John Calvin - The Pastor

Geneva

In the same year that Calvin published his first edition of the Institutes of the Christian Religion, he decided to leave France and go to settle in Strasbourg. However, on his way, he was passing through Geneva. A pastor there, by the name of William Farel, begged Calvin to stay and help with the Reformation in that city. It had only recently become officially a Protestant city and there was little evidence of any real change in the way of life of many of the people. The city had a name for immorality and drunkenness. It is probable that Geneva's "conversion" to Protestantism owed more to political factors than religious conviction. Farel believed that, with Calvin's help, the city could be transformed. Calvin was not, at first, keen to stay because he wanted to devote time to writing but he realised that this was actually a call from God, so he agreed to stay.

Calvin set to work to find ways of improving both the moral and religious life of the city. He drew up a catechism, articles of faith and designed a form of Church government and insisted on the right of the Church to discipline unworthy church members - even, if necessary, to excommunicate them.

Calvin has been falsely accused of interfering with the laws of Geneva. It is alleged that he forced laws upon the city council against gambling, drinking, dancing and similar "excesses". However, those laws already existed in all medićval cities including Geneva. Farel and Calvin attempted to exercise those existing laws as the criteria for church discipline. They tried, from 1536 to 1538, to introduce theocratic principles but the city council and the population were not ready for such ideas and Calvin and Farel were banished in 1538.

Strasbourg

Calvin went from Geneva to Strasbourg where he became Pastor of a congregation of French refugees. While there he also wrote his commentary on the Epistle to the Romans. He met, and became acquainted with, Martin Luther and Melanchthon, and renewed his friendship with Martin Bucer (later to become Professor of Theology at Cambridge). He also married during this time.

However, during the three years that Calvin spent in Strasbourg, things in Geneva were deteriorating. The Roman Catholic Church mounted a campaign to return Geneva to the Catholic fold. Civil behaviour worsened until, in 1541, the people of Geneva sent for Calvin to return.

Geneva Again!

Calvin was very reluctant to return to Geneva for he was finding Strasbourg a place of fruitfulness. However, the people of Geneva pressed hard and he capitulated and returned to Geneva where he exercised leadership in the Church and influenced the civil government for the next twenty four years.