2006年VOA标准英语-Evangelical Churces Florishing in Europe

By Lisa Bryant
Ivry-sur-Seine, France
24 July 2006

Church attendance in Europe has been steadily¹ decreasing in recent decades. Traditional Protestant and Roman Catholic churches have a hard time drawing in new members, particularly young people. But Evangelical churches are booming across the region, particularly those attended by immigrants from Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

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It is late morning on a sweltering Sunday, and the first morning service at Impact Christian² Center is finally wrapping up. But the boisterous³ congregation is still singing and swaying to Gospel music played by the band on the podium.

Outside, a waiting line to get into the second morning services stretches down half a block of this gritty working-class neighborhood. Half of France may be away on summer holiday, but this Evangelical church remains⁴ packed. Impact is not the only Evangelical church were attendance is soaring.

Evangelical Christianity is flourishing in Europe. France has witnessed an eight-fold increase in Evangelical Christians⁵ during the past half century, from roughly 50,000 to 400,000. Those numbers are small in absolute terms. Evangelicals represent less than two-percent of the European population.

But Christopher Sinclair, an expert on Evangelical movements at the University of Strasbourg in France, say they show that spirituality is not dying out in Europe.

In a country where people are a bit disappointed by traditional religion, Sinclair says, they are impressed by the way these Evangelical churches are alive and welcoming.

The churches underscore the fact that while secularization⁶ continues to progress in Europe, there has been what Sinclair calls a spiritual turning in recent years. Roman Catholic and traditional Protestant churches are increasingly borrowing from the Evangelicals' energetic and inclusive doctrine⁷. Sinclair says immigrant Evangelical churches like Impact have are also bringing a renewal⁸ to Europe's Evangelical movement.

Impact was founded by French-Congolese twin brothers Yves and Yvan Castanou, who are both pastors¹⁰ at the church. Since it opened four years ago, the church's attendance has jumped from 200 to 600 members today.

Pastor⁹ Yves Castanou takes a break from greeting parishioners at the church's small community center to explain Impacts success.

"This is just a church focusing on the needs of people. Spiritual people, spiritual issues as well as social issues, family issues, financial issues, all different kinds of issues," he said. "The church is there to solve all problems, not only spiritual problems. And that is what really makes a difference."

Serge Didikouko, waiting in line to attend morning service, says he joined the church three years ago. A native of Ivory Coast, Didikouko says he likes the multi-ethnic flavor of Impact, where parishioners are from many different countries.

He says there is a better atmosphere here than at the last Evangelical church he attended.

"There was not the friendship, and there was too much communitarism. It is strange because we are all African, but even if we are African they were too communitarian. They were West African, East African, South African. But here we are 26 [different nationalities]," he explained.

Some native French like 26-year-old baker¹¹ Luc Perrin, have also joined impact. Perrin says he likes Impact because the faith is alive here. He says African churches like impact are warmer and more open to God than European churches. But Perrin admits that not all French feel this way. Evangelicals make them afraid. Many French, including some government officials are wary¹² of Evangelical churches, particularly immigrant congregations.

Some are concerned about the growth of scam "prosperity churches" that prey¹³ on poorer people. Credible¹⁴ Evangelical churches like Impact Christian are also worried about them. Some Evangelical churches also complain that it is hard to get permits to construct new worship centers. Others have had run-ins with local officials.

Majagira Bulangalire, the president of Community of Churches of African Expression of France, an umbrella group of immigrant Evangelical churches.

Bulangalire admits there have been a few problems with local authorities. But he says once they see the churches can serve their communities in a positive fashion they are very open. He says the French Interior Ministry¹⁵ has also been welcoming. Some Roman Catholic parishes have adopted Evangelical-style bible study classes. Jean-Arnold de Clermont, head of the Protestant Federation¹⁶ of France, says traditional Protestant churches are realizing they can learn from their Evangelical counterparts.

For many years, Clermont says, the French Protestant movement was a bit scornful of the Evangelical movement. They thought the Evangelical's theology was not solid, and that that traditional Protestants were more scholarly. He says now they realize they were wrong. Today, Clermont says, its important the two movements learn from each other and grow together.

1 steadily   

adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地

参考例句：

• The scope of man's use of natural resources will steadily grow.人类利用自然资源的广度将日益扩大。
• Our educational reform was steadily led onto the correct path.我们的教学改革慢慢上轨道了。

2 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

3 boisterous   

adj.喧闹的，欢闹的

参考例句：

• I don't condescend to boisterous displays of it.我并不屈就于它热热闹闹的外表。
• The children tended to gather together quietly for a while before they broke into boisterous play.孩子们经常是先静静地聚集在一起，不一会就开始吵吵嚷嚷戏耍开了。

4 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

5 Christians   

n.基督教徒( Christian的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Christians of all denominations attended the conference. 基督教所有教派的人都出席了这次会议。
• His novel about Jesus caused a furore among Christians. 他关于耶稣的小说激起了基督教徒的公愤。

6 secularization   

n.凡俗化，还俗，把教育从宗教中分离

参考例句：

• But secularization of modernity society made the two prerequisites impossibility. 然而现代社会的世俗化使得这两个前提不复存在。 来自互联网
• So heart will be also inadvertently been secularization of. 以至于心也在不经意间被俗化了。 来自互联网

7 doctrine   

n.教义；主义；学说

参考例句：

• He was impelled to proclaim his doctrine.他不得不宣扬他的教义。
• The council met to consider changes to doctrine.宗教议会开会考虑更改教义。

8 renewal   

adj.(契约)延期，续订，更新，复活，重来

参考例句：

• Her contract is coming up for renewal in the autumn.她的合同秋天就应该续签了。
• Easter eggs symbolize the renewal of life.复活蛋象征新生。

9 pastor   

n.牧师，牧人

参考例句：

• He was the son of a poor pastor.他是一个穷牧师的儿子。
• We have no pastor at present:the church is run by five deacons.我们目前没有牧师：教会的事是由五位执事管理的。

10 pastors   

n.（基督教的）牧师( pastor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Do we show respect to our pastors, missionaries, Sunday school teachers? 我们有没有尊敬牧师、宣教士，以及主日学的老师？ 来自互联网
• Should pastors or elders be paid, or serve as a volunteer? 牧师或长老需要付给酬劳，还是志愿的事奉呢？ 来自互联网

11 baker   

n.面包师

参考例句：

• The baker bakes his bread in the bakery.面包师在面包房内烤面包。
• The baker frosted the cake with a mixture of sugar and whites of eggs.面包师在蛋糕上撒了一层白糖和蛋清的混合料。

12 wary   

adj.谨慎的，机警的，小心的

参考例句：

• He is wary of telling secrets to others.他谨防向他人泄露秘密。
• Paula frowned,suddenly wary.宝拉皱了皱眉头，突然警惕起来。

13 prey   

n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨

参考例句：

• Stronger animals prey on weaker ones.弱肉强食。
• The lion was hunting for its prey.狮子在寻找猎物。

14 credible   

adj.可信任的，可靠的

参考例句：

• The news report is hardly credible.这则新闻报道令人难以置信。
• Is there a credible alternative to the nuclear deterrent?是否有可以取代核威慑力量的可靠办法？

15 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

16 federation   

n.同盟，联邦，联合，联盟，联合会

参考例句：

• It is a federation of 10 regional unions.它是由十个地方工会结合成的联合会。
• Mr.Putin was inaugurated as the President of the Russian Federation.普京正式就任俄罗斯联邦总统。