We are a small church in Mayrhofen, a village with a population of 4,000 and a popular tourist destination in the Ziller valley part of Austria. The religious history in this part of the Alps is rather rich. Much has happened during the last 500 years, since the time of the Reformation.
The century after the Reformation became known as the evangelical century of Austria. However, the Counter Reformation initiated by the Habsburg Monarchy and executed by the Jesuits began almost immediately after the Reformation. It fully bore its ‘fruits’ some 100 years later.
History of persecution
However, the secluded nature of the Austrian valleys enabled crypto-Protestantism to exist, that is Protestants that had a faith but hid it for fear of persecution. This was true in the Ziller valley and it was only some 180 years ago that the last of these Protestants, 437 in total, were forced out of the valley. They relocated to Erdmannsdorf, a village on the south-western border of Poland.
After 1837, the Ziller valley remained free of Protestants for about 150 years until Graham Haddow, a pastor from England, his wife Renée and their family, were led to start a ministry in Mayrhofen in 1986. Prior to their coming to Austria, Graham was in a pastorate for 14 years at Henfield, West Sussex, where their family grew up.
Outreach to tourists
Being a popular tourist area, Pastor Graham started all-year-round services in English for visitors to the Ziller valley. Their youngest son, Julian, became proficient in German, enabling him to provide translation of the services for German-speaking visitors where necessary. Graham’s ultimate goal was to establish an Austrian Evangelical Church and with the help of others to spread this witness throughout the valley. Since then the Mayrhofen Christian Fellowship has become known to local Austrians and many tourists.
After 24 years of ministry in Mayrhofen, and at the age of 74, Graham and Renée felt called to return to England and so the search began to find a minister to continue the ministry in the Ziller valley. Pastor Detlef Kohl, a South African with German roots, his Austrian wife Alexandra and their daughter Amelie were led to move from Hannover to continue the ministry of the Mayrhofen Christian Fellowship. In April 2011 they moved into the valley and have continued the work ever since.
English and German
There are always two services on Sundays, as well as a Bible study on Thursdays. All meetings are held in English and German. As a church we are different from most churches. During the off-season periods of the year the true local church becomes visible: two families with children as well as two more mothers.
During the peak seasons we find ourselves celebrating the services with sometimes over 100 visitors from all over the world. We have many Christian brothers and sisters visiting from the Netherlands and the UK, but others come from many other countries like New Zealand, Australia, USA, South Africa, Belgium, France, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Germany, Switzerland and Italy. Such geographically diverse congregations allow us to see how big the church of Christ is and that his word has indeed been carried out into all the world (Mark 16.15), reminding us that his word accomplishes what he pleases (Isaiah 55.11).
Close ties with the UK
Apart from ministering to visitors, it is our desire that the gospel will also bear fruit in the Ziller valley and that Graham’s vision will be accomplished. In addition to the services and the Bible study we also offer Church History Tours to anyone interested in knowing more about local history. Among the local population the ministry was and is on a one-to-one basis.
As a church the Mayrhofen Christian Fellowship has close ties to churches in the UK, the Isle of Man, Germany, the Netherlands and Austria. Perhaps this short article might make you feel led to pray for Austria, its churches and perhaps especially the small church in Mayrhofen.
