The outgoing council chairman of the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD), Heinrich Bedford-Strohm, has spoken out in favor of a radical restructuring of his church.
This must be present in people's reality, "instead of waiting for people to come to church," said the Bavarian regional bishop in the "Interview of the Week" on BR24.
Every parish no longer has to offer everything.
Nor can it be that those who have shaped the community up to now are the only ones to decide about the future.
It now depends on “young people” who “have different priorities”.
Bedford-Strohm rated the rapprochement between Protestants and Catholics in Germany as the highlight of his seven-year tenure at the head of the EKD.
As a wish for the future he mentioned a common ecumenical celebration of the Lord's Supper.
"I'm not going to give up, I want to experience it myself," said the Council President.
The EKD Synod begins on Sunday and decides on Bedford-Strohm's successor.