German pastor faces persecution for unconventional preaching of the gospel
A German pastor has faced backlash over his unconventional preaching methods, and in particular over his habit of rebuking other religions in his sermons.
The uproar against Pastor Olaf Latzel of St. Martin's Church in Bremen, Germany has come strongly from the media and local government officials, as well as some other local pastors.
Pastor Latzel is well-known to preach unapologetically the core Christian message that "there's only one way to heaven and that way is Jesus Christ." However, his openness in rebuking other religions has angered many people.
"I'm only preaching the Gospel in a clear way. I think it is my duty to do this preaching in this way for our Lord," Latzel said in defense of himself, according to CBN News.
Some of his "offenses" include dismissing a Muslim festival as unnecessary, and speaking against the use of indulgences to do away with sin, according to the Evangelical Lutheran Conference and Miniterium (ELCM). However, his comments on each of these issues were made merely to emphasize his core point; that Jesus is the only way to heaven, and that He is the truth and the life, ELCM explained.
Many of the pastor's critics have highlighted his arguments regarding the identify of God. For example, the pastor has criticized strongly Christian pastors who teach that Allah and God are the same.
"If you ask a Muslim, 'Does your god have a son?,' he would say no!" he said. "Our (Christian) God has a son; his name is Jesus Christ. So, they are not the same."
However, despite the recent controversy surrounding him, Pastor Latzel remains unrelenting in his message. He has said that he believes more than 80 percent of pastors in the state church are "not reborn," which he said could lead them to establish doctrines of their own that are not based on the Bible.
He has also expressed that he is not concerned about the criticism he has received for his strong and direct preaching methods, but he sees it simply as a form of persecution, which is a sign that he is preaching the right thing.
"If you preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ and everyone is clapping his hands, then you have a problem," Latzel said.
