Initiative Kirche von unten (IKvu)

c/o Evangelische Hoffnungsgemeinde

Qui sommes-nous

The "Initiative Kirche von unten" (IKvu) (initiative Church from below) was founded in 1980 as a network of different Church-critical and socially critical groups. The reason was the disappointed hope of many Christians for a renewed Church after the Second Vatican Council and the fact that urgent problems were not discussed during the Catholics Days.

The committed people which are at present members of more than 40 groups stand up for both, a Church without a ruler and modifications in terms of social policy.

Among others, the following groups belong to the member groups:

- basic groups respectively basic communities who try in regular meetings to live a life as a living Christian community,
- groups that work on the subject Christian rights and Church rights, for example the "Initiative Christenrecht" (initiative Christian rights), the "Vereinigung Katholischer Priester und ihrer Frauen" (association of Catholic priests and their women), the ecumenical group "Homosexuelle und Kirche" (homosexuals and the Church) or initiatives for the equality of the woman in the Church and in society,
- christian initiatives who deal with social policy matters, such as peace and ecology, criticism of capitalism, North-South and East-West differences, problems of poverty etc.

The "Ikvu" sees itself as a Church which - theologically oriented towards the original Church - holds out reciprocal serving towards the rulers and takes up the thought of the "people of God": Everyone must be able to participate in a living Church, Church is the community of the people who believe and who feel obliged to Christ. Such a Church cannot be a carer and service Church which identifies itself only through its own ruling conditions.

The activities of the groups which participate in the "Ikvu" are bundled by a coordinating circle that was elected from the assembly of delegates. Apart from the monthly appearing "IKvu-Telegramm" with up-to-date information the "Rundbrief" (circular letter) appears as a discussion forum.

We offer more detailed information on the above mentioned subjects and can arrange for a contact with the above mentioned member groups of the "Ikvu" from the whole of Germany.