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The Reformation Week Conference in Germany and Switzerland.

9 Comments Posted by on May 10, 2012

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Haus Barnabas was the host destination again for this years “Reformation Week Conference 2012”. This serene Christian guesthouse and retreat centre is tucked away in the picturesque village of Utzenfeld in the “Hochschwarzwald” – Black Forest Highlands approximately 30 miles north of Basel in Switzerland and 20 miles south-east of the historic city of Freiburg in the Rhine plain. [In the picture slide above are Haus Barnabas, Gross Munster cathedral in Zurich, statue of Zwingli, Anabaptist cave,  Imperia statue in Zurich, Munster in Basel, Anabaptist memorial at the River Limmatt in Zurich and some art work found in the Munster in Basel]

This year’s conference began with evening dinner on Thursday 3rd May followed by sessions led by Dr. Bernhard Kaiser. Dr Kaiser is founder and director of the Institute of Reformational theology in Reiskirchen near Giessen, Germany and is a lecturer in Systematic theology at the Selye-Janos University in Komamo, Slovakia. His passion is teaching the relevance of reformation Theology for today’s generation.

This year’s programme delved in to Reformation Theology (the Solas), Reformation history (led by Tim and Deb Brooks), Reformation films featuring key figures pre- and during the reformation (John Wycliffe, John Hus, Martin Luther, Huldrych Zwingli, John Calvin) .

Reformation themed sight seeing expeditions and tours featured historic sites connected to the Reformers and Anabaptists in Constance, Zurich and Basel. Notable favorites were the Hus Museum, Munster in Constance, Imperia statue, John Hus memorial stone, Zwingli’s statue, Erasmus of Rotterdam’s house and statue, the Gross Munster, the Rhine falls, the Tauferhoehle or Anabaptist’s cave. (I will post pictures after sorting out the hundred and hundreds of megabytes of images).

Haus Barnabas was easily accessible. It actually is reachable from almost any where. Whether from America or Asia and Europe. The nearby Basel (Switzerland or German side), Zürich or Mulhouse airports or even Paris (France) via Eurostar make it appear almost a stone throw away. It’s not hard to see why it has become a home away from home for those who have been there before and discovered it. It is a place for the bruise reed who needs to spend time in prayer, to the bustling and energetic family that needs to do some skiing at Freiburg or any of the the Black forest resorts which host  more than 170 ski lifts, 155 miles of downhill slopes, and 22 ski jumps, while cross-country skiers can glide down over 1000 miles of trails to explore. There are also enough scenic walking paths and free bath pools in the Black Forest to make the Summer explorer dizzy. Oh by the way transport is free as all guests receive “guest cards” that entitle you to free use of public transport within the Black Forest.

Len and Phyl Holder are a very warm hearted Christian couple and I am very grateful for hospitality and the spiritual refreshement they endowed upon all the guests. Starting with the daily morning Christian devotionals and prayers to the Sunday church fellowship. I cannot thank Tim and Deb Brooks enough for their hard work and resourcefulness in making this years Reformation week a success. I am already looking forward to next year’s set of events and I would like to escape to the Black Forests one more time just to enjoy the tranquil and cosy Charles Spurgeon suite. Danke!

Soli deo gloria.

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