Kirkliche crisis: top staff must be filled!

Kirkliche crisis: top staff must be filled!

A change is looming in the Evangelical Church of Westphalia. After the change in the presidential office from Annette Kurschus to Adelheid Ruck-Schröder, not only is the presidential office being filled, but the positions of legal and theological vice president are also up for discussion. Particularly noteworthy is the surprising resignation of Arne Kupke, the legal vice president, who will serve in office until the autumn meeting of the state synod on November 22nd. After more than 16 years in church leadership, he would like to give space to new perspectives and will then return to the role of legal regional church council. My church newspaper reports that Kupke had a lot of responsibility, which influenced his decision.

Kupke's resignation comes at a time when trust in the leadership of the Evangelical Church of Westphalia is being severely tested. The handling of an alleged case of abuse in Siegen that took place decades ago has caused noticeable waves. The reports of sexual contacts between a former church employee and several boys in the 1980s cast a shadow over the credibility of the entire institution. WDR reports that An independent investigation was commissioned by the management consultancy Deloitte to clarify the events. This came to the conclusion that the then President Kurschus was informed about the incidents too late and then resigned under pressure.

The replacement of the leadership

Arne Kupke, who at the beginning of his time in church leadership first worked as senior church councilor and later as legal vice president, was almost always responsible for the regional church's financial decisions. However, his last election in November 2023 only brought him 57 percent of the vote, which could be interpreted as an indication of dwindling support for his administration. The Evangelical Church of Westphalia emphasizes that Kupke's resignation also ended his nationwide functions at the EKD level, including his chairmanship of the financial advisory board.

But it's not just Kupke who is leaving: Ulf Schlüter, who was theological vice president, has also decided not to run for re-election. This gives the state synod the opportunity to discuss the successor to both vacant positions in November. An uncertain period of transitions and realignments lies ahead, and until new leadership is found, Ralf Henning Krause will fill the positions on an interim basis.

regain trust

Amid these changes, regaining member trust is critical. The Deloitte study revealed weaknesses in the regional church's communication strategy and criticized a lack of transparency. The affected former students from Siegen have expressed relief at the results of the investigation, but the question remains as to how the church can emerge stronger from this crisis. Vice President Ulf Schlüter emphasized that the church's failure is serious and the suffering of the victims cannot be compensated.

The coming months could therefore be formative for the future of the Evangelical Church of Westphalia. The new leadership will show whether the church can make the necessary change of course towards more openness and responsibility - and whether it can thereby regain the trust of its members.