Evangelical Lutheran Church in Northern Germany

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Northern Germany (Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche in Norddeutschland) is a member church of the Evangelical Church in Germany (Evangelische Kirche in Deutschland, EKD). It was established on 27 May 2012 as a merger of the North Elbian Evangelical Lutheran Church, the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Mecklenburg, and the Pomeranian Evangelical Church. It covers the combined area of all those former member churches, which are the federal states of Schleswig-Holstein, Hamburg and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Nordkirche is the only Landeskirche in Germany which covers parts of both, New states of Germany and West Germany. It is also called Nordkirche (North Church). It has 2,063,904 members (31/12/2016). 1,704 ordained pastors and more than 84,000 volunteers work for Nordkirche (4/2016).

Bishops

There are five bishops (8/2018): One Landesbischof (Presiding Bishop; literally: "State Bishop") as the primate resp. metropolitan bishop, who got his see in Schwerin, and four Bischöfe im Sprengel (bishops in the dioceses; "Sprengel" means diocese):

  • Presiding Bishop Gerhard Ulrich (Episcopal see in Schwerin)
  • Sprengel Schleswig und Holstein: Bishop Gothard Magaard (Episcopal see in Schleswig)
  • Sprengel Hamburg und Lübeck: Bishop Kirsten Fehrs (Episcopal see in Hamburg)
  • Sprengel Mecklenburg und Pommern: Bishop Dr Andreas von Malzahn (Episcopal see in Schwerin)
  • Sprengel Mecklenburg und Pommern: Bishop Dr Hans-Jürgen Abromeit (Episcopal see in Greifswald)

Presiding Bishop Gerhard Ulrich also serves as the Leitender Bischof (Leading Bishop) of United Evangelical Lutheran Church of Germany. Ulrich will be retired in spring of 2019. On 27th of September 2018, the General Synod elected the regional bishop (Regionalbischöfin) Kristina Kühnbaum-Schmidt as new Presiding Bishop (Landesbischöfin). The presiding bishop preaches in Schwerin and Lübeck cathedral.

Dioceses

The three dioceses consists of totaly 13 Kirchenkreise (districts).

Sprengel Schleswig und Holstein (Diocese of Schleswig and Holstein) covers the state of Schleswig-Holstein without some parts of Southern Holstein (larger urban zone of Hamburg), Lübeck and the Duchy of Lauenburg. The parishes in Nordschleswig (Danish: Nordslesvig) in Southern Danmark (Jutland) also belong to the Diocese of Schleswig and Holstein.

  • Kirchenkreis Altholstein
  • Kirchenkreis Dithmarschen
  • Kirchenkreis Nordfriesland
  • Kirchenkreis Ostholstein
  • Kirchenkreis Plön-Segeberg
  • Kirchenkreis Rantzau-Münsterdorf
  • Kirchenkreis Rendsburg-Eckernförde
  • Kirchenkreis Schleswig-Flensburg
  • Parishes of German speaking minority in Southern Jutland

Sprengel Hamburg und Lübeck (Diocese of Hamburg and Lübeck) covers the cities of Hamburg and Lübeck, some parts of Soutehrn Holstein and the Dutchy of Lauenburg.

  • Kirchenkreis Hamburg-Ost
  • Kirchenkreis Hamburg-West/Südholstein
  • Kirchenkreis Lübeck-Lauenburg

Sprengel Mecklenburg und Pommern (Diocese of Mecklenburg and Pommern) covers the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.

  • Kirchenkreis Mecklenburg
  • Kirchenkreis Pommern

Organisation

The Sprengel of Mecklenburg und Pommern got two bishops because of the latest merger of the former regional churches of Mecklenburg and Pommern with Nordelbien. After a period of transition there will only be one bishop for the Sprengel. The headquarters (Landeskirchenamt) are in Kiel and in Schwerin. Each Sprengel is structured into many districts ("Kirchenkreise"); there are 13 districts. The Kirchenkreis is the unit of some parishes.

Instruments of organisation are:

  • Landessynode (genereal synod; literally: State Synod); praeses: Dr Andreas Tietze. The synod consists of both, clergy and lay people. The Landessynode reguallary meets in Lübeck.
  • Landeskirchenamt (church administrative office); president: Prof Dr Peter Unruh. The Landeskirchenamt is based in Kiel and in Schwerin.
  • Bischofsrat (bishops' council). The Bischofsrat consist of all bishops of Nordkirche. Chairman is the Presiding Bishop.
  • Kirchenleitung (church executive board). The Kirchenleitung consists of all bishops and of representatives of clergy, lay people and staff. Chairman is also the Presiding Bishop.

Practices and Life of church

The Centre for Global Ministries and Ecumenical Relations (Zentrum für Mission und Ökumene, ZMÖ) is based in Breklum, North Frisia (head office) and in Hamburg (staffed office). It cares about all international and ecumenical relationships of Nordkirche. It has it's roots in Breklum's missionary society, founded in 1876 by pastor Christian Jensen. They prepared and sent missionaries to India and to the U.S., then also to Tanzania, China and Papua-Neuguinea.

Ordination of women and blessing of same-sex marriages were allowed.[1] Maria Jepsen was the first woman worldwide who became female bishop. She served as bishop of the former diocese (Sprengel) of Hamburg from 1992-2010.[2]

References


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