EKD council chairwoman
Evangelical Church: Fehrs wants to restore trust
“We will consistently continue on the path of dealing with sexualized violence in the church and diakonia,” says the provisional council chairwoman of the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD). photo
© Hendrik Schmidt/dpa
Bishop Kirsten Fehrs has no illusions about her new position at the head of the EKD: “We still have a long way to go.” It’s important to her to stay in dialogue, she says.
One thing is clear: “We will consistently continue on the path of dealing with sexual violence in the church and diakonia,” Fehrs told the newspaper. “We are committed to ensuring that people affected in this way systematically have a say.” Fehrs explained that she would take on the role of acting council chairwoman in accordance with the statutes until the next synod in 2024, at which a new chairperson would be officially elected.
Accusations against the predecessor
Fehrs took over the office on an interim basis after Annette Kurschus resigned. Fehrs is a member of the EKD’s Sexual Violence Participation Forum. Those affected in this committee had recently distanced themselves from Kurschus.
Kurschus resigned as both EKD council chairwoman and president of the regional church of Westphalia. Before that, the pressure on the theologian had grown enormously. Allegations had been made against her that she had known many years ago that a church employee at the time was suspected of sexually assaultive behavior. The EKD Council Chairwoman represents around 19.2 million Protestant Christians in Germany.