A church in Leipzig, Germany, has closed its mission café two years after its inception following ongoing hostility and attacks on its premises believed to be related to its views on issues of sexuality.
Zeal Church opted to end the venture following intense media scrutiny and ongoing incidents involving the smashing of windows, graffiti and toxic substances, prompting distress to those inside and extensive repair costs.
As we reported in our World in Brief newspaper section last month, the church’s lead pastor René Wagner has told the German congregation that their mission remains unchanged despite the closure and that the decision does not represent a victory for the attackers, believed to be left-wing extremists.
Wagner has since spoken to en about the matter. Speaking about the "Stay" café, he said: “Our desire was to give something back to our neighbourhood and create a welcoming place where people from all backgrounds could connect, build relationships, and experience community. We wanted to contribute positively to our city beyond our Sunday services and church activities.”
Asked why he believes the café was attacked, Wagner said: “The attacks began following the publication of what we believe was a pseudo-investigative article in a local newspaper that portrayed our church in a highly negative way. The café was also located in a strongly left-leaning part of the city, which increased the visibility of the controversy. While many churches hold similar theological convictions, we became a particularly visible target due to the media attention surrounding the article.”
Wagner revealed that the attacks have had a “significant” impact on the church. “The media coverage and repeated attacks sparked many conversations within the church,” he said. “Some people chose to leave because they disagreed with our conservative Biblical convictions. At the same time, the situation has raised broader concerns about freedom of opinion and freedom of religion. Many Christians feel an increasing pressure to remain silent about their beliefs and feel less free to openly express who they are and what they believe.”
Zeal Church GoFundMe campaign to help recover from losses caused by attacks on Stay café: gofund.me/52ac44917
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