from a recent "Our Family" interview with Wilhlem Leber:
Now on to another aspect that relates to the image of the Church. There was a regional reform in North Rhine-Westphalia. District Apostle Brinkmann has in the meantime announced that further congregations will be amalgamated over the next few years. Similar reforms are underway in Berlin-Brandenburg, and District Apostle Klingler has hinted that some locations in his working area will be abandoned. In general, this creates the impression that the New Apostolic is shrinking its way back to health.
WL: I do not see it that way. We must react to present circumstances. We are seeing a population decline in Germany. Beyond that, our congregations are over-aged. There are projections for the year 2020 for certain regions that show that if we keep going at this rate, we will have to contend with a considerable decline in our membership. We cannot ignore such prognostications. In addition there are migrations within the larger cities. Some quarters are overpopulated by immigrants of another confession, where we as a Christian association have no chance. In this respect, many congregations are simply thinning out.
On the other hand we want to have lively congregations with children, youth, a sufficient number of ministersand these in turn need a minimum of active members to function properly. Otherwise we will not be able to keep up our liveliness over the long term. That is why we have no other choice but to amalgamate congregations and set a different course for the future. This is being done strategically in many districts, but in other districts it is happening more or less quietly. But the situation is the same everywhere. I think it is better to have one powerful congregation than two weakening congregations. Naturally each case must be given careful consideration. Distances and the overall infrastructure also play a role, as do the future of the congregation or the age composition. But we cannot escape this trend.
Some churches such as Berlin-Charlottenburg or Dortmund-North which have a long tradition are also being closed. Is the Churchs image not going to suffer?
Certainly this hurts. I concede that and understand very well. But we must take a look at how this congregation and its surroundings will look in the future. I know Dortmund-North very well myself and I know the church is in the middle of a city quarter inhabited by many non-Christian citizens. In other words, there is no chance for us to have a congregation of substance in this location any more.
In addition, we must remember that the members today expect decent church buildings. There should be opportunities for church life to unfold. All this costs money. And every year, whenever greater investments are proposed, we must certainly ask: How does the future of this congregation look? Can we justify these investments if we expect to suffer drastic losses over the next five years, and if it is impossible to maintain the membership? This must be brought into harmony with financial considerations. And then we have no choice but to close one or the other church, regardless of whether it is a congregation with a rich tradition or not.
Now on to another aspect that relates to the image of the Church. There was a regional reform in North Rhine-Westphalia. District Apostle Brinkmann has in the meantime announced that further congregations will be amalgamated over the next few years. Similar reforms are underway in Berlin-Brandenburg, and District Apostle Klingler has hinted that some locations in his working area will be abandoned. In general, this creates the impression that the New Apostolic is shrinking its way back to health.
WL: I do not see it that way. We must react to present circumstances. We are seeing a population decline in Germany. Beyond that, our congregations are over-aged. There are projections for the year 2020 for certain regions that show that if we keep going at this rate, we will have to contend with a considerable decline in our membership. We cannot ignore such prognostications. In addition there are migrations within the larger cities. Some quarters are overpopulated by immigrants of another confession, where we as a Christian association have no chance. In this respect, many congregations are simply thinning out.
On the other hand we want to have lively congregations with children, youth, a sufficient number of ministersand these in turn need a minimum of active members to function properly. Otherwise we will not be able to keep up our liveliness over the long term. That is why we have no other choice but to amalgamate congregations and set a different course for the future. This is being done strategically in many districts, but in other districts it is happening more or less quietly. But the situation is the same everywhere. I think it is better to have one powerful congregation than two weakening congregations. Naturally each case must be given careful consideration. Distances and the overall infrastructure also play a role, as do the future of the congregation or the age composition. But we cannot escape this trend.
Some churches such as Berlin-Charlottenburg or Dortmund-North which have a long tradition are also being closed. Is the Churchs image not going to suffer?
Certainly this hurts. I concede that and understand very well. But we must take a look at how this congregation and its surroundings will look in the future. I know Dortmund-North very well myself and I know the church is in the middle of a city quarter inhabited by many non-Christian citizens. In other words, there is no chance for us to have a congregation of substance in this location any more.
In addition, we must remember that the members today expect decent church buildings. There should be opportunities for church life to unfold. All this costs money. And every year, whenever greater investments are proposed, we must certainly ask: How does the future of this congregation look? Can we justify these investments if we expect to suffer drastic losses over the next five years, and if it is impossible to maintain the membership? This must be brought into harmony with financial considerations. And then we have no choice but to close one or the other church, regardless of whether it is a congregation with a rich tradition or not.
