It was more than the typical tourist trip: A group from area Lutheran churches got to see the places where Martin Luther had lived — where the Protestant Reformation began.
In 1517, Martin Luther wrote the “95 Theses” which attacked “the Catholic Church’s corrupt practice of selling ‘indulgences’ to absolve sin,” according to history.com. The theses “propounded two central beliefs — that the Bible is the central religious authority and that humans may reach salvation only by their faith and not by their deeds.” This sparked the Protestant Reformation, the website states.
The Rev. Christian Dittmar, assisting minister at First Lutheran Church of Findlay, had previously taken groups to the area, and decided the 500th anniversary would be a good time to do it again. He had been uncertain about going in April, six months before the actual anniversary, but said it turned out to be wise, as many tourists are already coming into Germany.
“It’s a big thing for Lutherans,” Dittmar said.
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