch. Religionstheologische Fragen heute und Mission morgen. Eine Veröffentlichung des Deutschen Instituts für Jugend und Gesellschaft. Neukirchen-Vluyn 1999, ISBN 3-7887-1770-X
- Ralph Pechmann und Martin Reppenhagen (Hrsg.): Zeugnis im Dialog der Religionen und der Postmoderne. Eine Veröffentlichung des Deutschen Instituts für Jugend und Gesellschaft. Neukirchen-Vluyn 1999, ISBN 3-7887-1769-6
- Translation of: Richard CohenRichard CohenRichard Cohen may refer to:*Richard Cohen , syndicated columnist for the Washington Post*Richard Cohen , a British Olympic fencer and author of Chasing the Sun*Richard A. Cohen, advocate of conversion therapy...
: Ein anderes Coming-Out. Titel der amerikanischen Originalausgabe: Coming Out Straight. Understanding and Healing Homosexuality. 2. unveränderte Auflage, Brunnen-Verlag, Gießen 2001, ISBN 3-7655-1219-2
External links
- Reichelsheim Fellowship (German)
- German Institute for Youth and Society with publications in English and German