The time approaches 12. People who seem well acquainted converse with one another in the foyer, and young children run around and play. Musicians begin a song and everyone hurries into the hall to find a seat. The atmosphere is casual – several people continue whispering their conversations during the song.
By Gudrun Irving – Photos by Søren Clausen
This is a typical scenario at the weekly Sunday meeting of BCC’s local community in Copenhagen -Tårnfalkevej in the district of Hvidovre. The architect-designed building, with its somewhat softer and more traditional style, stands out a bit in this industrial area.
In 1997, members built the conference center on volunteered time – to this day, everyone involved in the project has a sense of pride and ownership. The large meeting hall is unadorned and functional, accommodating around 900 people at full capacity. The service today is called simply “the meeting”.
Song and Music – a Vital part of Church life
A leader without a title
The leader is not easy to spot because he does not differ from the other members in appearance. He has not studied theology, nor is he paid for the service he does. Emil Borch is a leader without a title, a retired electrician who is just called “Emil” by all. You find him on the first row of chairs, right by the ‘podium’, the only member who has a fixed place in the hall. It is otherwise free for everyone to choose a place in the hall wherever they may wish to sit.
Sunday School – a place for Joy and Enthusiasm
In the main hall there are now several empty seats after the children have left, but it is calmer and easier to concentrate on the meeting. At the front of the hall, on both sides of the podium, there are several empty seats facing the congregation.
During the next song, these chairs begin to fill up with different members of the congregation who would like to contribute, and several young people also sit in the so called ‘testimony queue’. The need for renewal and continued development in one’s own faith is central to much of what is said.
Speeches from both young and old
As the song finishes, an 18-year-old boy goes up to the podium and tells about an episode from school this week which he found encouraging and wanted to share with the congregation.
In BCC in Copenhagen, over 50% of the members are under the age of 21. The majority of these young people attend the main meeting every Sunday, even though they have their own youth meetings on Friday evening also.
A woman participates with a solo song, accompanied by the piano. Then a grandmother comes up and expresses her thankfulness for her life as a Christian. In the next half hour, the row of chairs at the front fills up continuously.
The testimonies are generally short and last between two and four minutes. When the meeting ends, a large proportion of the congregation has participated with singing, prayer or testimony, while others have been organizing Sunday school for the children.
