The early stages

The beginning of the Community

During his curacy period, in 1932, Walter Hümmer gets engaged to Hanna Hufnagel, a student of music from Ansbach. They gain access to a circle of students from the Oxford Group who meet on a regular basis to hold "Quiet times", to pray together and to share thoughts and impressions. This spiritual alignment to listen to the Word of God in silence and the sensitivity for the acts of the Holy Spirit becomes the basis for their relationship and an increasingly important prerequisite for decision-making during their marriage (as of 1935).

During their initially very demanding time as clergy couple in Schwarzenbach/Saale, people experience acceptance and deliverance through the love of Jesus Christ. Over several years, lively congregational work develops and some of the members follow their call to surrender their lives wholly to Jesus Christ.

The experience of unity

with Christ and among each other is going to be summarized in the name of ,Christusbruderschaft´ (fraternity of Christ). This means: wherever Christ is experienced as brother, a sibling-like relationship develops, where we become the brothers and sisters of one another.

In his founding service on 1 January 1949, Walter Hümmer referred to the "Christusbruderschaft" as an act of God's creation. Subsequently, the Church Board criticized him and called him "the romantic".

Good Friday – Creation of the Protestant order in the vicarage of Schwarzenbach/Saale

January – Official founding of the "Christusbruderschaft Selbitz"
Creation of the tertiary community "Tertiärgemeinschaft"

Beginning of building work for the "Christusbruderschaft's" preceptory

Inauguration of the expanded preceptory with chapel

Inauguration of the guesthouse: House of Encounter and Contemplation

The district old people's and nursing home becomes the "Walter-Hümmer-Haus"

15 August – death of the founder, reverend Walter Hümmer, church councillor

19 October – death of the co-founder Mrs. Hanna Hümmer

The community decides to divide into two autonomous groups, the "Communität Christusbruderschaft Selbitz" and "Christusbruderschaft Falkenstein"

First commissioning of community members to Africa (Sehitwa/Botswana; since 2004 Kwa Zulu Natal/South Africa)

External convents in various federal states of Germany