The number of members of the national churches in Germany has been declining for decades. Not only the Protestant and Catholic churches are affected but also so-called free churches.
Helena talks about her experiences in free churches in Berlin, Munich, and also Bulgaria. The pastor is often very stylized - it feels more like a Ted Talk, she says. Many free churches expect a high level of active participation in community life, says sociologist Edgar Wunder, a member of the Social Science Institute of the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD). The number of large free churches is “relatively stable," says Wunder. The church is funded by donations from its members, who also request these during church services, he says. The service is also very intense, with arms up, people falling to their knees and crying, Helena says. It feels like a service like a TED Talk, she says. The Bible is often used as justification for homophobic statements. Many people have also commented on Bible passages that they believe condemned homosexuality and the LGBTQ+ community. The theology student believes that the Bible should not be used to exclude and hurt people. She wants community instead of exclusion in a community, i.e. what free churches are trying to achieve. The comments came as a shock to Helena, as she tells BuzzFeed News Germany: "The amount of hate, the amount of anger,' made her think. "This is not a Hillsong problem. This is a free church problem. Be aware of it," one user responds to Helena's video. However, there are many people who are religious and queer - how does that work? So are all free churches really homophobic, perhaps even radical, as some people suspect?