Who we are
The Evangelical Church is a Christian Church, recognized by the Greek State, with an important presence in the history and society of Greece for over 160 years. Along with the Greek Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church, they represent the three Denominations of Christianity. The Evangelical Church, which is part of the Protestant Denomination, counts approximately 600 million believers around the world. The epithet “Evangelical” is derived from the emphasis it gives to the Evangelion (Gospel) as the main source of faith and life for the Christian.
What we believe
The Evangelical Church accepts the Confession of Faith as it has been enacted by the Ecumenical Synods of Nice and Constantinople (without the addition of “filioque”), and accepts all the basic doctrines of Christianity, eg the Trinity, Jesus Christ as fully God and fully human, Jesus’ virgin birth, and the divine inspiration of the Bible, which is the foundation of the Christian faith. The Evangelical Church gives great emphasis on the fact that human salvation is based solely on the grace of God and is acquired solely by faith, meaning trust in the work of Jesus Christ on the cross. At the same time, it stresses that Christ is the only way to our salvation and our return to God and calls all human beings to a personal and conscious relationship with Him, which is expressed with a life of good works.
How, why, and when did the Evangelical Church begin?
The Evangelical Church is spiritually derived from the Church that Jesus Christ established, and historically from the Religious Reformation movement of the 16th century. This movement began when some European theologians (Martin Luther being the most well-known among them) protested because of certain circumstances and abuses that the Catholic Church was responsible for, that needed reformation (eg the need for use of the spoken language during the Mass, the translation of the Bible in the language the lay people were speaking, prioritizing the Bible over the human traditions, the abolition of practices like selling indulgences, etc). The ideas and the principles were soon spread around the world, and the Christians that adopted them were called “Protestants” (because they protested against the lack of reformation) or “Evangelicals” (because they emphasized that the foundation of faith in the Christian life is the Evangelion/Gospel).
The Evangelical Church of Greece was established in 1858, is recognized by the Greek State (N.4301/2014), and is a member of a series of international inter-ecclesiastical organizations, while together with the Orthodox Church of Greece they constitute the founding members of the World Council of Churches. During those 160 years, many members of the Evangelical community are active in the country’s developments including the areas of literature, arts, education, health, athletics, and culture.