The Synod of the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD) is taking a critical look at the circumstances surrounding the resignation of EKD Council Chair Annette Kurschus. The President of the Synod, Anna-Nicole Heinrich, made this announcement during the digital continuation of the Synod meeting, which began in Ulm. Kurschus stepped down from her roles on November 20, following allegations of her prior knowledge of sexual misconduct accusations against a former church employee in the Siegen church district, as reported in a newspaper.
Kurschus denies these allegations but felt the need to step down to avoid causing further distress to the victims of sexualized violence through media headlines. The Synod meeting was interrupted on November 15 due to a warning strike at Deutsche Bahn. A new council chairperson will not be elected until the synod in November 2024.
The President of the Synod and the acting chair of the EKD Council, Kirsten Fehrs, thanked Kurschus for her trustful cooperation and expressed their commitment to continuing their efforts in dealing with and preventing sexualized violence. The right lessons must be learned, with a clear priority being the continued process of coming to terms with and supporting those affected by sexualized violence.
Critics at the church parliament questioned the lack of transparency regarding who in church leadership was aware of the allegations against Kurschus and when. The Synod's review aims to find a way to deal appropriately with possible accusations of this kind in the future.
The Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD) is the communion of 20 regional churches, to which 19.2 million Protestant Christians belong. As they face such critical incidents, the Synod meeting in Westphalia, led by President Anna-Nicole Heinrich, is responsible for reviewing and learning from such situations to ensure appropriate handling in the future.
