wfn.org | New Pattern as Protestant Churches Come Together in Germany

["Frank Imhoff" <frank_imhoff@elca.org>]

New Pattern as Protestant Churches Come Together in Germany
Federation of Evangelical Churches in Central Germany Effective in July 

WEIMAR, 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 Kaehler 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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