Why This Christian Café Had to Close After Just One Year

Faith Facts

• A Christian café in Leipzig, Germany, suffered 26 violent attacks by radical extremist groups in just over one year
• Zeal Church’s ‘Stay’ café will be forced to close its doors at the end of June 2025 due to ongoing targeted harassment and sabotage
• Pastor René Wagne confirmed the closure comes after sustained persecution from organized anti-Christian activists

An evangelical church in Leipzig, Germany, is being forced to close its community café after enduring relentless attacks from radical extremist groups. The café, called ‘Stay,’ opened in 2024 as an outreach ministry of Zeal Church in the city of 630,000 residents.

Pastor René Wagne announced the difficult decision, explaining that the café suffered 26 separate attacks and acts of sabotage over the course of just one year. The closure will take effect at the end of June.

The pattern of harassment represents a troubling escalation of anti-Christian persecution in Europe. These were not random incidents but coordinated efforts by organized extremist groups specifically targeting the church’s ministry.

The café was intended as a welcoming space where Christians could serve their community and share the love of Christ through hospitality. Instead, it became a battleground where believers faced ongoing hostility simply for living out their faith in the public square.

Pastor Wagne’s church now joins a growing list of Christian ministries across Europe facing intimidation and violence for their witness. The targeting of a simple café demonstrates how even the most benign expressions of Christian community life are increasingly under assault.

The closure marks a sobering reminder that religious freedom is under threat even in nations with strong democratic traditions. When Christians cannot operate a café without facing two dozen attacks, something has gone deeply wrong in the culture.

This incident should serve as a wake-up call to believers everywhere about the importance of defending religious liberty and supporting persecuted brothers and sisters in Christ. The same hostile forces operating in Leipzig exist in varying degrees throughout the Western world.

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