Eurobishop

Bishop Weber in St Thomas Becket Church An important worship service during the Kirchentag in recent years has been a Meissen Eucharist to celebrate the relationship between the EKD (The Evangelical Church in Germany) and the Church of England, a relationship established by the Meissen Common Statement which was signed in 1991  This agreement enables eucharistic hospitality between our Churches, as a stage along the way to full communion. The Agreement does not permit interchangeability of ministers, but does promote fellowship in as many areas of Christian life and witness as possible so that our Churches might advance together towards full visible unity one day. It is also an agreement that has huge significance with regard to reconciliation between two countries that once were at war. This year the Meissen service at the Hamburg Kirchentag was held in St Thomas Becket Church, our Anglican Parish in the city. Bishop Nick Baines of Bradford, the Anglican Co-Chairman of the M...

Archdeacon Jonathan LLoyd with St Thomas Becket Volunteer at Kirchentag The 34th Protestant Kirchentag was held in Hamburg from 1 to 5 May. There is no other event quite like it in the Christian world. It is an immense gathering of people of all ages and walks of life. There are addresses from global leaders, dozens of acts of worship each day according to many traditions, from Caribbean beat to Iona contemplative, cultural events, workshops, musical performances (brass bands are everywhere!), and a marketplace for churches, groups, movements and agencies to set out their wares. The  CAECG, the Council of Anglican/Episcopal Churches in Germany, were among the stalls at the marketplace. Angela Merkel and Helen Clark The theme for this Kirchentag  was "As much as you need” taken from Exodus 16.18, which gave opportunity for focussed reflection on issues of sustainability of the planet and to examine critically systems which promote wealth, greed and excess....

Some shockwaves have hit the European ecumenical scene this past week. Members of our diocese in Germany will be particularly aware of this situation, as it has been widely covered in the German media. Bishop Margot Kässmann resigned her post as the head of the German Protestant Church, the EKD ( Evangelische Kirche in Deutchland ) on Wednesday 24 February. She was found driving with over 3 times the legal alcohol limit in her blood after she drove through a red light on the previous Saturday. The Council of the EKD laments her decision and felt that the incident in question should not be grounds for resignation, and that as a result the Church has lost a “fascinating religious personality”. German public opinion is divided about her resignation. Some feel that the 51 year old former bishop of Hanover has made the right choice as a moral leader. Others feel that she should be forgiven according to Christian principles. The EKD is a federation of 22 Lutheran, Reformed and Unit...

The Meissen Commission met last month in England from 17th to 21st September. The Commission carries forward the work of the 1988 Meissen Agreement between the Church of England and the Evangelische Kirche in Deutschland (the Evangelical Church in Germany or "EKD"). The Diocese in Europe is represented on the Commission by the Revd Simon Hobbs, the chaplain of St Boniface Bonn and All Saints Cologne . He brings a vital perspective from Germany itself where our Anglican clergy and congregations enjoy excellent ecumenical relations with our EKD neighbours. (The Agreement provides for mutual eucharistic hospitality but not an inter-changeable ministry due to lack of agreement on the historic episcopal succession). It was the last meeting for the EKD co-chairman, Bishop Jürgen Johannesdotter of Schaumburg-Lippe (pictured left) who retiries shortly after a destinguished ecumenical career. He will be succeeded in the chair by the Bishop of Braunschweig, ...