DUISBURG, Germany – A unique German Church called Wera Forum faced significant opposition but managed to grow despite it all. Pastor Alexander Epp recently endured a brutal police raid that included his nose being broken and the storming of his church with machine guns.
Epp moved from Soviet Russia in the 1980s and began an outreach to Duisburg's Russian-German community. The congregation outgrew their old building, but they faced numerous obstacles like contaminated soil and a lack of bank loans when trying to build a new one. Despite these challenges, Epp and his followers prayed for healing on the land.
Persecution and Growth
The police raided Wera Forum last summer based on false claims that Pastor Epp possessed an illegal firearm. Eighty to 100 masked officers stormed both Epp's home and church, causing significant damage and intimidating him physically. Yet, this act of persecution did not deter the congregation.
Wera Forum now serves over a thousand people across its main building and four satellite churches. Despite initial suspicions that it could be labeled as a cult due to its rapid growth in a country where only five percent attend church regularly, Wera Forum has worked hard to dispel these notions through transparency and accountability.
Impact of the Raid
The raid caused more people to discover and join the church. Pastor Epp believes that God turned this opposition into an opportunity for growth by drawing in new members who were curious about what happened at Wera Forum after news spread about the police action.
💬 Comments (0)