Grafing’s evangelical pastor, Axel Kajnath, doesn’t want to talk about himself at first. It is much more important that everyone who is currently employed in the parishes of Ebersberg and Grafing will continue to work there in the future. Because it has been public knowledge since the most recent community meetings: Kajnath’s position will not be filled when he retires on November 1st.
The background to all of this is the reduction targets set by the Evangelical Lutheran Church. The deaneries have to reduce their costs by around ten percent. Not immediately, but over a period of years.
With the beginning of his retirement, the Glonner pastor Ghita Lenz-Lemberg will take over the first pastoral position in Grafing, reported Kajnath. However, Lenz-Lemberg’s previous position with a focus on Glonn will be cut by half. The same applies to the second pastorate of the parish of Ebersberg by Pastor Claudia Steuerer-Wünsche. “In return, she will be assigned half the position in Glonn and will thus serve in both parishes,” explained Kajnath.
Ebersberg pastor Edzard Everts will in future also be the managing director of the parish offices of the “Northern Region” in the Rosenheim deanery district.
(Photo: Christian Endt)
According to Kajnath, Pastor Edzard Everts will also be active in both parishes – because his service in the Ebersberg parish will be reduced by half. In return, he received a regional service contract for the management of the parish offices of the “Northern Region” in the Rosenheim deanery district. Pastor Renate Zorn-Traving, previously responsible for the areas of children’s church/family work and clinic/church pastoral care, will continue to perform these tasks in the future.
However, Kajnath did not only have to announce cuts at the community meeting. The youth work had been strengthened in terms of personnel. “This will give youth work more intensive support.”
The municipality wants to compensate on a structural basis for the fact that there is less staff available overall. Kajnath said it was important to find workable solutions in the church boards and with all other volunteers. “Wherever possible, the parishes in Ebersberg and Grafing will have to cooperate even more intensively.” The connections between the two congregations are already considered to be close, for example in the organization of the Children’s Bible Weeks. Until the division in 1986, Ebersberg and Grafing had formed a joint parish.
Shop steward Anneliese Müller from Glonn has no doubt that practical solutions will be found. There is a very trusting, almost family atmosphere in the parish. And as far as the increased cooperation between the individual churches in the community is concerned: “I’m very optimistic, there’s already a lot of cooperation going on, which is now getting a little closer.”