REFORMATION 500 REIGNIGHTING a REVIVAL of REFORMATION TODAY
The Launch of the Reformation 500 Movement
The Reformation Society was launched in 2005. This was after my eleven-country, five-week Mission to Europe in 2005, which included visiting some of the great Reformation centres in Europe, including: the Schlösskirche (Castle Church), where Martin Luther nailed the 95 Theses, 31 October 1517; the Stadtkirche, where Luther preached at least three times a week; Lutherhaus, which was the original University of Wittenberg and Melanchthonhaus in Germany, as well as Grossmünster (the Great Cathedral) where Ulrich Zwingli launched the Swiss Reformation, 1 January 1519, in Zürich; Zwinglihaus and his place of birth in Wildhaus; the Great Reformation monument in Geneva; Calvin’s Auditoir and Academy and St. Pierre (St. Peter’s), where John Calvin preached daily, for 26 years, in Geneva; the Martyrs Memorial in Oxford and many other Reformation sites around Europe.
Research for Reformation
I accumulated many thousands of photographs and a library of books on, or from, the Reformers. From these resources, I developed lectures and PowerPoint presentations of each of the key Reformers, Doctrines and events which God so wonderfully used to transform the Church and to change the world.
The Launch of The Reformation Society
From January 2006, the Reformation Society began meeting every Thursday night at Livingstone House in Cape Town. Out of this developed a number of books including: Greatest Century of Reformation; The Power of Prayer Handbook; Reforming Our Families; Old Testament Survey; New Testament Survey and many Audiovisual boxsets to equip and empower pastors, teachers, chaplains and missionaries to inform, inspire and involve others in working for Reformation and praying for Revival Today.
Rediscovering Reformed Worship in Classic Hymns
We also produced the Reformation 500 Livingstone Fellowship Hymn Book with 146 Hymns to help revive Hymn singing amidst the churches, colleges and home fellowships.
Calvin 500
It was from the Mission to Europe, 2005, that I began thinking, strategising and planning for a Reformation 500 movement. Standing in front of the Reformation Wall in Geneva, I noted that John Calvin had been born in 1509. 2009 was only four years ahead and I determined to mobilise a Calvin 500 Conference for Geneva, July 2009.
Reformation 500
2017 was, at that stage, twelve years ahead, but marking, as it would, the 500th anniversary of Professor Martin Luther’s posting the 95 Theses on the Church doors of the Schlösskirche, it would be a momentous historic milestone to galvanise a renewed interest in the doctrines and examples of excellence from the Reformation era.
Zwingli 500
I also noted that Ulrich Zwingli launched the Swiss Reformation on 1 January 1519, by dispensing with the Latin mass and beginning expository preaching, line by line, verse by verse, through every Book in the New Testament. That would be 14 years ahead. It would be good to produce a survey of every Book of the Bible by 2019, to inspire pastors to preach through the whole Bible.
Captive to the Word
The ultimate Reformation 500, 2021, marking Professor Martin Luther’s historic, bold and momentous “My conscience is captive to the Word of God! Here I stand!” speech before the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, 18 April 1521.
Mobilising for Reformation Study Bibles
I spoke to Reformed teachers, such as Dr. R.C. Sproul and Dr. Joel Beeke, pointing out that it would be important and strategic to bring out a Reformation Study Bible to coincide with these historic opportunities to rekindle a new Reformation Today. Dr. R.C. Sproul worked on and produced the Reformation Study Bible in both New King James Version and ESV. He then, very generously donated over 2,000 copies of the Reformation Study Bible to Frontline Fellowship, which we have carefully, prayerfully and strategically distributed to pastors, missionaries and Bible College libraries throughout Africa. Dr. Joel Beeke also produced the King James Version, Reformation Study Bible.
A Revival of Calvinism
The Calvin 500 was a success, even being commented on in a cover article of Time magazine as one of the Ten Ideas Which Are Changing the World Today. In July 2009, participants from all over the world gathered in Geneva for the Calvin 500 Celebration Conference. You can view a video of an interview I gave in front of St. Pierre in Geneva on that occasion, click here.
95 Theses for Reformation Today
To help mobilise more intensive interest, Bible study and discussion on the great issues identified by the Reformers, I produced the 95 Theses for Reformation Today, which was also translated into Afrikaans, German, French and Dutch.
Reformation 500 FIRE Manual
To help mobilise new initiatives for Reformation Today, we produced the 80-page Reformation 500 FIRE Manual (Fellowship for International Reformation and Evangelism) including Coalition on Revival documents on The Authority of Scripture; 42 Essential Articles of A Christian Worldview; the Manifesto for the Christian Church; 25 Articles on the Kingdom of God; 7 Essential Actions Local Churches Must Take; The Sanctity of Life, Marriage; Homosexuality; Biblical Economic Systems; Education; Freedom of Expression; The Discipline of Children; Contextualisation and Missions; The Trinity; 95 Theses for Reformation Today and Launching Reformation 500. This is also available digitally, free, online on www.Reform500.org. website.
The Eurochor in Cape Town
In October 2016, we invited the Eurochor to conduct outreaches and Reformation 500 services at the open-air auditorium at the Waterfront; at Strand Street Lutheran Church, the oldest Protestant Church in the Southern Hemisphere; at the Huguenot Monument in Franschhoek and at the Dutch Reformed Church in Franschhoek on 31 October 2016. You can view videos of the Eurochor presentations, outreaches and concerts here.
Reformation 500 Wittenberg
In 2017, I conducted Reformation conferences in California, Pennsylvania, Zambia, South Africa and across Europe, including to over 960 people at the Reformation and Revival Conference in the Netherlands, held special Reformation services in Belgium and in Wittenberg, Germany. Participants in our Reformation 500 event in Wittenberg included representatives from as far afield as Burma, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Russia, Ukraine, England, the Netherlands, South Africa and the USA. You can view videos of Wittenberg, here. You can view the Eurochor Concert in Wittenberg, October 2017, here.
You Can Start a Reformation Society
Initiating a Reformation Society is not as daunting and difficult a task as you may first think. Our prayer is that Reformation Societies will be started in many hundreds of homes, churches, schools and colleges throughout Africa and the world. It is our earnest prayer that through these multiplied back to the Bible for Reformation and Revival Societies there will be a revival of interest in the doctrines and devotions of the Reformers whom God used to transform lives and change history. You can find Reformation videos, audio lectures, PowerPoint presentations and articles on our www.ReformationSA.org website and Reformation 500 Facebook page. “All the ends of the world shall remember and turn to the Lord and all the families of the nations shall worship before You. For the Kingdom is the Lord’s and He rules over the nations.” Psalm 22:27-28
Do You Want to Change Your World?
Please keep in touch with us and let us know how we can practically assist and pray for you. May the Lord abundantly bless and strengthen you as you seek to be informed, inspired and involved in doctrines and devotions of the Reformers who changed the world forever. May God be pleased to bless our studies and endeavours with spiritual revival in our lives, in our churches, in our communities, in our country and in our continent. “Will You not revive us again, that Your people may rejoice in You?” Psalm 85:6
Dr. Peter Hammond
The Reformation Society
P.O. Box 74 Newlands 7725
Cape Town South Africa
mission@frontline.org.za
www.ChristianAction.org.za
www.FrontlineMissionSA.org
www.GospelDefenceLeague.org
www.ReformationSA.org
www.Reform500.org
www.WillianCareyBI.com
Reformation 500
See also:
Working for Reformation Today
The Cape Town Declaration – Here We Stand!
Declaration on the Authority of Scripture
