500th Anniversary Inspires Pastor to Follow the Luther Trail in Germany

(Middletown, NJ)… This year marks the 500th Anniversary of the Protestant Reformation. Inspired by this momentous historical event, the Session of Westminster Presbyterian Church has granted their Pastor, the Reverend Joseph Hein, a three week study leave to travel to Germany and Switzerland to follow the trail of Martin Luther, known as the Lutherweg.

Described as a spiritual route like no other, Rev. Hein will begin his travels in Wittenberg, Germany, the city where on October 31st, in the year 1517, a monk by the name of Martin Luther wrote a list of 95 theses, or questions and propositions for discussion about the Catholic Church, and nailed them to the door of the Wittenberg Castle Church. While humble and academic in nature, this action sparked a religious revolution that later became known as the Protestant Reformation.

Rev. Hein will be following the trail of Luther visiting cities such as Wittenberg, Eisleben, Erfurt, and more and then making his way into Switzerland to follow the spread of the Reformation where other leaders such as John Calvin, a theologian and pastor who wrote extensively about the Christian faith as a reformer, lived and worked. It is John Calvin, as well as his student John Knox who later brought those teachings back to Scotland, who became the main authorities for the Presbyterian Church and their ensuing traditions and beliefs.

About the importance and relevance of his studies, Rev. Hein comments, “The past is not dead. We see Martin Luther’s footprints today as a father of public school education, in the separation of church and state, and in the American landscape where thousands of Protestant steeples dot our land proclaiming the good news of God’s forgiveness.”

Following his trip, Rev. Hein will present a three-part lecture series sharing his insights on three consecutive Wednesday evenings at 7:30pm beginning Wednesday, October 18th in Harlan Hall at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 94 Tindall Road, Middletown, NJ.

There will be a celebratory service on Sunday, October 29th at 10am in the sanctuary featuring special music, soloists and presentations to commemorate the 500th Anniversary of the Protestant Reformation. Any and all are welcome to come to the church for the lectures and the service.

For additional information, visit the WPC web site at http://www.wpcmiddletown.org/ or check out the WPC Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/WPCMiddletownNJ/ for regular updates.