Pastor couple Heuermann: Farewell to Scots for new freedom!

Pastor couple Heuermann: Farewell to Scots for new freedom!

Udo and Silvia Heuermann, a pastor couple from Scotland, are facing a new chapter in their lives. After working in Vogelsberg since 1992, they are now saying goodbye to professional life and moving to Steinhuder Meer in Lower Saxony. The moving boxes are already packed and the anticipation of retirement is palpable. Your new home will be just 100 meters from the sea jetty, which will certainly offer many opportunities for relaxing hours by the water. Nevertheless, the couple remains busy with work until the last moment, such as confirmations and upcoming lectures reports the FNP.

Silvia Heuermann is using the last few days to clear out the rectory so that the move can be carried out with light luggage. Together, the Heuermanns successfully practiced teamwork in the community for over 30 years, which continues to have a positive influence on the church service schedule today. Critical thoughts also remain in their farewell. Udo Heuermann expresses concerns about structural change in the church and the challenges that volunteers face. Both recognize the opportunities of greater church networking, but are also aware of the reservations in the villages.

Church in change

Major changes are currently taking place in the Evangelical Church in Hesse and Nassau (EKHN). The future processekhn2030will ensure that the church will continue to exist beyond 2030. This process takes into account social changes and member development and should lead to decisive decisions by autumn 2020. Church President Volker Jung emphasizes the need to remain a public and diverse church and notes that the budget aims to reduce spending by 100 million euros by 2030 reports the EKHN.

Important topics such as climate protection, community orientation and digitalization also play a role. Among the challenges, the decline in membership numbers is also a crucial issue. Forecasts show that the number of pastors could fall by almost a third by 2030. Cooperations across parish boundaries are intended to help compensate for the decline in parish service.

The future of the church

The Protestant Church is at a turning point that requires courage and trust in God. The motif “Out into the Wide” describes the desire to take new paths and separate oneself from the familiar. She doesn't seek retreat, but wants to connect with people and rely on God's guidance. A close connection with Jesus Christ, trust in the Holy Spirit and the practice of love should represent the cornerstones of church life states the EKD.

The challenge of the Evangelical Church will be to clearly refer to the message of faith and to adapt to the changed conditions. While diminishing resources present challenges, they also present opportunities and opportunities to reshape the church. We can only hope that the Heuermanns can enjoy their new phase of life to the fullest and that the church will find innovative ways to deal with the current challenges during this time.

The official farewell to Udo and Silvia Heuermann will take place on Sunday at 2 p.m. in the Liebfrauenkirche. While Udo is planning a break of six months in which he would like to discover sailing as a new passion, Silvia wants to spontaneously visit her children. A new phase of life is about to begin, and we wish the couple much success and joy on their journey and in their new home!