EKD Press Releases
EKD Synod begins this Sunday in Ulm
Second meeting of the Eleventh Synod begins with worship
October 23, 2009
This Sunday, 25 October, a service of worship in Ulm Cathedral will mark the beginning of the second meeting of the Eleventh Synod of the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD). The sermon will be delivered by Frank Otfried July, Bishop of the host church, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Württemberg. Following the service, EKD Council chairperson Bishop Wolfgang Huber will present his last Council report. The 67 year-old will not be standing for re-election this year owing to age. On Sunday afternoon, Synod president Katrin Göring-Eckardt will for the first time present the report of the Presidium to the Synod.
The main task of this Synod meeting will be the election of the EKD Council, the church's 15-member governing body. The Synod on Sunday afternoon in plenary session will decide from among 22 candidates-ten women and 12 men. Nine of the candidates are heads of EKD member churches.
On Monday 26 October, the Synod is to tackle this year's main theme, "Voluntary Engagement in Church and Society". Discussions on budgetary matters and additional church legislation will follow in the afternoon.
On Tuesday 27 October, the 22 candidates will be presented to the EKD Synod and Church Conference for filling of the 14 available seats on the Council. One seat has already been assigned: EKD Synod President Katrin Göring-Eckardt is an ex-officio Council member, having been elected at the first meeting of the Eleventh Synod in May 2009.
Following this, on Wednesday morning 28 October, the Synod will elect the new Council chairperson and deputy chairperson, before holding further discussions on the budget and new church legislation church. The closing worship service of the second meeting of the Eleventh Synod will be held on Wednesday at 8pm at Ulm Cathedral.
The new EKD Council will be installed in the course of this service.
Concluding discussions in plenary will be held on Thursday 29 October, and the Synod meeting come to a close on that Thursday around noon.
Hannover and Ulm, 23 October 2009
Press Office of the EKD
Reinhard Mawick