Ascension Lutheran Church

In the first few centuries, Christians were severely persecuted by more than one of the emperors of the Roman Empire. In the face of persecution some of the Christians declared that they had renounced Jesus Christ and returned to their pagan beliefs, and some even handed over the names of other Christians to the Roman authorities. These Christians who became weak in the face of persecution came to be called “Lapsi” by the other Christians. Later, when some of the Lapsi wanted to rejoin their former congregations, there was a big controversy among the Christians over whether or not they should be allowed to.