30.06.2004
New Pattern as Protestant Churches Come Together in Germany
Federation of Evangelical Churches in Central Germany Effective in JulyWEIMAR, Germany/GENEVA, 30 June 2004 (LWI) – German Protestantism is on the move. The merger that led to the formation of the “Evangelical Church of Berlin-Brandenburg and the Silesian Oberlausitz” (EKBO) early this year created a new pattern on the map of German region-based Protestant churches, and reduced their number to 23. Six months later, on July 1, the “Federation of Evangelical Churches in Central Germany” (EKM) will be established as the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Thuringia joins with neighboring Evangelical Church of the Province of Saxony. In the northeast in Mecklenburg and West Pomerania, there is initial consideration of closer cooperation between the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Mecklenburg and Evangelical Church of Pomerania.
The coming together of the Thuringian and Saxon churches affects about one million church members. At the May 18 signing of the agreement in Erfurt, Thuringian Bishop Dr Christoph Kähler stressed the need to safeguard the quality of church work in the respective congregations in the long term.
A federation is meant to have simplified, transparent structures which will combine efforts and avoid duplication. Joint church organizations and agencies are expected to provide more effective service in the future for both churches within the federation. This is so far not undisputed. Unlike the Saxon church, the consent of Thuringia’s regional synod was considerably more reticent. It had been preceded by controversial debate in the church districts, some of which clearly spoke against a federation. In their opinion, the federation would endanger regional characteristics and, after the painful reforms of the 1990s with posts abolition and funding reductions, they feared further cut backs. But some voiced the view that a federation did not go far enough and therefore demanded a merger.
According to the federation agreement, the EKM’s joint bodies such as the church head office, governing board and synod, are expected to start functioning already this year. The second phase of the federation will start in 2008 based on a new church constitution and with a joint budget. But a joint bishop’s seat is not on the agenda for the time being. The two parts of the church must continue “to be present in a good and effective way” in the two regional capitals according to the agreement.
Different reasons occasioned this federation, including decreasing financial resources in both churches as result of continuing decline in membership. Since the negotiations began in 1997, the Thuringian side was especially interested in solving the territorial complexities that date back to the early 19th century.
For the first time in almost three decades, the EKM federation brings together two German regional churches of about the same size. It will not affect their membership in the different confessional bodies within the Evangelical Church in Germany. Whereas the church in Thuringia will maintain its historical character as a regional Lutheran church, the 533,000-member Evangelical Church of the Province Saxony will stick to its tradition as a United Church.
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Thuringia has 479,298 members and was a founding member of the Lutheran World Federation in 1947. (538 words)
(Written for LWI by Thomas Bickelhaupt, Weimar.)
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