Light in the darkness. Where do protestant ministers see it?
"The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it", a biblical verse from the prologue of John's Gospel - this was the theme of this year's meeting of protestant preachers, the farářský kurz (Ministerial Course) 2025, which took place the last week of January in Prague at the Faculty of Education of Charles University.
The course is organised by the Association of Protestant Preachers (SpEK) of the Evangelical Church of Czech Brethren. The ministers, assistant ministers and numerous invited guests and speakers from the Czech Republic and abroad reflected not only on the theological meaning of this promise, but also on what the various crises in which society finds itself - the division of society, the climate crisis, the widening of the economic gap, geopolitical changes - mean for us.
This year's ministers' course also offered its participants an encounter with the ideas of a number of inspiring foreign theologians, such as the British minister Neil Thorogood or the Austrian theologian Ulrich Körtner. There were also lectures from the non-theological world - for example from journalist Petr Koubský, a debate with Apolena Rychlíková (Czech Radio and Page Not Found) and Saša Uhlová (Deník Alarm) or with Jiří Pehe (Deník Referendum) and Petra Procházková (Deník N).
‘We are aware of the whole spectrum of crises facing our Czech, European and global society. We think it is a good Christian approach to try to understand what is happening. In the midst of the crisis, we should look for hope. Not only theoretically, but also in concrete situations,’ says Michael Pfann, minister in Vrchlabí and chairman of the SpEK. One such practical example was the presentation by the Christian Refugee Service from Český Těšín, whose work with refugees in reception centres and on the so-called ‘Balkan route’ raised over CZK 16,000 at the opening service in the church of St Martin in the Wall.
More than 220 people took part in this year's Ministerial Course, including over 30 from abroad (Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania, Poland, Austria, France, Switzerland, Germany, Great Britain, India). It is a mutually enriching experience. According to the initial feedback, people were satisfied, which makes us happy,’ says Michael Pfann about the recently concluded meeting.
The Association of Protestant Preachers, which organises the annual ministerial courses, was founded at the turn of 1989/1990 and followed on from the earlier associations of Protestant clergymen - the Association of Protestant Clergymen of Czech Nationality (1904), the Association of Clergymen of the Czech Brethren (1922) and the Association of Protestant Clergymen of the Czech Brethren (1951), which was banned in 1974.
Source: Press release of the organisers
Gallery: Farářský kurz 2025:
A separate photo report from the opening service in the Church of St Martin in the Wall can be found HERE.