Bridges Which are not too Short

Abstract

"Three'years ago, some Baptist women taking part in an ecumenical discussion group not far from Berlin made an amazing discovery. Because that year saw the 450th anniversary of the Augsburg Confession, celebrated throughout the world, the minister of the host church gave an introductory talk about the development, content and importance of this Lutheran Confession. Every 'member of the group was given a hymnbook of the church because most Lutheran hymnbooks have the text of the Augsburg Confession printed in them. This made for easy reference to the text and enabled them to read it together. In order to grasp the effect cif this lecture on the Baptist women, we must say something concerning the time of the Reformation, the foundations of Continental Baptist history and also the powerful and welcome change which has taken place in the relation between our churches arid the experience that we have had of one another. ,Hence ,this following necessary glance back into our history. "