wfn.org | Cooperation Agreements on Future Roles of German Protestant

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

Cooperation Agreements on Future Roles of German Protestant Church Bodies
Initialed
Consultation Process with Member Churches to Begin

HANOVER, Germany/GENEVA, 11 December 2004 (LWI) - The chairpersons of the
negotiation commissions of the United Evangelical Lutheran Church of Germany
(VELKD), Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD) and the Union of Evangelical
Churches in the EKD (UEK), have initialed agreements that will determine the
future roles of the UEK and VELKD within the EKD. 

VELKD Presiding Bishop, Dr Hans-Christian Knuth (Schleswig), UEK General
Conference Chairperson, Bishop Dr Ulrich Fischer (Baden) and EKD Council
Vice-Chairperson, Bishop Dr Christoph Kaehler (Thuringia), initialed the
proposed agreements and submitted the latter for approval to the EKD member
churches. 

The structural debate to strengthen cooperation between the EKD member
churches has been going on for the past two years or so. Strong unanimity
marked the negotiation process by the three high-ranking commissions that
elaborated the draft agreements on the future relations between the EKD, UEK
and VELKD, according to parallel press releases issued on December 8. 

The reforms aim at achieving the highest degree of cooperation possible
between the EKD member churches, with distinctions in responsibilities only
to be made where necessary according to the respective self-understanding of
each association of member churches.

The tasks of the individual bodies will in future be carried out at the EKD
Church Office in Hanover, where UEK and VELKD offices will be set up. This
will primarily favor continuous dialogue and a common discourse, and will
help to reduce duplication of structures. The existing member churches
associations will retain authority over initiatives, policy decisions and
their evaluation in accordance with their constitutions, especially with
regard to their respective confessions. This will enable the UEK and VELKD to
increase their scope of action by gaining legally safeguarded rights within
the EKD to take part in, and influence policy decisions in the EKD as a
whole.

Kaehler said the Protestant churches in Germany have demonstrated their
capacity to shape policy with these agreements, and have strengthened their
own profile and visibility. Knuth believes VELKDs autonomy as a church is
maintained in the new system, and that the commitment to its confessional
basis is preserved. Furthermore, the body of Evangelical Lutheran churches
will continue to be solely responsible for shaping its ecumenical
relationships. Fischer welcomed the negotiations outcome saying it
emphasizes common ground, and significantly strengthens the EKD, making it
possible to achieve an important UEK objective.

The preliminary approval means that the church governing bodies and synods
can now begin to consider the agreements so that the necessary constitutional
amendments are submitted to the legislative bodies next year for final
approval. The subsequent approval by the member churches is scheduled for
2006 in order for the agreements take effect on 1 January 2007 at the latest.

The EKDs 23 Lutheran, Reformed and United churches have a membership of 26
million people. Activities of the member churches are structured federally at
all levels while the shared concerns are the responsibility of the governing
bodies * the Synod, Council and Church Conference, whose business is
coordinated by the Church Office. 

The VELKD brings together eight Evangelical Lutheran churches in Bavaria,
Brunswick, Hanover, Mecklenburg, North Elbe, Saxony, Schaumburg-Lippe and
Thuringia, with some 10.4 million members.

The UEK comprises the 13 member churches of the Arnoldshain Conference and
the Evangelical Church of the Union, with the aim to promote EKDs unity.
(564 words)

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tradition. Founded in 1947 in Lund, Sweden, the LWF currently has 138 member
churches in 77 countries all over the world, with a membership of nearly 65
million Lutherans. The LWF acts on behalf of its member churches in areas of
common interest such as ecumenical and inter-faith relations, theology,
humanitarian assistance, human rights, communication, and the various aspects
of mission and development work. Its secretariat is located in Geneva,
Switzerland.)
 
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