ALTONA CONFESSION

Hitler was on the rise in the early 1930’s. His Nazi ideology was capturing the imagination of the people. Slowly but certainly, he was subverting the leaders of the Church in Germany. Many were eager and pliable to align with his Nazi ideology.

Dan Graves of Christian History Institute writes, “As Hitler consolidated power, he brought the German Lutheran Church under Nazi dominance, creating the so-called ‘German Christians.‘”

On 11th January 1933, a small group of Pastors in Altona, near Hamburg, Germany, publish a statement called, “Wort und Bekenntnis Altonaer Pastoren in der Not und Verwirrung des öffentlichen Lebens” – Message and Confession of the Pastors in Altona in These Perilous and Bewildering Times in Public Life – or “Altona Confession” for short. This statement gave Scripture based guidelines for Christian conduct in the light of the growing Nazi influence on the State Church.

What should impress us, is the courage and the conviction of a small, but faithful group of individuals, who stood for what is right in the true Biblical sense, against the power and the influence of Hitler. Speaking the truth, but in love and gentleness, just like our Master and Saviour.

Standing for truth doesn’t give us the right to cross the path of righteousness. Such biblical leadership is the need of the hour in the Church today. Sadly we are missing such a leadership. Standing up for Biblical values will cost us, and demands a price to pay. We should not hesitate to stand for the LORD and His truth.