When I got to know them in 1999, I asked an older brother about the beginning of their community, and he told me a similar story as it it written in the Apology.. (the Apology is a text by Josef A. to defend us against a Catholic priest and 'sect-expert' Mr. Kluge who has published a blaming booklet about the community.) It was 'similar' in the sense that the brother told: There were several of us in the beginning, we were looking for the right congregation, and not finding it, we concluded that we were the church.
Josef, in his defense, puts it so: "So at the beginning we also hoped to find a community. What we found however were only individual Christians, but no community. Every "confession" we encountered, whether large or small raised its own traditions above the teaching of Jesus and the Apostles. Biblically based criticism was dismissed (most sharply from the so-called Bible Believers). So we had to face the fact that the assembly of believers didn't exist in our geographic vicinity and that according to Gods will, we ourselves were what we had been searching for in vain, namely the Church of God in Vienna."
That time Gottfried Holic, who is named 'the founder of the group' by Mr. Kluge, was still not excluded and had rather much influence. So it was thought already before the decrease of his influence that he was not the only founder, but that it was God's leading to separate from existing congregations. Generally, there was a custom not to emphasize roles of individuals. Anyway, as much as I know, Gottfried H. played an important role in the community. And it is sad that those who were closer to him, allowed him too much.
Later, i have been told, that in the beginning they didn't meet in a flat. They just went to meetings of congregations, after the 'offical part of the meeting' they continued to talk with those who wanted, until everyone had to go to his home by the last bus or underground train.
Josef, in his defense, puts it so: "So at the beginning we also hoped to find a community. What we found however were only individual Christians, but no community. Every "confession" we encountered, whether large or small raised its own traditions above the teaching of Jesus and the Apostles. Biblically based criticism was dismissed (most sharply from the so-called Bible Believers). So we had to face the fact that the assembly of believers didn't exist in our geographic vicinity and that according to Gods will, we ourselves were what we had been searching for in vain, namely the Church of God in Vienna."
That time Gottfried Holic, who is named 'the founder of the group' by Mr. Kluge, was still not excluded and had rather much influence. So it was thought already before the decrease of his influence that he was not the only founder, but that it was God's leading to separate from existing congregations. Generally, there was a custom not to emphasize roles of individuals. Anyway, as much as I know, Gottfried H. played an important role in the community. And it is sad that those who were closer to him, allowed him too much.
Later, i have been told, that in the beginning they didn't meet in a flat. They just went to meetings of congregations, after the 'offical part of the meeting' they continued to talk with those who wanted, until everyone had to go to his home by the last bus or underground train.
