Evangelical Church in Central Germany
(Evangelische Kirche in Mitteldeutschland, EKM)
For one decade, the Protestant churches in the federal states of Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia have been moving towards each other. In 2007, the synods of both churches agreed upon merging. "We go with each other” was the motto of the cooperation which later became the Federation of Evangelical Churches in Central Germany (Evangelische Kirche in Mitteldeutschland, in short EKM). Now the merger is complete, on 1st January2009, the churches have officially "bonded with each other”.
The newly formed Evangelical church in Central Germany has about 900.000 members in over 3.000 parishes. It consists of 38 administrative districts called "Kirchenkreise”. The limited financial and personal means of the two neighbouring churches are now consolidated. Until recently, three separate church parliaments existed - the two synods of the churches of the federal states and the synod of the federation - as well as three separate church governments.
Now there is only one synod consisting of 84 members and a 23-headed Church Council. The new church has only one bishop, who will be have his or her seat in Magdeburg in Saxony-Anhalt. The church offices, headed by the so called collegium, will be situated in Erfurt in Thuringia, where the remains of the old university building will be converted into an administration office.
Financial strains were not the only reason for the two churches in Central Germany to unite. "To bond with each other” does also include going towards and connecting with the people living in the region. This aim can be achieved much better with stable structures and a church, which can offer reliable support to the parishes and church districts.
"We want our faith to transcend every day life and thus help shaping it” says the "Letter from Halle”, where the two churches signed their federation treaty in ….
This demand held for the federation and will continue to be valid for the new Protestant Church in Central Germany.
The EKM belongs to the following associations:
- member church of the Evangelical Church in Germany (Evangelische Kirche in Deutschland, EKD)
- Ecumenical Church Council (Ökumenischer Rat der Kirchen, ÖKR)
Contact
Location Magdeburg
Am Dom 2, 39104 Magdeburg
Fon 0391/5346-0
Fax 0391/5346-111
Kirchenamt.Magdeburg@ekmd.de
Location Eisenach Dr.-M.-Mitzenheim-Str. 2a,
99817 Eisenach
Fon 03691/678-99
Fax 03691/678-355 Kirchenamt.Eisenach@ekmd.de
Online-Editor
Gerhard Seifert (Eisenach)
Fon 03691/678-225
Fax 03691/678-355 Gerhard.Seifert@ekmd.de
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